Orlando Magic Blog – Page 59 – NBA Blog

Bryant, Bynum knee issues continue

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Kobe Bryant recently had a significant amount of fluid drained from his swollen right knee, The Times has learned, and hasn’t practiced since the last round.

Andrew Bynum practiced only once and said the torn cartilage in his right knee was “getting a little worse” after making it through Saturday’s scrimmage.

“We need some different company out on the court,” Phil Jackson said with a smile Sunday after yet another day of practice.

Jackson was a little more somber when discussing Bryant and Bynum, the former averaging a solid 32 points a game in the conference semifinals, the latter totaling only six points the last two games against the Jazz.

Jackson, on Bryant: “He came out [Sunday] and shot a little bit and tried to get in rhythm. We hope that he’s on board and his game is right at that point where it needs to be.”

Jackson, on Bynum: “I thought he played well [Saturday] and we’re hopeful that he’s going to be at that level.”

Celtics beat Magic 92-88 in East Conf Finals Game 1

The AP reports:

The Orlando Magic finally met their match in the playoffs.

Celtics beat Magic 92-88 in East Conf Finals Game 1

Ray Allen scored 25 points, Paul Pierce had 22 and the Boston Celtics used smothering defense to beat the Magic 92-88 on Sunday in the Eastern Conference finals opener.

Rasheed Wallace added 13 points as the Celtics built a 20-point lead, then held on late to snap Orlando’s 14-game winning streak.

Vince Carter had 23 points and Jameer Nelson finished with 20 for Orlando, which cut the lead to two in the final seconds but simply ran out of time, looking rusty after a six-day layoff. Dwight Howard was limited to 13 points and 12 rebounds, nowhere near the dominant force the Magic need to win a title…

Nelson had two quick 3-pointers and another jumper to start the third, moving the Magic within three points. Then it all unraveled.

The Celtics went on a 22-5 run later in the quarter to go ahead 65-45, and a crowd littered with blue and white T-shirts—deafening at times with noise clickers and claps—was silenced. But the Magic rallied late to cut the lead to three with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth on a dunk by Howard…

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Celtics defense was the star today. Orlando shot 41.6% and only hit 5-of-22 from three-point range. Boston only hit 44.6% of their shots, but they were stronger from outside with 6-of-14 threes.

In addition to his 22 points, Pierce had nine rebounds, five assists (but five turnovers) and two steals.

Orlando hit the offensive boards hard, grabbing 15 to Boston’s seven.

The entire Magic team had just 10 assists.

Dwight Howard shot just 3-of-10, had five blocks, but seven turnovers with two assists. He struggled.

Rasheed Wallace shot just 3-of-9 off Boston’s bench.

Kendrick Perkins only had four points and two rebounds, plus an awful five turnovers, but also delivered three steals and two blocks.

Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick provided nice sparks for the Magic off the bench.

Read fan discussion and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Kobe says little about early LeBron elimination

The AP reports:

If Kobe Bryant was even slightly disappointed to learn that LeBron James won’t be showing up for a possible career-defining showdown, the Los Angeles Lakers star isn’t letting on.

Bryant had almost nothing to say Friday about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff elimination, which ruined the best chance yet for a finals meeting with James.

“I don’t know,” Bryant said when asked what he thought of Boston’s Game 6 victory, before an awkward silence with the phalanx of television cameras and digital recorders pointed at him in a back corner of the Lakers’ training complex.

Surely Bryant realizes the anticipation was extra-high this spring, after the superstars’ teams finished atop their respective conferences with two of the NBA’s top three records. Nike certainly spent many months hoping for the showcase of two top clients, building that unusual advertising campaign around their puppet replicas.

But while James begins his offseason, Bryant is still standing — albeit on a gimpy ankle — after persevering through an injury-riddled year. The veteran star won’t slow down for the Western Conference finals just because King James isn’t waiting on the other side.

InsideHoops.com Says: I hope reporters ask Bryant about this until he gives a real response. I assume he’ll eventually say that he thought the Cavs would go further, but the Celtics are a very good team. That’s the boring, politically correct response, at least. But hopefully he gives something more interesting than that.

Game 4: Magic eliminate Hawks

The AP reports:

Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead another dominating performance by the Magic, which finished off its second straight playoff sweep with a 98-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Orlando won the four games by an average of 25.3 points—a total blowout that no one could have expected in a matchup between the teams that finished second and third in the Eastern Conference. It was the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA playoff history, according to STATS LLC…

“We would have to be playing at our absolute, absolute best—like, mistake free—to beat that team,” said Jamal Crawford, who led Atlanta with 18 points…

Atlanta held Dwight Howard to 13 points and eight rebounds, but the Magic had plenty of other options…

Jameer Nelson was unstoppable, baffling the Hawks with his now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t quickness. He finished with 16 points and nine assists. Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers. Mickael Pietrus scored 12 points—all of them from beyond the arc.

As a team, Orlando was 16 of 37 from 3-point range, taking more long-range shots than two-pointers (28). Overall, the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and never trailed during either game in Atlanta…

Hawks star Joe Johnson finished off a miserable series by scoring only 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

Joe Johnson probably costing himself money with play vs Magic

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

“Joe, do you think you are costing yourself money?”

That was the question posed to Joe Johnson after one of the more lackluster playoff performances a supposed max-salary player had played since the term “max-salary player” was added to the NBA lexicon in 1999.

And even more unbelievable than his performance and that of his teammates was Johnson’s answer: “No.”

Huh?

Let me try to get this straight: In one of the final games this highly talented player will perform in before becoming an unrestricted free agent July 1, Johnson attempted 15 shots, missed 12 of them, was booed repeatedly and loudly and had about as much impact on the outcome as teammate Mario West, who was inactive.

Memo to Johnson: Go back and take a look at what the Dow Jones did last Thursday. Go look at the value of Accenture stock, which went from $35 a share to mere pennies in an eyeblink. (OK, so that was caused by a glitch.) Read up on what’s happening with the economic crisis in Greece, where the word “plummet” is being redefined downward with each passing day.

Because a stinker like the one Johnson played Saturday in the Atlanta Hawks’ 105-75 shellacking at the hands of the Orlando Magic is bound to have a profound, multimillion-dollar impact on the value of the contract(s) Johnson will be offered when he hits the open market.

Game 3: Magic destroy Hawks 105-75

The AP reports:

Rashard Lewis scored 22 points and the backups helped Orlando pull away early with Howard on the bench as the Magic romped to another playoff blowout, moving to the brink of their second straight sweep with a 105-75 victory over the Hawks on Saturday.

Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds but was hardly dominating. No problem for the Magic, who have so many complements to Superman and allowed many of them to shine in Orlando’s seventh straight postseason victory and 13th straight win overall.

Lewis knocked down four 3-pointers. Jameer Nelson scored 14 points. Mickael Pietrus chipped in with 13, hitting three shots from outside the arc. Marcin Gortat, Howard’s backup, grabbed six rebounds in less than 10 minutes. All 10 Orlando players who got on the court made it to the scoresheet…

The Hawks shot only 35 percent (29 of 83), and their best player was the biggest culprit. Joe Johnson made only 3 of 15 attempts to finish with eight points. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 22 points.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Game 2: Howard dominates, Magic beat Hawks 112-98

The AP reports:

Dwight Howard came back from a bloody nose to finish with 29 points and 17 rebounds, and the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 112-98 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Vince Carter had 24 points with some big shots late and Rashard Lewis finished with 20 points, leading Orlando’s 19-2 run in the fourth quarter. The perennially poor free-throw shooting Howard also was 13 for 18 from the line…

Howard made a layup as he was slapped in the face inadvertently by Horford to start the third quarter, the blood pouring from the Magic center’s nose. Howard shot the free throw—and missed—with plugs in his nostrils, holding back laughter, and then left for about 2 minutes so trainers could stop the bleeding.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Magic scored just 17 points in the second quarter. The Hawks only scored 15 in the fourth.

Orlando shot 55.9 percent, Atlanta 41.3 percent.

Orlando hit 9-of-23 three-pointers, Atlanta 6-of-11.

Orlando only hit 69.2 percent of their 39 free throws. Atlanta hit an amazing 30-for-31.

The Magic has four players score 20 or more points: Dwight Howard had 29 and 17 rebounds (no assists). Vince Carter had 24 and seven rebounds. Rashard Lewis had 20 with six assists. Jameer Nelon scored 20 with six assists. Mickael Pietrus scored 13 off the bench.

For the Hawks, Al Horford (9-of-13) had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Crawford had 23 (on 18 shots) off the bench. Joe Johnson shot just 5-of-16 for 19 points and five assists. Josh Smith (6-of-15) had 18 points and nine rebounds, but five turnovers.

Fan discussion of the game as it happened was here.

Game 1: Magic destroy Hawks by 43

The AP reports:

Dwight Howard had 21 points and 12 rebounds in one of the most crushing playoff wins in Magic history, a 114-71 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal.

Howard added five blocks and avoided the fouls and frustration that overwhelmed him in the first round, helping the Magic go ahead by as many as 46 points. Vince Carter finished with 20 points as Orlando showed no signs of rust after an eight-day layoff…

Josh Smith scored 14 points and Zaza Pachulia had 12 for a Hawks team that had little playoff poise. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Orlando, and Atlanta will have to find some way to rally from an embarrassing defeat…

The Hawks were held to 10 points in the second quarter, and just 11 points in the third. Howard and most of the Magic starters weren’t even needed in the fourth, and Atlanta players covered their heads with towels on the bench in the final minutes.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Hawks shot just 34.6 percent from the field and only hit 2-for-13 from three-point range.

Mike Bibby shot just 1-of-5. Al Horford only hit 1-of-7. And Jamal Crawford hit just 1-of-11.

The entire Hawks team dished just 12 assists.

This was a mess.

Orlando to host NBA All-Star 2012

The most magical week in sports is returning to Orlando for the second time, as the city has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2012, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced at a press conference today at the Amway Center. Orlando Magic President Bob Vander Weide, Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer joined Stern at the announcement. Orlando also hosted the 1992 All-Star Game.

The 61st NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Amway Center, which will also host the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and NBA All-Star Saturday Night. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center.

“As a premier entertainment destination with a new, state-of-the-art arena and a wide array of hospitality options, Orlando is an obvious and compelling choice to host this celebration of our game,” said Stern. “We thank the Magic, Orlando and Orange County for once again welcoming NBA All-Star.”

Few All-Star Games have rivaled the one Orlando hosted in 1992 in which the West defeated the East, 153-113, at Orlando Arena. The game is best remembered for the return of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who had retired in November 1991 after contracting HIV. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Johnson had gone one-on-one with both Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan, and turned in a vintage performance, recording game highs of 25 points and nine assists to lead the West and win his second All-Star MVP award. Golden State guard Tim Hardaway, who had allowed Johnson to replace him in the starting lineup, contributed 14 points and seven assists.

“This is a great day for the DeVos family, for the Amway Center and, most importantly, for Orlando,” said Orlando Magic President Bob Vander Weide. “We are excited the NBA is bringing one of its signature events to our community and believe it will be among many legendary moments we are able to attract to this first-class facility.”

“We are proud that Orlando, and especially its revitalized downtown, will be showcased during NBA All-Star 2012,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “With the majestic Amway Center hosting great events like NBA All-Star, our vision for a world-class downtown is well on its way to being realized.”

The 2011-12 season will mark the 28th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the 10th consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.

NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 24, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The following day’s festivities will feature NBA All-Star Saturday Night, an all-inclusive skills showcase comprised of Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players, and NBA legends; Skills Challenge, a contest of top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, layups and agility drills; the Three-Point Contest, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Slam Dunk contest.

“It’s a testament to our Central Florida community, the Magic organization and our beautiful new Amway Center that Orlando has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2012,” said Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins. “We look forward to working with the city, the county and the NBA to make this an unforgettable week that will drive major economic impact.”

“Orlando is the entertainment capital of the world, making it the ideal city to host the action of NBA All-Star,” said Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty. “On behalf of the county, we look forward to welcoming NBA fans and players from around the world and doing what Orlando and Orange County do best: helping create memories that will last a lifetime.”

LeBron James wins second straight MVP award

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2009-10 NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced today.

James, who also earned the honor last season, totaled 1,205 points including 116 first place votes, from a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada and the first ever NBA MVP fan vote. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

Rounding out the top five in voting for this season’s award are Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (609 points), the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (599 points), Orlando’s Dwight Howard (478) and Miami’s Dwyane Wade (119).

More info and full voting results here.