# Orlando Magic @ Houston Rockets Game Thread



## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

*Orlando (22-17) at Houston (22-19) 8:30 pm EST * 

NBA.com's Preview of Tonight's Game










Steve Francis returns to Houston for the first time since his June 29 trade to Orlando when the Magic take on the Rockets for the second time in four days. 

Francis, who was part of the seven-player swap that sent Tracy McGrady to Houston, scored 28 points Thursday in a 108-99 loss to the Rockets. 

McGrady scored 28 points for Houston despite being booed most of the night in his return to Orlando, where he won a pair of league scoring titles. 

Yao Ming added 20 points and Bob Sura narrowly missed a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. 

The Rockets followed up their win in Orlando with a 92-91 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday for their fifth win in seven games. 

McGrady scored 35 points and Scott Padgett hit an off-balance, one-handed shot in the lane at the buzzer to give Houston the victory. 

Orlando rallied with a 12-2 run in the final two minutes to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, 115-111. 

Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 points and Dwight Howard added 21 to lead six players in double figures for the Magic, who set a season high with 14 steals. 

Houston has beaten the Magic five straight times, but Orlando has won 14 of the last 20 meetings.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

If we keep them of the glass we can get a win there...


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Babir</b>!
> If we keep them of the glass we can get a win there...


Agreed. We obviously can't let them hit the offensive boards like they did last Thursday. It'd be nice to get back at Houston and win this one...


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Bummer, this one isn't on TV here tonight.


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## Ballscientist (Nov 11, 2002)

defense can't defeat Rockets. Spurs hold Rockets to 80 pts and 73 pts, but lost to Rockets.

offense can, score 110.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

BREAKING NEWS: McGrady will not play tonight, family emergency. Huge break for the Magic, a loss is now completely unacceptable. Look at their starting lineup without McGrady now; Wesley, Barry, Sura, Howard and Yao. Yao's the only good starter out of the bunch, and he shouldn't be able to beat the Magic single-handedly.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Some absolutely atrocious play all around by the Magic so far. They're obviously looking past this game because McGrady isn't playing. :upset:


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Yao Ming: Good at best against every other team, Shaquille O'Nealesque against the Magic. Does this dude EVER miss a shot when we play him?


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

7 turnovers in the first quarter. That is pretty crappy.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

I wonder if Tmac has had another family member die. That would be terrible. That would be pretty much a close friend or family member that has died for every season he has been in the NBA.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

This is ****ing ridiculous. Easily the worst basketball the Magic have played all season, this is painful to watch.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Houston is crap without McGrady, we should be wiping the floor with these guys. Why does Dwight have only 2 shot attempts so far? Anyone care to give me an answer to this? I'm sick of this crap.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Must be because I can't see it. I am the "remote" coach and without me, we struggle. Yep, that must be it.


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## X-Factor (Aug 24, 2004)

Wow pretty poorly played game by the Magic thus far, they need to bounce back with a nice three.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Check that, the worst basketball I've ever seen an NBA team play. I'm serious. JNice, you're lucky you're missing this one, this is just horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. I'm speechless. Houston isn't even playing well. Right now, the Magic could be playing a college team and they'd be losing.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

I don't think I'm even going to watch the 2nd half. Worst half played by any team in NBA history right there. 27 points? If the Rockets were playing well they'd have close to 60 by now too. Honestly, you guys who aren't watching this should count yourselves lucky.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Wizards won again


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Francis 1-8
Cato 1-3
Christie 1-3
Garrity 1-3
Nelson 1-3


Very nice. :hurl:


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

My quote from the Rockets board b4 the game:



> Actually if everyone cheered on Francis then he might get soft and play very poorly


Stevie plays with too much emotion. I think he was overwhelmed when he got such a warm ovation from Houston fans.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>JNice</b>!
> Francis 1-8
> Cato 1-3
> Christie 1-3
> ...


And they've all been wide open with the exception of Francis' shots, which have nearly all been idiotic attempts.


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## magicfan187 (Jun 28, 2003)

if orlando doesnt get going about 6 minutes into the 3rd quarter i would bench all the starters for the rest of the game.:upset:


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Dwight getting 2 shot attempts is simply unacceptable. How many times does he have to prove that he can score when he gets the ball before he actually gets more touches? He should get at least 10 shots a game. Screw Johnny Gayvis.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>YoYoYoWasup</b>!
> Dwight getting 2 shot attempts is simply unacceptable. How many times does he have to prove that he can score when he gets the ball before he actually gets more touches? He should get at least 10 shots a game. Screw *Johnny Gayvis*.


:laugh:


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> My quote from the Rockets board b4 the game:
> 
> 
> ...


You could be very right. Francis runs on emotion. It probably would have been better had the Houston fans booed him out of the building, at least for Orlando.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>hobojoe</b>!
> Check that, the worst basketball I've ever seen an NBA team play. I'm serious. JNice, you're lucky you're missing this one, this is just horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. I'm speechless. Houston isn't even playing well. Right now, the Magic could be playing a college team and they'd be losing.


Well at least it's not as bad as the Atlanta/Chicago game...
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2005012401


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> 
> 
> Well at least it's not as bad as the Atlanta/Chicago game...
> http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2005012401


Well, it's on pace to be a little worse. 27 points in the half. That is nuts for Orlando. That is usually easy one quarter.


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## Kekai (Jan 12, 2005)

> Originally posted by <b>JNice</b>!
> Francis 1-8
> Cato 1-3
> Christie 1-3
> ...


Almost as bad as Qrich..


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Lead cut to 14, Magic decided at half time that they'd play like an actual NBA team, I guess.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Looks like Orlando is playing a bit better. Seems like we have been coming back from behind in 80% of the games this year.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

And the Magic still refuse to double team Yao despite the fact that the two times they've done so tonight he's turned the ball over.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Come on Nelson! :upset: 

What a dumb shot, could've cut the lead down to 11 or 10 with a 3-pointer. 

Instead, dumb shot by Nelson, Barry hits a 3 on the other end.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Doesn't matter, they weren't going to win anyways. It takes way too much energy to come back from 21 points down. Nice to see Dwight crashing the boards though, now Johnny Gayvis will bench him.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Outside of a total meltdown by Houston, 16 pts is probably too much to come back from. Although outside of Yao, Houston doesn't have much out there on the court, so it is possible.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

If Johnny Gayvis would actually front Yao, he wouldn't be owning us like this.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Lead down to 11 with more than 8 mins to go. Definitely possible.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Down 9 with the ball and 1:21 to go. Not out of the realm of possibility, but let's just say it isn't very likely at all.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Damn, lead was cut to 7 by Cato but Sura puts it back up to 9. :upset:


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Jon Barry has 17 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts ... :laugh: .. enough said.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Did Dwight play in the 4th, at all?


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## Nique21 (Jan 12, 2005)

Good game guys...:shy: 

I think we have finally found out just who got the better end of the trade. I mean the Rockets beat you in Orlando, and now they beat you once again without the core piece of the trade and arguably one of the best players in the game...ouch


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## magicfan187 (Jun 28, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>YoYoYoWasup</b>!
> Did Dwight play in the 4th, at all?


no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:upset:


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Nique21</b>!
> Good game guys...:shy:
> 
> I think we have finally found out just who got the better end of the trade. I mean the Rockets beat you in Orlando, and now they beat you once again without the core piece of the trade and arguably one of the best players in the game...ouch


:laugh: 

Yep, good thing to base judgements on two games. It also doesn't hurt that you've got a game with Orlando's worst half of the season to point to.

Like I said before, both teams benefitted from the trade.

I'm sure the other Rockets fans are proud of a fan such as yourself.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Nique21</b>!
> Good game guys...:shy:
> 
> I think we have finally found out just who got the better end of the trade. I mean the Rockets beat you in Orlando, and now they beat you once again without the core piece of the trade and arguably one of the best players in the game...ouch


Yeah, because Juwan Howard had such a big impact on the game  The trade was good for both teams. If the Magic still had Me-Mac, they would be wallowing in last place, again, this season.


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## magicfan187 (Jun 28, 2003)

time to bring in phil jackson


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

I apologize for Nique, he apparently has a major problem with Francis... 
But like hobojoe said this was just a terrible game for the Magic, Francis tonight showed why we Houston fans were so frustrated in him last season, he can single-handedly kill the momentum of the team. 

I'm not happy about the way we played... when a guy goes 8-9 in the first half, you gotta keep getting him touches...


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> I apologize for Nique, he apparently has a major problem with Francis...
> But like hobojoe said this was just a terrible game for the Magic, Francis tonight showed why we Houston fans were so frustrated in him last season, he can single-handedly kill the momentum of the team.
> 
> I'm not happy about the way we played... when a guy goes 8-9 in the first half, you gotta keep getting him touches...


Having a guy like Dwight Howard get more than 5 FGA in a game would be nice too. That is the biggest thing I don't get so far this year.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Francis 10-28? :sour:


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Hong Kong Fooey</b>!
> Francis 10-28? :sour:


That's even with shooting a pretty good 9-19 in the 2nd half. He was just awful in the first half, one contested fallaway jumper with 15 seconds left on the shot clock after another. Ridiculous.


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