# GT: Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic (10.29.08) | 7 P.M. EST



## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

*@* 









*Probable Starters:*

C: Al Horford/Dwight Howard
PF: Josh Smith/Rashard Lewis
SF: Marvin Williams/Hedo Turkoglu
SG: Joe Johnson/Mickael Pietrus
PG: Mike Bibby/Jameer Nelson

*Marquee Match-Up:*









vs. 









> *With his ability to dominate in the paint, Dwight Howard is recognized as one of the most feared players in the NBA.*
> 
> Howard and the Orlando Magic look to get off to a strong start to the season in Wednesday's opener against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, who are trying to build off a surprising finish to 2007-08.
> 
> ...


First game of the year ya'll, let's get it!

:cheers:

*GO* *MAGIC*


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

I'll probably be able to watch most of the first half of this game before tuning into Phoenix/San Antonio.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Aight sounds good man, ill be right here. And lol @ Dwight shooting 3's in warm-ups earlier, I wonder if he was hitting?


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Seems like the crowd likes Redick a lot - he got a nice ovation when he was introduced.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

We need to get out of this damn zone, we're leavin them wide open outside!


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Yeah, the Hawks have already taken five three-pointers, most of them uncontested. Lucky for the Magic they've only made one.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Wow, JJ in already! We need some offens right now so hopefully he can bring it...


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Orlando looks terrible right now.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

yeah rough start.....


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Good ****.... right back in it baby!


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Peaches is carrying us...


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Rough 1st quarter but we're right back in it... Only down 7 @ the half. Thank goodness we got out of that god-awful zone.... :gopray:


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Wow, Orlando certainly stormed right back into this game, eh? Dwight Howard has 20 points, 13 boards, 5 steals, 5 blocks. Damn.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

We should use Rashard at 3 and Turk off the bench! Even L.A. brings Odom from the bench!


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

why to shoot so many 3s??? 4 from 24! the team has Dwight Howard and plays outside! we need a decent PF alongside Dwight and we'll dominate!
I hate small ball! why to sign career small forward for 120 millions and play him at PF???


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

Atlanta put together a solid performance on the road, for a change. Good stuff.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

Check today's perfomance of Chalmers and Arthur...PG nad PF who were both available for us on the draft night! we drafted SG and now have 4 of them...


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Babir said:


> Check today's perfomance of Chalmers and Arthur...PG nad PF who were both available for us on the draft night! we drafted SG and now have 4 of them...


And to think the Magic could have had both of those guys for a few 100 thousand.

Any way this is a throw out game. The Magic couldn't hit their outside shots, while the Hawks were hitting everything. Nelson could have had a 10 to 15 assists night if our outside shooters would have been hitting.

Also the officials were pathetic. Lewis fouls out with 11 minutes left in the 4th. 11 MINUTES! This is a guy who has averaged 2.4 FPG for his career. You would think the official disrespect at home would stop, but I guess not.

This is probably the worst our offense will be all season. The Magic won't have too many off nights from the outside this season.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Oh I and wonder why SVG took Pietrus off of Johnson in the 4th? I guess he was sleep walking as well as the Magic.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

But why should we rely on outside shooting if we have one of the most dominant players in the world???????? why to play small??? it is not the only night when our shooters won't hit anything! there would be many games like this one...SVG is stubborn idiot! this strategy is terrible! Once again I am saying, why to sign career small forward to 120 million deal and play him out of position? why not to move Turk to the bench and use traditional lineup? 

yes, and our PG rotation is really worth in the league...


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Babir said:


> But why should we rely on outside shooting if we have one of the most dominant players in the world???????? why to play small??? it is not the only night when our shooters won't hit anything! there would be many games like this one...SVG is stubborn idiot! this strategy is terrible! Once again I am saying, why to sign career small forward to 120 million deal and play him out of position? why not to move Turk to the bench and use traditional lineup?
> 
> yes, and our PG rotation is really worth in the league...


Half those 3's were in-and-out.... watching the game, they weren't really bad 3's we just couldn't get anything to stay in. And when you got a beast like Dwight down low, that 3 is just gonna always be open. we just gotta hit it. 

Dwight got the ball enough imo... it's not like he wasn't involved, we ran alot of sets through him from what i could recall.... We basically just came out flat in the first and could never recover.... Shots weren't falling most likely due to a little rust, Bad strategy to play zone in the 1st, and rough breaks with foul trouble really cost us. I doubt we shoot this badly again tho, plus ATL always beats us so im not really concerned... It's just the first game. 

Not a big fan of Hedo right now though. He turns the ball over alot and his awareness isnt always where it should be.... he is expendable imo. Oh, and Peitrus is GOOD.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

Dwight just needs another PF-thats what I am saying, the strategy to surround him with so called shooters is BAD! We should attack the rim, score points in the paint and stop shooting stupid threes all game long...


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

I didn't completely understand why Bogans was defending Joe Johnson, instead of Pietrus.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Babir said:


> But why should we rely on outside shooting if we have one of the most dominant players in the world???????? why to play small??? it is not the only night when our shooters won't hit anything! there would be many games like this one...SVG is stubborn idiot! this strategy is terrible! Once again I am saying, why to sign career small forward to 120 million deal and play him out of position? why not to move Turk to the bench and use traditional lineup?
> 
> yes, and our PG rotation is really worth in the league...


They double and tripling Howard all night. He was passing out to open shooters and they were missing. Nelson was getting wide open looks for people as well and they were missing.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

Babir said:


> Dwight just needs another PF-thats what I am saying, the strategy to surround him with so called shooters is BAD! We should attack the rim, score points in the paint and stop shooting stupid threes all game long...


I agree with that. The Magic need to get a legit PF for Howard, move Lewis to SF and move Hedo to the bench as our 6th man. It would really improve the team overall. They should just go ahead and trade next years 1st rounder, and scrubs for Haslem, Collison or Wilcox.


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

*This was a very tough game for me to watch, I was yelling at my TV almost the whole game...

Where to start? The Magic came out playing sluggish, I guess they had the mindset that they were going to just come out and the game was going to be given to them. No defense to start off the game, not contesting anything really... 

We got bullied on the boards, nobody was really attacking the basket besides Pietrus (and he even did that sparingly), and it seemed like we would make shots to get the game somewhat close after we'd get down, but when we got within striking distance we couldn't hit anything.

Atlanta wanted this game more than the Magic, and they earned it.

Good game Hawks.*


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

ATLien said:


> I didn't completely understand why Bogans was defending Joe Johnson, instead of Pietrus.


*I don't either really...

I thought that was the whole reason for getting Pietrus, to guard the Joe Johnson's of the NBA.

I mean I could understand at first, but after Joe hit like 3 crunchtime pullups at least SWITCH or something , GEEZUS!*


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

^ Yeah that was strange.... only reason I could think of would be because w/ $hard out we needed MP to carry more of a load on offense.... It's tough guarding the best player on defense and then having the energy come over on offense and consistently make plays as well... Atlanta just came out ready to go and we came out flat. You gotta give props to them, they hit some big shots looked good and they always have our #. I expect us to destroy the Grizz on Friday tho.

:wlift:


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

> They double and tripling Howard all night. He was passing out to open shooters and they were missing. Nelson was getting wide open looks for people as well and they were missing.


it is not the only option-to shoot 3s, when opponents double/tripple team your PF or C.


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