MAGIC WIN!
ORLANDO MAGIC 126 – 106 HOUSTON ROCKETS
What a result! What a performance. Our Magic were brutal in taking W. The mighty Houston Rockets were systematically dismantled by what their TV commentators called a “mediocre team” & handed them their 4th consecutive loss. Compare our records & perhaps it is a reasonable comment but it is unprofessional & disrespectful journalism & something you would never hear on a Fox Sports Florida Magic broadcast from David Steele, Jeff Turner or Dante Marchitelli. Perhaps had they researched their opponents better before the broadcast they would see that over the past 11 games in the NBA the Magic have the best offensive record in the league.
I’ve said before that James Harden is one of my least favourite players in the NBA. I won’t argue against his ability but I felt it was refreshing to see the officials letting us defend him & not being fooled by his constant flops to the floor. It was also surprising to see how our play rattled them, getting us a string of free throws for Rockets players & coaching staff being hit with technical fouls as they collectively lost it.
What Happened?
We led after the 1st Quarter by 10 points
We comprehensively took over the game in the 2nd Quarter & led by 25 points at the half by 71-46.
We took the lead out further during the 3rd & going into the 4th we led by 29 points at 105-76. Our biggest lead was 32 points.
We let the momentum go a little during the 4th allowing them to close the score but we ran out with a massive W.
We had good ball movement again, producing 21 assists.
We dominated the glass on both ends with 49 rebounds. We absolutely annihilated them in the paint. Note to the Houston fans; you aren’t winning anything without a centre!
We scored 31 points off of turnovers as our defence played to a level we expect.
Nikola Vucevic & Aaron Gordon again both produced double-doubles. 6 players scored double figures, being led by DJ Augustin with 24 points.
Our Record
Again we hit all of our telling stats for getting a W:
The Magic are 16-10 when they lead after the 1Q, 11-23 when they trail.
We are 24 & 2 when we lead or are level entering the 4th quarter.
We are 20 & 2 when we score at least 110 points, hit 115+ points & we have won all 16 games, 120 or more & its 11 games.
Our road record is now 13 wins & 20 losses. Our home record stands at 16 & 15. Against teams over 500 we now have a 5-26 record which tells you where our struggle for more wins has been this season.
The Playoff Picture
We are sitting in the 8th seed & results were good for us. Yes Brooklyn won but in beating the Bulls they effectively eliminated them from the race for 8th. The Wizards lost to the Heat.
That means:
The Nets remained 7th, played 63 won 29 lost 34
The Magic remain 8th, played 64 won 29 lost 35
The Wizards stay 9th, played 63 won 23 lost 40
The Hornets are 10th, played 63 won 22 lost 41
The Bulls are 11th, played 64 won 21 lost 43
Can’t stop smiling about this result & performance!
