Orlando Magic Blog – Page 89 – NBA Blog

Magic assign Marcin Gortat to D-League

The Orlando Magic have assigned forward Marcin Gortat (MAR-chin GOR-tat) to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. Gortat will continue to be included on the Magic’s roster and will remain on the team’s Inactive List.

Gortat has not appeared in a game this season. He has been on the Inactive List a total of 11 times and has registered one DNP-CD. Gortat was selected in the second round (57th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft. His rights were acquired by Orlando on draft night (June 28, 2005) in exchange for cash considerations.

Gortat played in all five games with the Magic during the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League, averaging 10.0 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 2.6 apg. and 3.20 blkpg. in 30.8 minpg. He has participated with Orlando’s summer league team the last three years.

Gortat (6’11”, 240, 2/17/84) has spent the last three seasons (2004-07) with RheinEnergie Koln in Germany’s Bundesliga I league. Last season, he averaged 10.4 ppg., 5.6 rpg. and 1.1 blkpg., while shooting .596 from the floor in 14 games of Euroleague action. He also played in 44 games in the German League, averaging 8.9 ppg., 6.2 rpg. and 1.4 blkpg., while shooting .575 from the field. Gortat was selected to the Polish National Under-22 team after having played basketball for only six months. During the summer of 2004, he was invited to play for the Polish National Team.

Magic off to their best start ever

The Magic has started the 2007-08 season with an 9-2 record through its first 11 games. It ties for the best start through 11 games in team history. The last time the Magic started 9-2 was back in 1998-99. Orlando has started the season 9-2 after 11 games three other times (1994-95, 1995-96, 1998-99). – NBA News

For the season, Dwight Howard is averaging 22.0 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.45 blocks per game. Rashard Lewis is putting up 21.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Hedo Turkoglu has stepped up to average 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists, though he needs to improve his 43.1% shooting. Jameer Nelson is producing 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists, though his three-point shooting percentage is just 31.0%.

Orlando is playing smart, total team basketball. Stan Van Gundy is doing a terrific coaching job.

Dwight Howard and Allen Iverson win Players of Week

The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard and the Denver Nuggets’ Allen Iverson today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 18. Howard’s 23.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks helped lead Orlando to a 4-0 week. His 35 points and 16 rebounds paced Orlando to a 117-116 overtime victory over defending Eastern Conference champ Cleveland. He rounded out the week with 24 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the Magic’s 104-102 over previously undefeated Boston. Iverson paced the Nuggets with 26.7 ppg on 56 percent shooting, to go with 6.3 assists as the Nuggets went 3-0. He hit for a season-high 37 points on 14-for-20 shooting, to go with eight assists in a 122-100 win over Cleveland. He also shot 19-for-21 (.905) from the free throw line for the week.

Magic hand Celtics first loss of season

The Boston Celtics had been a perfect 8-0 and the league’s only remaining undefeated team but Sunday evening they lost 102-104 in Orlando to the Magic. Hedo Turkoglu stepped up in the 4th quarter, especially from three-point range.

Orlando got 44 free throw attempts in the game, while Boston had just 26. Both teams struggled from the charity stripe, however. Dwight Howard alone had 20 free throws, making just 10.

Boston dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 41-28. Aside from Kevin Garnett’s 11 rebounds it was a total team effort on the boards.

For Orlando, Dwight Howard shot 7-of-9 for 24 points and 3 blocks. He had just 6 rebounds. Rashard Lewis shot 6-of-11 for 22 points and 3 assists, but just 2 rebounds. Jameer Nelson took 15 shots to get 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Hedo Turkoglu took 13 shots for 16 points and 6 rebounds. And Keith Bogans needed 10 shots to get 10 points.

For Boston, Paul Pierce shot 10-of-17 for 28 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Ray Allen needed 17 shots to get 19 points, plus 5 rebounds. Rajon Rondo, a bright spot for the Celtics today, shot 8-of-9 for 18 points and 5 rebounds, though he dished just 3 assists. Kevin Garnett was quiet offensively, shooting 7-of-13 and not getting a single free throw attempt for 14 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist. He fouled out.

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Hedo Turkoglu gets career-high 15 rebounds

Turkoglu made history, for himself, in helping the Magic beat the Raptors. The AP Reports:

Hedo Turkoglu had 24 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 24 points, and the Orlando Magic beat the Toronto Raptors 105-96 on Wednesday night.

For the season, which is still very young, he’s averaging 20 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35 minutes per game.