Tampa Bay Sports Blog

The Orlando Magic, fresh from a night off, strolled into Utah to take on a Jazz team who just suffered a debilitating loss the night before to the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers. A perfect scenario for the Magic to continue on their winning ways.

As expected the Jazz looked sluggish early on and the Magic were hitting on all cylinders, building what you would think would be an insurmountable 18 point lead. Well, think again folks, because the always tough at home Utah Jazz had other plans.

I can’t help but think that the momentum change was spurred on when Rashard Lewis pulled a Scottie Pippen in the 2nd quarter; refusing coach Van Gundy’s orders to get back in the game. Lewis, saddled with 2 fouls, later claimed he felt Ryan Anderson had it going and didn’t want to interrupt his hot streak.  Unbelievable as it sounds for a player making a cool $118 millions bucks to refuse a coaches instruction. Stan Van Gundy himself, who has coached some questionable characters in his career, claims he has never had a player question his authority in this manner.

Even if Rashard Lewis thought he was being unselfish, is this the type of attitude you want to permeate throughout your team? An All-Star player feeling that his substitute can provide more effectiveness than himself.  Could you imagine Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan or Dwayne Wade not seething at the opportunity to get back on the court no matter what the score or situation.

Whatever transpired inside the Magic locker room at halftime, seemed to carry over onto the basketball court. The Jazz came out in the 3rd quarter and simply wrestled the game away from the Magic outscoring the Magic 68-51 in the final 2 quarters of play.

Deron Williams was spectacular tallying 32 points and 15 assists while the Jazz also received significant contributions from Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and C.J.Miles.

The Jazz imposed their physicality upon a soft Magic team who wilted under the pressure of a hostile crowd at EnergySolutions Arena.

Tonight, the Magic get a chance to regroup against a far less physical, yet equally athletic club, in the Phoenix Suns. On the bright side, Rashard Lewis should be well rested. While on the flip side, Jason Williams will have his hands full with 2 time MVP Steve Nash and Dwight Howard will have to deal with Amar’e “The Stat Sheet Stuffer” Stoudemire. Without having to look into my crystal ball, I predict an early appearance from Marcin Gortat to spell Dwight Howard after he picks up a quick 2 fouls.

Technorati Tags: Amare Stoudemire, C.J. Miles, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, jason williams, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, Mehmet Okur, Michael Jordan, NBA Finals, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter

In what would best be described as a shoot out between the Magic and Golden State Warriors, two clearly unevenly matched teams, saw the Magic prevail in relatively easy fashion. Yes, the Warriors kept it close with great offensive performances by Monta Ellis and a career night from Anthony Randolph. Unfortunately, that simply was not enough to derail the Magic who continue to stay on their winning track.

Once again, Dwight Howard was plagued with foul trouble, which doesn’t really concern me anymore. Since the Magic seem to play just as well, if not better, with him riding the pine. Vince Carter is showing that he can still carry a team at this stage of his career, at least offensively. Heck he even dished out seven assists and grabbed 5 boards. Mickael Pietrus also came up big against his former compadres with a season high 22 points and Rashard Lewis chipped in a quiet 20 points.

Another bright spot for the Magic continues to be the steady play of Jason Williams. True, the Warriors were able to expose the Magics lack of speed in the backcourt, with the slow footed JJ Redick and aging Jason Williams. However, Jameer Nelson will be back soon enough to help address one of the few flaws in the Magics arsenal.

The Magic are fortunate to have 2 nights off before taking on the Clippers, which will be a nice respite before taking on Utah and Phoenix in a grueling back to back stretch.

Technorati Tags: Anthony Randolph, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Jameer Nelson, jason williams, JJ Reddick, Los Angeles Clippers, Mickael Pietrus, Monta Ellis, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Rashard Lewis, Utah Jazz

The idiots on the four letter network keep driving me insane with their doubting of the Magic because of their schedule. It’s not college football you assholes! They don’t get to pick who they play, they play the schedule they’re dealt and all they can do is win. Guess what dumbasses, they’re winning! It’s not like they’re playing St. Mary’s high school or a pickup game in the back yard. They’ve won on the road against the Western Conference and they’ve beaten good teams at home. They beat up on San Antonio and New Orleans at home and won tough games on the road. They’re doing this all without really having the entire team clicking on all cylinders. It took Lewis a while to get his offense going and Dwight Howard hasn’t exactly been lighting things up lately while he nurses an injury. They won while Nelson and Pietrus were out and nothing seems to be slowing them down at this point. Since their tough loss in Boston earlier this month the Magic are 13-1, with the only loss being on a last second shot by Grant Hill in Phoenix.

I’m sick of hearing people doubt this team because they want to hang all over LeBron James’ sack. Get over yourselves idiots. The Magic are in Detroit tonight for a big game and follow that up with another tough one in Chicago on Wednesday. Next month they will get Boston at home and have to play the Spurs, Kings, Lakers and Nuggets in a brutal West Coast trip. If they bomb out there then you can get on them, but if they win these games now, you need to get on board with the rest of those that think they’re finally reaching elite type status. I can’t wait to see what this team can do with everyone healthy and playing well and everyone out there should be looking forward to it as well. We’re seeing Jameer Nelson mature into a very good player and could be on the verge of something really great with Courtney Lee. If Rashard Lewis’ sudden newfound toughness isn’t temporary we could really being seeing something special out of these guys. I hope they keep winning and the four letter network retards keep overlooking it until they’re holding up some hardware.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Courtney Lee, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Jameer Nelson, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Mickael Pietrus, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Rashard Lewis, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio spurs

The Magic headed out west last week looking to remove any doubts any of us may have had about them and what they could accomplish this year. I’m on board now! They came out last night in a game that could’ve easily been dropped with Howard out and the boys lagging from the tough trip that it was. Jameer Nelson wasn’t about to let that happen though. Nelson stepped up a dropped 32 points on the Warriors, which matched a career high, as he dropped bombs from the arc in the fourth quarter in finishing off Golden State. Nelson has been out of his mind lately and there’s nothing prettier than that high arching shot of his going through when he’s on. The way he shoots really lends to prolonged slumps during a long season, but when it’s on it’s sooooo pretty. Turkoglu was driving the lane like a wild animal and Marcin Gortat stepped up with a 16/13 effort in Howard’s absence. We have come to expect this type of play from Turk, but Nelson and Gortat have shown tremendous strides in their game and the mental toughness they both displayed on this road trip really impressed me. Turk shot like crap again, but has really showed he’s capable of running this offense when he’s needed. It’s good to see him taking on such a leadership role with this team and we shouldn’t freak out about his shots not falling because we know they will. Rashard Lewis is staying consistent right now as he contributed 21/8/5 and Courtney Lee also sparked things with 16 off the bench. Lee has been tremendous off the bench since he’s been given an opportunity and I see no reason that won’t continue. The final last night was 109-98 and the Magic finished up their road trip 4-1 with their only loss being a 1 point loss to the Suns on a final shot by Grant Hill. Outstanding trip to say the least. Speaking of Grant Hill, there are rumors circulating that the Magic are interested in re-acquiring the enigmatic Hill from the Suns for JJ Reddick (hat tip to Third Quarter Collapse for that one). I would be extremely disappointed with this move. Not that I would miss JJ Reddick, but why bring back a guy that essentially flattened this franchise for years with injuries and average play. Hill is not a player that we need here anymore and hopefully the higher ups recognize that as well. No Grant Hill! Anyway, it was a great trip and the Magic now sit at 19-6 and are 3.5 games up on Atlanta in the Southeast. We can’t rest easy now though, tough games are coming with San Antonio, the Lakers, Golden State and New Orleans at home. We really need for Howard to be back Thursday when Tim Duncan and the Spurs come to town, let’s hope he’s ready to go then.

Technorati Tags: Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, JJ Reddick, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Rashard Lewis, San Antonio spurs

I’ll have to cover 2 games at once again as I freakin work too much. The game in Phoenix didn’t have the Shaq/Howard crap that I had anticipated, but it turned out to be a great game. The one in Utah amounted to a melodramatic road game without much intrigue. Let’s go.

• The Magic went to Phoenix and played an absolutely great game against a good team that went down to the wire. Turk shot like shit the entire game until hitting another clutch shot to put the Magic ahead with 9 seconds left. The worst part of the whole thing came when Grant freakin’ Hill took a beautiful pass from Amare Soudemire and hit a reverse layup that won the game. Dwight Howard left the game with a sore knee, that will hopefully not keep him out long, after only playing 22 and a half minutes of game time and really wasn’t much of a factor in things. The Magic did a great job of moving the ball and spreading out the scoring, but in the end it wasn’t enough. I take solace in the fact that the Magic were in this game, and almost won it, on the road with their best player hurt and Hedo Turkoglu shooting like crap against a complete Phoenix Suns team. The Suns were minus Shaq and Raja Bell, but Shaq isn’t much of a factor anymore and Bell’s absence is equated by the loss of Mickael Pietrus, so I write that off. With Howard out and Soudemire in and the Magic losing by only one on a final shot in the last 9 seconds, I take the loss in stride and these guys can build from that.
• In the fourth game of the West Coast swing the Magic beat the Jazz 103-94 and have brought their  record to 3-1 out west so far. It was an off night as Dwight Howard sat out along with Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer. Turk and Lewis did most of the damage and the Jazz just couldn’t keep up with Orlando’s offense. I didn’t get to watch the game because it wasn’t on TV here tonight but things appeared to be good on our end from those that started. Nelson dropped 17 as he continued his long due breakout season and Keith Bogans chipped in 10 in essentially split duty with Courtney Lee. Being that I didn’t get to see this game I can’t add anything to my man crush on Lee, but I’m sure he did what he does.

The Magic have gone 1 and 1 since I last talked about them, but they’re now 3 and 1 on this road trip and that’s a great accomplishment. The Western Conference is considered the varsity league in the NBA and the Magic have put up a winning record against them, on the road, with injuries. It shows the fortitude of the team and the ability to overcome arduous situations. Hedo hasn’t shot well, but he’s hit the ones that count, which proves my point regarding his importance to this offense. Rashard Lewis has played very well on both ends of the court during this stretch and has finally stepped up, temporarily, to being the player the Magic thought they were getting. Jameer Nelson is playing at a level we all had hoped for and Courtney Lee is doing major damage off the bench. One guy that played well the last couple nights that I have dogged also is Marcin Gortat. Gortat has stepped up in Howard’s absence and is proving that he belongs in this league. He will never be, and shouldn’t be, a starter in this league but he’s developing into a nice spot player that embraces his role very much. I would prefer Lee get more playing time and Gortat less, but situations dictate that. Lee needs more attention, that post is coming, but things are working and you can’t argue with Stan as they win. One more in Golden State boys,  bring it home right.

Technorati Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Keith Bogans, Marcin Gortat, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Raja Bell, Rashard Lewis, Ronnie Brewer, Shaquille O'Neal, Stan Van Gundy, Utah Jazz

The Magic looked very good for most of the game last night and were handling the Blazers at home pretty well for most of the game. That was until the fourth quarter. The Magic were hitting threes and playing well until the Blazers came at them with the zone defense and some offensive firepower provided by LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy who combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Magic slumped a little in the fourth but a couple threes by Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis helped them keep it close until Hedo made that ridiculous three pointer in the closing seconds to give the Magic a 109-108 road victory. That shot was silly and would’ve won a game of H.O.R.S.E, much less an NBA game. After the game Turk and coach Stan Van Gundy joked that that was the way it was drawn up and intended to go. Nice to see some personality in these guys who rarely show any and this team is really going good right now. It’s easy for everyone to smile and laugh when they pull out victories like that against tough teams during tough road trips. The celebration after the game was fun to watch also and these guys seem to be on a totally different level than we’ve ever seen any Magic team on prior to this. I don’t remember any team, even the Shaq and Penny teams, that looked so together at any point and I’m really starting to get a little too excited about things right now. I would really like to see Courtney Lee get some more time at the two guard right now also as he really looks great right now. There’s a post coming dedicated to this by the way. Anyway, it was a great win on the road against a very good Portland team and it showed that the Magic are ready to step up into the elite team status in the Eastern Conference. Next up is Phoenix and we get to hear all the crap with Shaq and what not, hope they can pull that one out.

Technorati Tags: Brandon Roy, Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Orlando Magic, Penny Hardaway, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Rashard Lewis, Shaquille O'Neal, Stan Van Gundy

   The Orlando Magic have looked pretty good so far this year. A 9-3 record is good enough for first place in the Southeast. Quality wins over the Sixers, Mavericks and Bulls help build some confidence toward the long road ahead. The real season starts for the boys in blue next month though. That’s when we’re going to find out how much progress they’re making as a team this year. They start off on the road in Boston to face the defending champs. Then, after two games at home, they head out on a very tough West Coast swing that includes the Clippers, Blazers, Suns, Jazz and Warriors. They then come home to face the Spurs and Lakers among others and finish off the month on the road again to face the Pistons and Bulls. It’s gonna be a tough month however it winds up and we should know a lot more about this team before New Year’s Day. The key matchups are obviously the Celtics and Pistons. Both are away games and both teams are the elite of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics returned most of their team and have looked like they haven’t taken any steps backwards so far. The Pistons have struggled a little, especially since the Iverson/Billups deal, but are still among the best. They carry the intimidation factor as well when they face the Magic. Teyshawn Prince has been sick so far this year and Rip Hamilton still poses nightmares for the Magic. We’ll have to see how big a difference Mickael Pietrus can make. Pietrus was brought in with Hamilton in mind. The Magic have had no answer for Hamilton in playoffs past and now have to contend with Iverson as well. I don’t want to pass judgment on anything until we see, but it’s hard to see Magic containing the Hamilton/Iverson/Prince trio come playoff time. There’s no need to break down the Celtics big three, we already know what they can do. Jameer Nelson looks to be improving the way we had hoped (finally) and Mickael Pietrus has been a little better than expected so far. What’s troubling to me is the fact that Pietrus and Howard have been getting in early foul trouble a lot. What happens when they deal with the tougher matchups that are really gonna beat up on them? It’s also been a rough offensive start for Turk and Lewis. We know my opinion on Lewis already so I’ll leave it be, but the Magic need Turkoglu to maintain his presence on the offensive end. He’s uhh, how you say, the straw that stirs the drink. It’s going to be an interesting month for these guys and I personally can’t wait to see it.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Boston Celtics, Chauncey Billups, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Rashard Lewis, Richard Hamilton, San Antonio spurs, Teyshawn Prince, Utah Jazz