Orlando Magic Blog – Page 70 – NBA Blog

Fans predict first round playoff results

InsideHoops.com posted a poll two days ago asking fans to predict the results of the 2009 NBA playoffs first round.

In the East:

325 fans picked the Cavaliers to beat the Pistons. Just 29 picked Detroit.
321 fans picked the Magic to beat the 76ers. Just 20 picked Philadelphia.
258 fans picked the Celtics to beat the Bulls. 87 picked Chicago.
And in the East’s only fairly close result, 183 fans picked the Heat while 155 picked the Hawks.

As expected, other than the Lakers-Jazz series, the voting was pretty close in the West:

336 fans picked the Lakers to beat the Jazz. Just 17 picked Utah.
241 fans picked the Nuggets to beat the Hornets. 113 picked New Orleans.
224 fans picked the Spurs to beat the Mavericks. 122 picked Dallas.
198 fans picked the Trail Blazers to beat the Rockets. 152 picked Houston.

Howard rests for playoffs, Bucks beat Magic 98-80

The AP reports: Richard Jefferson scored 24 points Monday as the Bucks beat a Magic team missing Dwight Howard and two other starters, 98-80. Ramon Sessions added 19 points in the home finale for the Bucks, providing a late high note in what has otherwise been a disappointing season for Milwaukee… Courtney Lee had 17 points for the Magic, who shot an ugly 31.8 percent from the field and went only 2-for-18 from 3-point range.

Hedo Turkoglu is OK

The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports (via blog): But there was good news: Hedo Turkoglu, said Van Gundy, has no swelling in his ankle and could have played against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight if the game meant something. He should be ready for the first round of the playoffs this week, which open in Orlando. Turkoglu sprained his left ankle late in Saturday night’s loss to the New Jersey Nets. “He was had very little swelling and no discoloration,” Van Gundy said. “To be quite honest, if this were a game we had to have, I think he could actually go tonight. He and Rashard could both go.”

Carter has 27; Nets end Magic bid for No. 2 seed

The AP reports: The Magic not only saw their bid for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference end with a 103-93 loss to the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night, they also endured the sight of Hedo Turkoglu being helped off the court in the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle… Vince Carter led the way for New Jersey with 27 points and nine assists, but this also was a Nets’ starting lineup that featured three rookies—center Brook Lopez, forward Ryan Anderson and guard Chris Douglas-Roberts… Keyon Dooling added 12 points and 10 assists for the Nets, who played without All-Star guard Devin Harris (shoulder). Lopez added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week. Douglas-Roberts had 10 points and Anderson nine.

Harrington’s 27 points leads Knicks past Magic

The AP reports: Al Harrington scored 27 points, Wilson Chandler had 22 and the Knicks dealt a crushing blow to Orlando’s hopes of getting the East’s second spot with a 105-95 victory over the Magic on Friday night. Orlando trails Boston by two games with three to play… David Lee added 20 points and 16 rebounds to help the Knicks avoid a season sweep by the Magic, who won the first three games against New York. New York played its most inspired game against Orlando this season, only it came too late… Hedo Turkoglu scored 24, and Dwight Howard had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando. With Boston owning the tiebreaker, the Magic would need to win all their remaining games and hope the Celtics go 0-3 to finish second.

Magic rally to top Grizzlies 81-78

The AP reports: J.J. Redick was feeling confident after sparking a late Orlando Magic rally over the Memphis Grizzlies. His smile was big, his hair was slick and he had an extra bounce in his step. So confident, in fact, Redick had the confidence afterward to wear a light-blue shirt complete with tight white pants and white shoes in a Magic locker room where poking fun at wardrobes is practically a hobby… Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points, Dwight Howard added 14 and the Magic rallied to beat the pesky Grizzlies 81-78 on Wednesday night. Redick scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter to highlight a 19-7 run, helping the Magic overcome an eight-point deficit and stay in the hunt for the Eastern Conference’s second seed. Orlando (58-20) stayed a game back of Boston for the East’s No. 2 spot… Rudy Gay had 18 points, and Mike Conley and Mayo had 17 points apiece for the Grizzlies, who were held to just 15 points in the final period and have lost two straight games after winning four in a row.

Yao, Wafer lead Rockets past Magic 93-83

The AP reports: Yao Ming scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, outplaying Dwight Howard and leading the Houston Rockets to a 93-83 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The 7-foot-6 Yao went 8-for-13 from the field and also blocked two shots. He played 38 minutes and got some help from 7-2 Dikembe Mutombo in handling Howard, the NBA’s leading rebounder and shot blocker… Ron Artest had 16 points and matched a season high with seven assists, and reserve Von Wafer scored 14 points for the Rockets, who stayed a half-game behind San Antonio in the race for the Southwest Division… Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds, but went 3-for-9 from the free-throw line for the Magic, who slipped one game behind second-place Boston in the Eastern Conference standings.

Howard 20/20 game, Magic beat Hawks 88-82

The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 21 points and tied a season high with 23 rebounds, helping the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 88-82 on Saturday night to pull within a half-game of tying for second place in the Eastern Conference. The 6-foot-11 center’s performance marked the ninth time this season, and 23rd of his five-year career, that he’s had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game… Joe Johnson scored 21 points for the Hawks, who have dropped three straight and six of eight. Atlanta dropped to 29-10 at home, where it has lost three of four… Rashard Lewis finished with 16 points, and Rafer Alston had 14 for the Magic, who improved to 13-2 overall and 7-1 on the road against the Southeast Division.

Magic throttle Cavaliers, James 116-87

The AP reports: Dwight Howard had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Magic rode a strong second-half start to go ahead by 41 points and hand the Cleveland Cavaliers their most lopsided loss of the season with a 116-87 blowout Friday night. “It’s embarrassing,” James said. Rashard Lewis had 22 points and Hedo Turkoglu scored 13 for the Magic, who remained percentage points behind Boston—but tied in the loss column—for the Eastern Conference’s second seed. James finished with 26 points and nine rebounds but never did find his rhythm, shooting 7-for-20 from the floor… A series of alley-oops, dunks and wide-open 3-pointers all seemed to connect for Orlando. And when Courtney Lee finally missed a jumper for the Magic during the spurt, Howard cleaned it up with a monstrous put-back dunk that began the chants of “M-V-P!” every time he shot free throws.

Bosh’s 24 points helps Raptors beat Magic 99-95

The AP reports: Chris Bosh had 24 points, including a 22-footer over Dwight Howard with 29 seconds left that put the game out of reach, and the Toronto Raptors beat Orlando 99-95 on Wednesday night to bounce the Magic from the Eastern Conference’s second seed… Jose Calderon had 21 points, and Shawn Marion added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Raptors, who nearly blew an 11-point lead before holding on to extend their season-high winning streak to five games. Rashard Lewis missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to seal Toronto’s win… Howard had 30 points and nine rebounds for Orlando (55-19), which fell percentage points behind Boston (57-19) for the East’s second seed. The Magic host first-place Cleveland on Friday night in a game that has now lost some of its luster.