ORLANDO – Of the 16 teams currently in the top eight in their respective conferences – and theoretically headed to the playoffs – 12 of them outscore their opponents, on average, in the first quarter of games.
That statistic alone, Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford said, is further proof that the NBA is more of a first-quarter league instead of the commonly held thought that most NBA games are decided in the fourth quarter.
Getting off to good, first-quarter starts has been something of a challenge this season for the Magic, who rank last in the NBA in first-quarter scoring at 25.5 points a night over the first 12 minutes of games. On average, the Magic trail by 1.8 points a night at the conclusion of the first quarter. Indiana (minus-0.7), Oklahoma City (minus-0.7) and Denver (minus-0.6) are the only top-eight teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences that having a negative scoring margin in first quarters this season.
Orlando (27-33) is hopeful of getting off to a stronger start tonight when they face a Portland Trail Blazers (26-35) team that will almost certainly be without injured all-star guard Damian Lillard once again. Lillard, carved up the Magic for 36 points on Dec. 20 in Portland, has been out since Feb. 12 with a right groin strain.
Orlando’s first-quarter struggles are odd considering that it averaged 27.4 first-quarter points last season. Also, the Magic had a plus-1.8 scoring ratio following the first 12 minutes of games last season, meaning they were often playing from ahead instead of being under pressure while behind.
``I think that’s the focus the rest of the season,’’ Magic coach Steve Clifford said of his squad getting off to better starts. ``Last year, we were a very good first-quarter team. This year, right from the beginning of the season, it’s been an issue. So, it’s a big part of the game.’’
Tonight’s game at the Amway Center has been designated as ``NBA 2K Night.’’ There will be elements of the NBA 2K video game, including footage of Magic players’ 2K images on the video board, incorporated into tonight’s game production.
Portland has been crippled by the loss of Lillard, so much so that it has dropped three games in a row and six of the last seven. C.J. McCollum has tried to pick up the slack without Lillard and he 35 points and five assists in Portland’s 129-117 loss in Atlanta on Saturday night.
The Blazers actually led Saturday’s game 28-23 at the end of the first quarter. On the season, Portland ranks eighth in the NBA in first-quarter scoring at 29.1 points a night. The Blazers are one of just three teams – New Orleans and Washington are the two others – that are in the NBA’s top 13 in first-quarter scoring but are currently outside the top eight seeds in the two conferences.
The Magic lost 114-113 on Saturday in San Antonio when they squandered a four-point lead in the final two minutes and surrendered a game-winning 3-point shot to Bryn Forbes in the final minute. Orlando had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, but Evan Fournier’s layup attempt between two defenders rimmed out. It didn’t matter to Fournier that the NBA’s Last-Two-Minute report ruled on Sunday that Fournier should have received two free throws after Spurs’ guard Patty Mills hit his leg and affected the shot on the play.
Not only did the admitted missed call do nothing to soothe the Magic’s feelings about the loss, it did nothing to change Fournier’s feelings that he should have made the layup even with the contact to his leg.
``I haven’t watched (the replay of the layup attempt), to be honest, because I know the play like it was literally moments ago,’’ said Fournier, who was otherwise brilliant in the game with 23 points and four 3-pointers. ``One of the assistants told me that the (Two-Minute report) said that it was a foul, but that doesn’t change anything to me. It’s an easy layup, a layup that I should have made, and I should have helped my team win. Nothing else to say outside of I’ve got to make the play.
``You flush (the memory of the miss) down, but you know what happened,’’ Fournier added. ``Like, I’m not going to dwell on it. It’s part of this league, and with this team, I’ve made some plays and I’ve missed some. Unfortunately, both are going to happen, but what can I do tonight to help my team win? And, if we are in that situation again, I have to step up and make that play.’’
Fournier and Clifford both believe that the Magic might have won on Saturday had they not fallen into a 16-point deficit in the first quarter. Ultimately, the Magic surrendered 38 points and seven 3-pointers and trailed 38-27 after one period.
``Even (Saturday) night, we played three really good quarters of basketball – balanced at both ends of the floor, but when you start from that far behind, it takes a lot of energy to get back into the game,’’ Clifford said. ``That’s kind of like the immeasurable parts of the that you just don’t know about. Tonight, against (the Blazers), they’re just like us – they are playing for their season and these are huge games. They’ve obviously got some veteran guys who have played deep into the playoffs and know what it’s all about.’’
Added Fournier, whose Magic also fell into a 15-point hole early in the third period before rallying late in the game: ``If I may, it’s the first quarter and the third quarter. In San Antonio, (neither) was good. We just need to have that sense of urgency that we need to start the game better. We need to have that aggressiveness, focus and the attention to detail from the get-go. I think we played good defense for three quarters in San Antonio, but it was just that first quarter with 38 points (allowed), that can’t happen. If you want to win and if you want to get into the playoffs with the right attitude and the right mindset, you’ve got to start games better, period.’’
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