Category: Orlando Magic Blog

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Pacers defeat Magic 93-78, even series 1-1

An Orlando team without its top rebounder, injured All-Star center Dwight Howard, dominated the boards in the first half to take a two-point lead. The heavily favored Pacers stewed in their locker room as they faced the possibility of taking a two-game deficit to Orlando for Game 3 on Wednesday…

The Pacers responded, asserting complete control inside during the second half of a 93-78 win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Indiana grabbed 12 of the first 13 rebounds in the third quarter and outrebounded Orlando 26-13 in the second half…

Indiana lost Game 1 81-77 on Saturday and felt its season slipping away in Game 2 before rallying…

David West had 18 points and 11 rebounds and has emerged as a stabilizing force for the Pacers…

Granger and George Hill each added 18 points and Paul George had 17 points and eight rebounds for Indiana. The Pacers won despite making just 2 of 20 3-point attempts and Granger, the team’s leading scorer this season, shooting just 7 for 21 from the field.

Indiana held the Magic to 36 percent shooting overall. Indiana has held the Magic below 40 percent shooting in both games…

Davis led the Magic with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot 5 for 16 from the field. Davis, the loudest talker after Saturday’s win, was the first player off the court on Monday.

J.J. Redick scored 13 points and Jameer Nelson added 12 for Orlando.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Stan Van Gundy blasts center Daniel Orton

Utah Jazz point guard Devin Harris was tired of seeing 3-pointers drop for the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

He made sure one at the end of regulation didn’t have a chance as he stepped up big against Jameer Nelson.

Harris’ block kept Utah alive, and in the end it was the Jazz draining 3s to secure a 117-107 overtime victory over Orlando…

Despite the missing pieces, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy ripped into his team.

“We just cannot guard, we cannot,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t think that our guys are not trying, but we cannot guard anyone. Our defense is disturbing to say the least.”

Van Gundy also had harsh words for backup center Daniel Orton, who contributed only two points off the bench.

“Daniel gave us nothing,” Van Gundy said. “He went for every shot fake, he fouled every time. He didn’t even give us minutes that we needed to give our starters some rest. Our lack of depth was an absolute huge factor. Those guys ran out of gas at the end.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Magic team doctor thinks Dwight Howard can make full recovery

dwight howard

The team doctor for the Orlando Magic said he believes Dwight Howard will recover fully after undergoing back surgery on Friday, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Dr. Craig Mintzer told the newspaper that Howard is doing well after the surgery and should recover in about four months without complications.

“He shouldn’t have restrictions whatsoever. He should come back fully. There shouldn’t be an issue there. Really, it’s just a matter of time,” Mintzer told the Sentinel.

Howard has been complaining of back problems since early March, but it wasn’t until Los Angeles-based spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins examined him last week that the herniated disk was discovered.

— Reported by ESPN.com News Services

Dwight Howard to have back surgery

Dwight Howard

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard will undergo back surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk, effectively ending his season and eliminating him from participation in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Howard’s agent said Thursday night.

Howard has been complaining of back problems since early March, but it wasn’t until Los Angeles-based spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins examined him last week that the herniated disk was discovered.

Howard received an epidural to alleviate the pain at that time and the plan was that he’d rest and rehabilitate his back for 10-14 days before deciding if he could return to play or further treatment might be necessary.

But his back has worsened and both Watkins and the Magic’s medical staff determined that surgery is necessary.

— Reported by Ric Bucher of ESPN the Magazine

Pierce leads Celtics to win over Magic

paul pierce

Paul Pierce had 29 points and a career-high 14 assists and the Boston Celtics clinched at least a tie for the Atlantic Division title as they held off a late charge by the Orlando Magic for a 102-98 win Wednesday night.

Boston (37-26) has a 3 1-2-game lead over New York (33-29). The Celtics have three games left and the Knicks, who beat the New Jersey Nets 104-95, have four.

Division winners are guaranteed to be seeded no worse than fourth in the conference and wouldn’t have to face Chicago or Miami in the first round…

The Celtics played without their starting backcourt. Point guard Rajon Rondo, who has at least 10 assists in each of his last 23 games, had a sore lower back after landing hard on it in Tuesday night’s 118-110 loss at New York. Ray Allen missed his sixth straight game with a right ankle injury.

Avery Bradley started for Rondo and finished with 23 points. Bass added 21.

Davis, starting in place of Dwight Howard, led Orlando with 27 points. Nelson had 19 points and nine assists. Howard missed his sixth consecutive game because of a herniated disc.

— Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

Stan Van Gundy says Dwight Howard wants him fired

Stan Van Gundy

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said this morning that he knows that superstar center Dwight Howard asked team management to fire him, a charge that Howard denies.

“I know he has,” Van Gundy told reporters after the Magic completed their shootaround. “That’s just the way it is. Again, I’ve been dealing with that all year. It’s not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job.”

Asked if it makes it harder to coach given that he thinks Howard is not committed to him, Van Gundy responded, “It’s not a matter of being committed to me. It’s a matter of being committed to the team and trying to do everything you can to help the team win games. That’s all I’m concerned with. As far as the other stuff, I don’t think that matters. I don’t need love and support here at my job. I’ll turn to my family for that. I don’t need these guys giving me hugs and pats on the back.”

Asked how he knows it’s true, Van Gundy said, “I was told it was true by people in our management right from the top.”

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel

MUST-WATCH VIDEO: SVG COMES CLEAN, DWIGHT COMES OVER PLAYING INNOCENT

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Dwight Howard misses Nuggets game with back spasms

Dwight Howard

The Orlando Magic didn’t have their best player on the floor when they hosted the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.

Dwight Howard suffered from back spasms, was a late scratch and sat out a regular-season game for only the eighth time in his eight-year pro career.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has alleged that Howard was punched in his lower back by Dallas Mavericks center Brendan Haywood during Friday night’s loss to the Mavericks.

Haywood said he did nothing wrong.

“Man, I don’t know what’s wrong with Stan,” Haywood said Sunday, according to ESPNDallas.com. “Stan’s going to say what Stan wants to say. We don’t gotta play them no more. The game’s over with.

“I think Dwight caught me with more shots than I caught him. He’s the most physical player in the league. So it is what it is. Stan made his comment. I haven’t got a call from anybody [in the league office], so I guess nobody’s listening.”

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel

Ryan Anderson has shot at winning Most Improved player award

Ryan Anderson

[Orlando Magic forward Ryan] Anderson has flourished to the point where he’s a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award.

“It’s an honor to even be in the talks and involved with those names,” he said. “I’m not really focused on that as a whole. It’s a cool thing. I’m just truly blessed to play consistently.”

Anderson shared the power-forward spot with Brandon Bass late last season after veteran Rashard Lewis was traded to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas.

This season, he took advantage of an opportunity when Orlando dealt Bass to the Boston Celtics, winning the job even after the Magic brought in Davis.

Anderson has started all 48 games, averaging 15.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game compared to 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 68 games (14 starts) last season.

— Reported by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel

Memphis Grizzlies sign Gilbert Arenas

gilbert arenas

Once a beloved star in the NBA, free agent guard Gilbert Arenas has a new chance to prove to the basketball masses that he can help a team win.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed Arenas today, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “Arenas, who was in Memphis the past two days, passed a physical and signed a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum. Memphis will pay him a prorated salary worth about $300,000.”

A three-time All-Star (2004-07), Arenas holds career averages of 21.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.63 steals on .421 shooting in 35.8 minutes in 535 career games (455 starts) over 10 seasons (2001-11) with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic.  Selected by Golden State in the second round (30th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft, Arenas’ career scoring average ranks ninth among active players (34th in NBA history).

During his time with the Wizards, the Los Angeles native developed into one of the league’s most dynamic guards, averaging 27.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists over a three-year stretch (2004-07) in which he was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2007 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2005 and 2006.  The 2002-03 NBA Most Improved Player ranked third in the league in points per game during the 2006-07 season (28.4), fourth in 2005-06 (29.3) and seventh in 2004-05 (25.5).

Most recently, the 30-year-old former University of Arizona standout split the 2010-11 season with Washington and Orlando, averaging 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 25.7 minutes in 70 games (16 starts).

The Grizzlies’ roster currently stands at 14 players. Memphis begins a four-game West Coast road trip tonight at 9 p.m. CT against the Sacramento Kings at the Power Balance Pavilion.

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