Make that five in a row overall and ten in a row at home. Atlanta makes a run in the fourth quarter, but the Magic pour it on down the stretch and whip the Hawks, 105-88. Dwight Howard had a monsterous game with 20 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Jameer Nelson continues his return to form as he contributes 17 points and 6 assists.
The entire team played very well, that is - after the first quarter. The Hawks came out with a lot of energy and took an early lead. Before things got too far out of hand, Brian Hill put players on the floor that were interested in playing. And get this - the Magic get back into the game with their defense.
The Magic out-rebounded the Hawks 46-39 while dishing out 27 assists. The assists made the game. Howard did a much better job at passing out of the double team on the way to his career-high 6 assists. Darco Milicic also provided some nifty passes to complement his 13 points.
Hedo Turkoglu continues his good play with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. It seems as if Turkoglu hits the big basket or gets a hand on the ball everytime the Magic need it. Some of his improved play might not show up in the boxscore, but Hedo is playing better defense and is definitely more active all around.
The Magic received great play from the bench tonight, getting 31 points. Keyon Dooling adds 10 points and 3 assists in 20 minutes and Trevor Ariza puts up 4 rebounds and 5 points in ten minutes of play.
Let's GO MAGIC!!!
2 Comments on "Game notes - Magic vs Atlanta"
What are your thoughts on making the playoffs this season?
My thoughts are, if they make the playoffs - they make it. At the beginning of the year, I thought this team was good enough to at least get to the playoffs. However, with the self-destruction that happened in the middle part of this year - I'm just glad the team is playing hard. If nothing else, I just like seeing the Chicago and Philly fans sweat a little.
Next year however, if we're not somewhere around the 4th or 5th see, I'll be disappointed. The team we have now, is better than an 8th place matchup against Detroit. I rather take the summer off and have a decent draft.