The AP reports: Dwight Howard was in high school the last time the Orlando Magic won a playoff game. On Sunday afternoon, he made sure Orlando didn’t have to wait any longer. Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds and blocked five shots, and the Magic defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-100 in the opener of their first-round series. Jameer Nelson added 24 points for Orlando… Anthony Parker had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 21 and Rasho Nesterovic had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Jason Kapono scored 18 off the bench. The Raptors, who trailed by 20 points after the first quarter, drew within five with 10:24 left in the fourth on two quick 3-pointers by Kapono and a Parker jumper. But Toronto went scoreless for the next 3:16 as Orlando pulled away.
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Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh go way back
Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard have been buddies for years, but now they’re facing each other in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Here’s what Howard said about their relationship, as reported by Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun:
“We’ve really grown closer this past year, but for now we have to be enemies,” Howard said. “I just can’t wait to get it going. We’ve been talking about playing each other since the summer before last. We were around each other for the Olympic team (last year) and we were always talking about how his team would do against us and how my team would do against his.”
Live blogging from Magic-Raptors; Magic lead 60-47 at the half
The Orlando Magic had one of the best first quarters in NBA playoff history, but a lackluster second quarter effort has the Raptors within 13 points at the end of the first half.
The Magic led by as much as 23 in the second quarter, but finally started to miss some shots from behind the arc, just as Jason Kapono of the Raptors started to heat up.
The Magic scored 43 points in the first quarter, a team playoff record, and shot 9-for-11 behind the arc, which set an NBA record for 3’s made in the first quarter of a playoff game.
Unfortunately for Magic fans, who have definitely had in impact in the first half, the Magic managed just 17 points in the second quarter.
The Raptors appear to have weathered the Magic storm, and if Orlando can’t establish an inside game with Dwight Howard in the second half, Toronto could come back and win this game.
As for the marked advantage that Toronto was supposed to have at the point guard position, it has yet to materialize as Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling have outplayed T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon in the first half. Nelson had eight points and four assists in the first half, Dooling added eight points in just seven minutes off the bench. Ford had two points and four assists, but shot just 1-for-7 from the field. Calderon had four points and three assists.
As for my second half prediction, I expect the Magic to hold on and win by double digits.
Jamario Moon a nice story for Raptors
The Toronto Star (Doug Smith) reports: The regular season ended where it really began for Jamario Moon, his season a surprising rise from obscurity to a starting NBA job on a playoff-bound team. A season few, if any, saw coming. And as he prepares for that playoff debut, he sees his true jumping off point as a start in a game here in early November. “I think after (that) game it was pretty much even throughout the whole season,” he said yesterday morning before the Raptors concluded the regular season with a 107-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls to finish with a 41-41 record. “I pretty much did the same thing – came out and brought energy, blocked shots, got steals, just got my hands on a lot of balls. “After I started (that) game, I just tried to come out and do the same thing every game.” Moon’s presence in the starting lineup has created the best feel-good story of a rocky season for the Raptors.
Apr. 16: Bulls 107, Raptors 97
The AP reports: The Toronto Raptors will be in good shape if T.J. Ford shoots this way in the playoffs. While Ford finished with 18 points in 18 minutes, Tyrus Thomas scored a season-high 26 to lead Chicago to a 107-97 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night in what might have been interim coach Jim Boylan’s last game with the Bulls… Ford made the most of his time, hitting 7 of 9 shots—and 6 of 8 while scoring 16 in the first quarter. Chris Bosh finished with eight points in 15 minutes… Andrea Bargnani came off the bench and scored 13, while Kris Humphries added 14 points for the Raptors (41-41)… While Thomas finished one shy of his career scoring high, rookie Aaron Gray set career-highs with 19 points and 22 rebounds. But Chicago’s core players— Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon—did little as a woeful season came to a merciful end.
Raptors pimpin dat dancer booty
The Toronto Star (Dave Feschuk) reports: In their insatiable quest to fatten the bottom line, the crude capitalists who run the Raptors hit below the belt this year: specifically, they sold advertising space on the backsides of the resident scantily clad dance troupe. In doing so, they gifted the lecherous among their courtside seatholders a handy excuse. Something like: “But I was looking at her ad, honey.” Branded heinies are but one of the relatively new developments casual observers might have missed in Raptorworld this season.
InsideHoops.com editor says: I support anything that gives me an excuse to look even more closely at the dancers.
Raptors to face Magic in playoffs first round
The Orlando Sentinel (Tim Povtak) reports: The Toronto Raptors, by virtue of their 91-75 victory against the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers’ controversial 91-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, earned the No. 6 seeding in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs so that is who the No. 3-seeded Orlando Magic will face in the first round. The Sixers lost and the Cavs clinched the No. 4 seeding after refs reviewed a foul by Samuel Dalembert at the end of their game and called the 76ers, who thought the game was over, out of the locker room. Officials put 0.2 second back on the clock, and the Cavs’ Devin Brown sank two free throws for the win.
Apr. 14: Raptors 91, Heat 75
The AP reports: Rasho Nesterovic scored 20 points, Chris Bosh had 15 and the Raptors beat the Miami Heat 91-75 on Monday night. The win, coupled with Cleveland’s 91-90 victory at Philadelphia, gave Toronto the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and an opening round matchup with Orlando… Anthony Parker had 13 and Jason Kapono scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, when Toronto outscored Miami 21-11… Daequan Cook had 22 and Chris Quinn added 14 for the Heat, who lost for the 21st time in their past 24 games. Miami must beat Atlanta at home Wednesday to avoid the worst record in franchise history. The Heat went 15-67 in their inaugural 1988-89 season.
Apr. 13: Pistons 91, Raptors 84
The AP reports: Detroit finished the game with its “Zoo Squad”—Jarvis Hayes, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and rookies Arron Afflalo and Rodney Stuckey. The group averages just 22.8 years of age, but the youngsters have proven their worth in back-to-back wins over Washington and Toronto… Stuckey led the Pistons with 18 points, while Maxiell and Billups added 14 each. Chris Bosh had his 30 and Rasho Nesterovic added 18, but T.J. Ford (10) was the only other player to reach double figures… Detroit used all 12 players before halftime, but still took a 50-45 advantage into the break. The Pistons outrebounded Toronto 23-13 in the half, including a 7-2 edge on the offensive glass.
Apr. 11: Raptors 113, Nets 85
The AP reports: After New Jersey was eliminated from playoff contention, Nets coach Lawrence Frank was apologetic for the Nets’ poor play. Carlos Delfino scored 24 points, Chris Bosh had 21 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Nets 113-85 victory Friday night… Vince Carter had 21 points and Devin Harris added 19 for the Nets, who last missed the playoffs in 2001 season… T.J. Ford and Andrea Bargnani each scored 14 as the Raptors rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Nets for the third time in four games this season… Toronto’s Jose Calderon finished with 11 points and 10 assists.