Denton: Magic-Pistons Postgame Analysis
By John Denton
November 3, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Even in their staggered state, the Detroit Pistons continue to pose plenty of problems for the Orlando Magic.
Detroit didn’t have cornerstone pieces Richard Hamilton (ankle sprain) and Tayshaun Prince (back strain) and it is hardly a championship contender any longer, but the Pistons still were able to create considerable angst for a frustrated Magic team on Tuesday night.
When the buzzer sounded on Orlando’s first loss since Game 5 of the NBA Finals last spring – a stretch of eight preseason games and three games to start this season – centers Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat were on the bench having fouled out and Vince Carter was resting his sore left ankle.
Two nights after torching Toronto with a torrid shooting performance, Orlando had little to nothing going in a bizarre 85-80 loss to Detroit. The Pistons shot 37 percent, didn’t make a 3-pointer and had just eight assists, and strangely enough, they were still better than the Magic.
Orlando attempted more 3-pointers than any team ever against the Pistons (35), but made just 10. Howard was on the floor just 16 minutes, Gortat only 23 and a hobbled Carter had to leave the game in the fourth period. The Magic made just 36 percent of their shots and fumbled the ball away 15 times.
``We didn’t play together, we forced play after play and we didn’t defend with great energy,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``We just didn’t have a lot going at all.’’
Orlando (3-1) failed in its bid to go 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. For whatever reason, Detroit has seemingly always brought out the worst in the Magic. They have beaten the Magic 20 of the last 25 times in the regular season, including all three times last season, and bounced the Magic from the playoffs three times. And in Michigan, Orlando has dropped 12 of the past 14 games here.
``We just didn’t have it, but we’re going to have nights like this,’’ said Howard, who finished with eight points, five rebounds, six fouls, a technical, a delay of game warning and a sore shoulder. ``This group we have together hasn’t played like this. Nobody is going 82-0 and nobody is going to be perfect every night.’’
On this night, just ordinary might have been enough to win the game. Here’s a closer look inside a Magic defeat that was just downright puzzling in how bizarre it all unfolded:
THE GOOD
-- Not much to choose from here, but Matt Barnes did give the Magic a spark off the bench and Jason Williams was solid in relief of a struggling Jason Williams.
Barnes, who came off the bench after Van Gundy chose to keep J.J. Redick in the starting lineup alongside of Carter, had a couple of three-point plays on the fastbreak to keep the Magic close. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes.
Williams hit two 3-pointers and handed out five assists.
Said Van Gundy: ``Really only two guys played decently – J-Will and Matt -- and I only played Jason 14 minutes. That was probably a mistake.’’
-- Detroit’s smallish backcourt of Ben Gordon (23 points), Will Bynum (20 points) and Rodney Stuckey (20 points) carried a Detroit offense that was missing Hamilton and Prince. Gordon, Detroit’s top offseason acquisition, was solid throughout, but it was the unheralded Bynum who carried the Pistons late in the game. He came back in from an eye injury and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.
THE BAD
-- Barnes’ three-point play with 6:51 to play put the Magic up 73-71, but they proceeded to hit a wall offensively. From that point, Orlando missed 10 consecutive shots and its only field goal the rest of the way was a 3-pointer by J.J. Redick (14 points) with four-tenths of a second remaining.
``We didn’t play well or smart,’’ Van Gundy fumed. ``We were just a very, very bad team … me included.’’
-- Howard was in foul troubles from the start Tuesday night and was hardly on the floor enough to make a difference. He was twice whistled for offensive fouls, was called for a foul 25 feet from the basket and two other times he was hit with fouls when he came over and attempted to block a shot.
Orlando actually led 77-75 when Howard fouled out with 3:41 to play. But it was short-lived as Detroit scored the next eight points to take control of the game.
``Sixteen minutes, that was a lifetime low for me,’’ Howard said with a chuckle. ``When I was 10, I averaged more minutes that that a game.’’
Howard did admit that he’s growing increasingly frustrated with the contact that other teams are allowed to get away with when defending him in the post. Howard reacted angrily when he came off the floor in the third quarter, threatening to take matters in his own hands down low.
``It’s gotten worse, but I’m trying to keep my composure,’’ Howard said. ``I just don’t want to do something that’s going to cost my team. It’s tough getting hit every night and I’m trying not to complain. I’m a pretty big guy, but those hits take a toll. I’ve been close (to losing it), but I’m trying to keep my composure.
Complicating Howard’s foul trouble was the fact that Gortat was in a similar predicament. He had three fouls by halftime and fouled out 80 seconds after Howard had headed to the bench. The Magic had to use power forward Brandon Bass at center to close the game.
-- Two nights after lighting up Toronto for 30 points, Jameer Nelson struggled through a dismal game. On a night when Orlando could have used Nelson’s attacking, penetrating play off pick-and-roll plays, he uncharacteristically struggled with his ball-handling.
Nelson missed eight of 11 shots and had five turnovers, two of them in the final two minutes. He did add seven points, six assists and six rebounds.
``We just kept forcing things and didn’t play our game,’’ Nelson said. ``We tried to hit the home run and we tried to do things individually. If we could have stayed a little more poised down than we did down the stretch, then it could have been different.
Said Van Gundy: ``Jameer had a nightmare. He couldn’t dribble the ball more than two times without losing it.’’
THE UGLY
-- Van Gundy turned to his coaching staff early in the third period and asked, ``Have we shot a free throw yet?’’ It’s understandable why he would have asked that considering that the Magic did not make a free throw in the first half. Howard missed two tries 54 seconds into the game and the Magic never got back to the line in the first half. It was the first time since a Jan. 23, 2004 game against the Philadelphia 76ers that the Magic did not make a free throw in the first half of a game.
-- Howard’s strained right shoulder continues to be a major concern for the Magic. For a second consecutive game, Howard had to leave the game and head to the locker room while clutching his shoulder. He originally suffered the injury on Sunday in Toronto when he had his arm jerked backward on a rebound attempt. This time, Howard was pinned between two Pistons players and had to seek medical attention for the ailing shoulder.
-- Ryan Anderson, who has been such a pleasant surprise for the Magic while filling in for the suspended Rashard Lewis, had a miserable shooting night.
Anderson entered Tuesday shooting 55 percent from 3-point range, but he missed 10 of his 11 tries from beyond arc on Tuesday. He had two wide-open looks late in the game with the score tied at 75-all and 77-all, but couldn’t convert.
``The shots felt good, but they weren’t falling for me,’’ Anderson said. ``There were a couple I could have passed and kept the ball moving, but most of them were open shots. The rim just wasn’t as big as it’s been the last few days.’’
-- Carter gamely played on his hobbled left ankle, but he was hardly at full speed. He had a team-high 15 points, but he rarely drove into the lane and didn’t shoot a free throw in the game. His availability for tonight’s home game against the Phoenix Suns is in doubt.
Said Carter: ``I just don’t know. We’ll see (Wednesday) morning.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonNovember 3, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Even in their staggered state, the Detroit Pistons continue to pose plenty of problems for the Orlando Magic.
Detroit didn’t have cornerstone pieces Richard Hamilton (ankle sprain) and Tayshaun Prince (back strain) and it is hardly a championship contender any longer, but the Pistons still were able to create considerable angst for a frustrated Magic team on Tuesday night.
When the buzzer sounded on Orlando’s first loss since Game 5 of the NBA Finals last spring – a stretch of eight preseason games and three games to start this season – centers Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat were on the bench having fouled out and Vince Carter was resting his sore left ankle.
Two nights after torching Toronto with a torrid shooting performance, Orlando had little to nothing going in a bizarre 85-80 loss to Detroit. The Pistons shot 37 percent, didn’t make a 3-pointer and had just eight assists, and strangely enough, they were still better than the Magic.
Orlando attempted more 3-pointers than any team ever against the Pistons (35), but made just 10. Howard was on the floor just 16 minutes, Gortat only 23 and a hobbled Carter had to leave the game in the fourth period. The Magic made just 36 percent of their shots and fumbled the ball away 15 times.
``We didn’t play together, we forced play after play and we didn’t defend with great energy,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``We just didn’t have a lot going at all.’’
Orlando (3-1) failed in its bid to go 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. For whatever reason, Detroit has seemingly always brought out the worst in the Magic. They have beaten the Magic 20 of the last 25 times in the regular season, including all three times last season, and bounced the Magic from the playoffs three times. And in Michigan, Orlando has dropped 12 of the past 14 games here.
``We just didn’t have it, but we’re going to have nights like this,’’ said Howard, who finished with eight points, five rebounds, six fouls, a technical, a delay of game warning and a sore shoulder. ``This group we have together hasn’t played like this. Nobody is going 82-0 and nobody is going to be perfect every night.’’
On this night, just ordinary might have been enough to win the game. Here’s a closer look inside a Magic defeat that was just downright puzzling in how bizarre it all unfolded:
THE GOOD
-- Not much to choose from here, but Matt Barnes did give the Magic a spark off the bench and Jason Williams was solid in relief of a struggling Jason Williams.
Barnes, who came off the bench after Van Gundy chose to keep J.J. Redick in the starting lineup alongside of Carter, had a couple of three-point plays on the fastbreak to keep the Magic close. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes.
Williams hit two 3-pointers and handed out five assists.
Said Van Gundy: ``Really only two guys played decently – J-Will and Matt -- and I only played Jason 14 minutes. That was probably a mistake.’’
-- Detroit’s smallish backcourt of Ben Gordon (23 points), Will Bynum (20 points) and Rodney Stuckey (20 points) carried a Detroit offense that was missing Hamilton and Prince. Gordon, Detroit’s top offseason acquisition, was solid throughout, but it was the unheralded Bynum who carried the Pistons late in the game. He came back in from an eye injury and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.
THE BAD
-- Barnes’ three-point play with 6:51 to play put the Magic up 73-71, but they proceeded to hit a wall offensively. From that point, Orlando missed 10 consecutive shots and its only field goal the rest of the way was a 3-pointer by J.J. Redick (14 points) with four-tenths of a second remaining.
``We didn’t play well or smart,’’ Van Gundy fumed. ``We were just a very, very bad team … me included.’’
-- Howard was in foul troubles from the start Tuesday night and was hardly on the floor enough to make a difference. He was twice whistled for offensive fouls, was called for a foul 25 feet from the basket and two other times he was hit with fouls when he came over and attempted to block a shot.
Orlando actually led 77-75 when Howard fouled out with 3:41 to play. But it was short-lived as Detroit scored the next eight points to take control of the game.
``Sixteen minutes, that was a lifetime low for me,’’ Howard said with a chuckle. ``When I was 10, I averaged more minutes that that a game.’’
Howard did admit that he’s growing increasingly frustrated with the contact that other teams are allowed to get away with when defending him in the post. Howard reacted angrily when he came off the floor in the third quarter, threatening to take matters in his own hands down low.
``It’s gotten worse, but I’m trying to keep my composure,’’ Howard said. ``I just don’t want to do something that’s going to cost my team. It’s tough getting hit every night and I’m trying not to complain. I’m a pretty big guy, but those hits take a toll. I’ve been close (to losing it), but I’m trying to keep my composure.
Complicating Howard’s foul trouble was the fact that Gortat was in a similar predicament. He had three fouls by halftime and fouled out 80 seconds after Howard had headed to the bench. The Magic had to use power forward Brandon Bass at center to close the game.
-- Two nights after lighting up Toronto for 30 points, Jameer Nelson struggled through a dismal game. On a night when Orlando could have used Nelson’s attacking, penetrating play off pick-and-roll plays, he uncharacteristically struggled with his ball-handling.
Nelson missed eight of 11 shots and had five turnovers, two of them in the final two minutes. He did add seven points, six assists and six rebounds.
``We just kept forcing things and didn’t play our game,’’ Nelson said. ``We tried to hit the home run and we tried to do things individually. If we could have stayed a little more poised down than we did down the stretch, then it could have been different.
Said Van Gundy: ``Jameer had a nightmare. He couldn’t dribble the ball more than two times without losing it.’’
THE UGLY
-- Van Gundy turned to his coaching staff early in the third period and asked, ``Have we shot a free throw yet?’’ It’s understandable why he would have asked that considering that the Magic did not make a free throw in the first half. Howard missed two tries 54 seconds into the game and the Magic never got back to the line in the first half. It was the first time since a Jan. 23, 2004 game against the Philadelphia 76ers that the Magic did not make a free throw in the first half of a game.
-- Howard’s strained right shoulder continues to be a major concern for the Magic. For a second consecutive game, Howard had to leave the game and head to the locker room while clutching his shoulder. He originally suffered the injury on Sunday in Toronto when he had his arm jerked backward on a rebound attempt. This time, Howard was pinned between two Pistons players and had to seek medical attention for the ailing shoulder.
-- Ryan Anderson, who has been such a pleasant surprise for the Magic while filling in for the suspended Rashard Lewis, had a miserable shooting night.
Anderson entered Tuesday shooting 55 percent from 3-point range, but he missed 10 of his 11 tries from beyond arc on Tuesday. He had two wide-open looks late in the game with the score tied at 75-all and 77-all, but couldn’t convert.
``The shots felt good, but they weren’t falling for me,’’ Anderson said. ``There were a couple I could have passed and kept the ball moving, but most of them were open shots. The rim just wasn’t as big as it’s been the last few days.’’
-- Carter gamely played on his hobbled left ankle, but he was hardly at full speed. He had a team-high 15 points, but he rarely drove into the lane and didn’t shoot a free throw in the game. His availability for tonight’s home game against the Phoenix Suns is in doubt.
Said Carter: ``I just don’t know. We’ll see (Wednesday) morning.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
