No wonder Jason Williams was in such a foul mood after the game.
Tag: Orlando Magic (Page 7 of 22)
One bright spot for the Magic in this Boston series has been the play of reserve guard J.J. Redick. In four games, he has averaged 11.5 points and has hit 7-of-13 shots from long range.
So how did the former first round pick go from appearing in just 76 games in his first two seasons to playing crucial minutes in an Eastern Conference Final?
I can’t point to just one thing, though he wouldn’t be getting any minutes if he wasn’t playing good defense. He has done a nice job of chasing Ray Allen around screens, which is something that the guy starting ahead of him — Vince Carter — doesn’t do very well. Redick is a nice matchup for Allen because it takes a while for Ray Ray to put the ball on the floor, and that allows Redick, who is not fleet of foot, to cut off the drive.
He’s also making his shots, which is another area of the game where Carter is really struggling. Sure, Carter has the athleticism to penetrate, but what’s the point of having him on the court if he’s only making 37% of his shots and 18% from long range? If you’re Stan Van Gundy, wouldn’t you rather have Redick out there? At least he’ll knock down some shots when given the opportunity.
It has been an interesting road for the former college player of the year. He certainly had his detractors coming into the league, but when you can shoot like he can, there’s a place for you in the NBA, assuming you can figure out how to defend. And that’s exactly what Redick has done.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
The Magic could have folded. Game 4, on the road, already down 0-3. Teams that fall behind 0-3 have lost 93-of-93 series. The Magic know the odds are stacked against them, but they won Game 4 anyway behind a pretty massive 32-16, four-block effort from Dwight Howard. Jameer Nelson added 23-5-9 and turned the ball over six times, but Orlando had enough to survive, 96-92.
Donde esta Vince Carter? 1-of-9 shooting, three points, three turnovers. That stat line makes Orlando’s win that much more amazing.
Despite 68 points from Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics shot just 42% from the field and just 28% from long range. The normally productive Boston benched managed just 12 points on 15 shots.
This win should give Orlando some confidence. If they can win Game 5, the momentum of the series will even out, and the possibility of forcing a Game 7 will be within sight. The pressure will be back on the Celtics to close out the series in Game 6.
No one is expecting the Magic to come back in the series, so they can play loose. And a loose team is a dangerous team.
“Don’t get smart!”
You know that the Celtics are watching this video laughing their asses off.
I’m not sure how else to describe Game 3.
Coming off of two impressive wins in Orlando, the Boston Celtics dominated the third game from tip-off to finish (94-71) and have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
The Magic’s 71 points tell the story. Orlando shot 37% from the field and turned the ball over 17 times. Meanwhile, the Celtics shot 47% and turned the ball over just eight times. The Celtics are playing elite-level defense right now and that’s been the difference in this series.
Looks like Boston is getting ready for the Lakers (unless the Suns can make it a series tomorrow night).
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