NBA News – Boston (15-2), Orlando (16-4), San Antonio (16-3) and Phoenix (15-4) each have a chance of winning at least 20 of their first 25 games. The last time four teams started the season with at least 20 wins in their first 25 games was 1996: Chicago (22-3), Houston (21-4), Detroit (20-5) and Utah (20-5). The last time three teams established the feat was 2004: San Antonio (20-5), Phoenix (22-3) and Seattle (20-5).
Category: Orlando Magic Blog
Magic blog – Orlando Magic basketball blog
Magic match best start ever
NBA News – Orlando is 15-4 in its first season under coach Stan Van Gundy, matching the best start in the franchise’s 19-year history. The Magic had the same record to begin the 1994-95 campaign and matched that the following season. Just four years ago, they opened 1-18. Orlando also is 11 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the strike-delayed 1998-99 season 33-17, and leads the NBA with a 10-2 road mark.
Players of Month: D.Howard, Boozer
The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard and the Utah Jazz’s Carlos Boozer today were named Eastern Conference and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played from the start of the season (Oct. 30) through November.
Howard averaged 23.8 points on .618 shooting and a league-high 15.0 rebounds while leading the Magic to a 14-4 record. The 14 victories tied for the league high for wins in November with San Antonio. Howard recorded an NBA-best 15 double-doubles and scored 30 or more points six times, including a career-high 39 in a 110-94 win on Nov. 28 in Seattle.
Boozer ranked third in scoring (25.4 ppg) and tied for eighth in rebounds (11.2 rpg) while helping the Jazz to an 11-5 start. Boozer’s .577 field goal percentage was the sixth-best mark in the league. Boozer scored at least 30 points six times and posted 12 double-doubles, including six straight to open the season.
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince, Houston’s Tracy McGrady, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Kaman, New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson, Phoenix’s Steve Nash, and San Antonio’s Tony Parker.
Magic trade Trevor Ariza to Lakers for Maurice Evans and Brian Cook
The Orlando Magic have acquired forward Brian Cook and guard Maurice Evans from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for forward Trevor Ariza, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. In addition, the Magic have waived forward Bo Outlaw.
“Brian (Cook) helps bolster our frontcourt,” said Smith. “He is a power forward who shoots the ball extremely well, while also bringing added toughness to our roster. Maurice (Evans) is a tremendous athlete, a solid defender and capable of playing multiple positions. Both Brian and Maurice fit in very well with what we are trying to accomplish.”
Smith also added: “Trevor (Ariza) is a great talent and we certainly wish him well. We also thank Bo (Outlaw) for everything he has done for our organization as a player.”
Cook (6’9”, 250, 12/4/80, Illinois, 4 years) has played in six games (two starts) this season with the L.A. Lakers, averaging 2.3 ppg. and 1.7 rpg. in 11.7 minpg. Evans (6’5”, 220, 11/8/78, Texas, 4 years) has appeared in seven games this season with the Lakers, averaging 4.4 ppg., 1.7 apg. and 1.3 rpg. in 13.7 minpg.
Cook has played in 259 career NBA regular season games, all with the Lakers, averaging 6.6 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. in 16.0 minpg. He has shot .392 (162-413) from three-point range. Cook has also appeared in 25 postseason contests, averaging 3.0 ppg. and 1.6 rpg. in 7.0 minpg. Originally selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Lakers, Cook netted a career-high 28 points on Feb. 7, 2006 @ Dallas and pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds on Mar. 4, 2007 @ Phoenix.
Evans has appeared in 238 career NBA regular season games with Minnesota, Sacramento, Detroit and the Lakers, averaging 6.3 ppg. and 2.5 rpg. in 17.8 minpg. He has also played in 24 playoff outings, averaging 4.0 ppg. and 1.2 rpg. in 10.0 minpg. Evans originally signed as a free agent with Minnesota on July 23, 2001, after he was not selected during the 2001 NBA Draft. He poured in a career-high 26 points on Feb. 25, 2007 @ Golden State and recorded a career-best 14 rebounds on Mar. 8, 2005 vs. Memphis.
Ariza has played in 11 games this season with the Magic, averaging 3.3 ppg. and 2.2 rpg. in 10.5 minpg. Outlaw has played in two games with Orlando this season, averaging 2.0 ppg. in 3.5 minpg.
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.