# Orlando Magic vs. New Jersey Nets Game Thread



## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

New Jersey (27-35) at Orlando (31-30) 6:00 pm EST  

Struggling through a three-game slide, the Orlando Magic hope to have All-Star forward Grant Hill back in the lineup Sunday when they host the New Jersey Nets. 

Without Hill, who has missed three straight games with a left shin contusion, the Magic's offense has slumped, failing to score 100 points in any contest during the slide. 

Hedo Turkoglu did his best to pick up the slack in a 101-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Making his 11th start this season, Turkoglu scored a career-high 32 points but had the Magic's only 3-pointer in seven team attempts. 

With a loss Sunday, Orlando would fall to .500 for the first time this season. 

The Nets are coming off their second-largest loss this season, a 90-65 setback at Miami on Saturday that dropped the club to 1-2 on its four-game road trip. 

New Jersey had just two players in double figures, shot 30 percent and scored only 26 points in the second half, posting their second-lowest scoring output of the season. Vince Carter led the way with 20 points. 

The Nets have dropped four of five overall, including a 105-81 loss to the Magic on March 5. Steve Francis scored 26 points and Jameer Nelson added 22 for Orlando.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

The Magic have been above .500 the entire season, a loss would drop them to .500 and extend their losing streak to a season long 4 games. I think it goes without saying, a loss tonight just can't happen. Especially since we're going on the road for 5 in a row following this one, and especially since we beat this same Nets team a little over a week ago at New Jersey by 24 points. This is a must win for the Magic if there ever has been one.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

I predict another big game from Dwight tonight against a weak NJ frontcourt.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Looks like Hill is out tonight, again. :sigh:


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Nope, looks like Hill is starting.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

hobojoe said:


> Looks like Hill is out tonight, again. :sigh:


 Nevermind, looks like Yahoo was wrong. Hill will play and is in the starting lineup tonight.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Dwight is a BEAST!


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## X-Factor (Aug 24, 2004)

JNice said:


> Dwight is a BEAST!


I concur.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Damn, another bogus call on Dwight ... now he is sitting with 2 fouls already.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

I'm not one to complain about officiating but the refs have been god-awful thus far.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Man Jameer is on FIRE. Hill's not shooting well so far, but has 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He should have 5 assists if it weren't for 2 missed layups by Francis, who has been awful so far.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

Thank goodness for Jameer, what a baller!


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Jacque Vaughn heading for a 40 pt game. haha..


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Why couldn't Vaughn ever play like that when the Magic had him?


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

Dwight with the tech, WTF???


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Captain Obvious said:


> Dwight with the tech, WTF???


What did he do?

I can't stand watching Jason Collins play. He holds, pushes, hacks, and flops more than any other big I can think of in the league.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

These refs have been nothing short of horrific. Thank god we're only down 2 at the half.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

This game has been about as much fun to watch as paint drying.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

JNice said:


> This game has been about as much fun to watch as paint drying.


 I agree. Sloppy play by both teams, horrible officiating, a lot of flopping, horrible officiating, Steve Francis stinking up the court, Howard barely touching the court, and horrible officiating. I think Joey Crawford was tempted to call Dwight for his 3rd foul while he was sitting on the bench.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

hobojoe said:


> I think Joey Crawford was tempted to call Dwight for his 3rd foul while he was sitting on the bench.


:laugh:


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

First half free throw attempts:
Orlando- 6
Vince Carter- 11


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Chicago lost to the Clippers earlier today, Washington is losing to Boston at the half and Cleveland just tipped off against Indiana. Tonight is a good night to make up some ground on our competitors.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Awful play by the Magic, even worse officiating. This is just getting ridiculous now, every damn call is going against the Magic. It's just pitiful right now. :upset:


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

Cato gets more post touches than Howard. Incredible.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Horrible, horrible, horrible. Nothing else to say, the Magic are simply horrible right now. :no:


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

I would put a completely new 5 out there right now. This is embarrassing.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Magic get outscored 34-14 in the quarter. Just pitiful.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

I stopped watching after the third. That's the first time I've done that in quite a while.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

At this point I hope the team misses the playoffs. Better off to miss and get a lottery pick, than get swept in the first round which would happen to the tenth degree if we did get in. 

Oh and if we miss the playoffs, it will force JW to fire Davis and hire a real head coach. Howard only getting 3 touches tonight is some of the dumbest crap I have seen yet.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Idunkonyou said:


> At this point I hope the team misses the playoffs. Better off to miss and get a lottery pick, than get swept in the first round which would happen to the tenth degree if we did get in.
> 
> Oh and if we miss the playoffs, it will force JW to fire Davis and hire a real head coach. Howard only getting 3 touches tonight is some of the dumbest crap I have seen yet.


 I'm almost ready to agree with you on that. This team is just flat out awful right now. Heading onto the road for 5 games with a 4 game losing streak, I wouldn't be surprised if this lasted 8 or 9 games at this point.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

I think the Magic are the worst team in the league right now. You can't beat a .500 team in the Wolves at home. You are getting slaughtered by one of the worst teams in the league at home. What else is there to prove as to how horrible you truly are?

Pack it in, get a lottery pick, make some trades, fire Davis and hire Saunders.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Nice stat padding by Turkoglu in the 4th, now has 23 points and 5 threes.


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## Idunkonyou (Feb 23, 2003)

It amazing to me how the Magic have one of the better front courts in the league, while the Nets have one of the worst, yet we decided to take jump shots all night that weren't falling. 

Bravo on that masterful coaching move Davis.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

I think Dwight has a problem with crappy European centers. First, Brezec, and now Krstic. Krstic really comes off as a little *****, Dwight was smiling and talking to him and Krstic felt the need to start something.


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

Stevenson's getting a fine too now.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Kidd with another triple-double, his 2nd one against the Magic this season.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Way off topic, but 12 3-pointers for Donyell Marshall tonight against Philly!


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Captain Obvious said:


> I think Dwight has a problem with crappy European centers. First, Brezec, and now Krstic. Krstic really comes off as a little *****, Dwight was smiling and talking to him and Krstic felt the need to start something.



Right now, Dwight struggles against teams that really rough him up down low. Neither Krstic or Collins is that great, but both guys do a lot of pushing and grabbing down low. That really seems to take Dwight out of games right now. Cleveland did a lot of that a few games ago and took Dwight out of that game as well.

Doesn't hurt he was also in foul trouble and didn't touch the ball very much offensively.

What a crap *** game.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

JNice said:


> What a crap *** game.


You can say that again.


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

The Magic (31-31) fell to .500 for the first time this season. They were 18-14 before trading Cuttino Mobley to Sacramento on January 10 but just 13-17 since.  

And I just can't imagine whats going to happen on an upcoming road trip


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## RP McMurphy (Jul 17, 2003)

Idunkonyou said:


> At this point I hope the team misses the playoffs. Better off to miss and get a lottery pick, than get swept in the first round which would happen to the tenth degree if we did get in.


Would the 13th pick the Magic would get by missing the playoffs really be all that much better for the future than the 16th pick they'd get by sneaking in? I don't think losing games is ever a good thing unless you're one of the worst teams in the league and there's a Tim Duncan or a LeBron James in the draft.

Making the playoffs is great for a young team, even if they get swept. I'm convinced getting killed in the playoffs last year lit a fire under the Celtics' butts and that's part of the reason they're better this year. I'm always amazed at how many fans like losing because they've convinced themselves it's better for "the future."


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## Babir (Jan 10, 2005)

I absolutely agree with RP McMurphy...Playoff games would be very important for Magic, expecially for our rookies...


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## magicfan187 (Jun 28, 2003)

sounds like the first game of the season i missed was a good one :cheers:


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## Captain Obvious (Jun 15, 2003)

Man Krstic really pisses me off. This is what he said in the paper:

"[Howard] said something, but my English not too good so I don't understand."

Then he proceeded to start the fight. I seriously doubt Dwight "Choir Boy" Howard said anything that bad but I sort of hope he was talkng a little trash because I like to see a bit of a mean streak out of him.


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## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

Anyone see that scrub *** altercation between Hedo and Zoran at the end? :laugh: Talk about an insignificant fight man. It was so bad that it didn't even look like your typical prelude to a fight. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought they were grinding on the dancefloor.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

RP McMurphy said:


> Would the 13th pick the Magic would get by missing the playoffs really be all that much better for the future than the 16th pick they'd get by sneaking in? I don't think losing games is ever a good thing unless you're one of the worst teams in the league and there's a Tim Duncan or a LeBron James in the draft.
> 
> Making the playoffs is great for a young team, even if they get swept. I'm convinced getting killed in the playoffs last year lit a fire under the Celtics' butts and that's part of the reason they're better this year. I'm always amazed at how many fans like losing because they've convinced themselves it's better for "the future."


I agree in this case. The difference of only a few picks isn't enough to miss out on Dwight and Jameer getting some playoff experience. Plus, this team is in a rut right now, but they are still capable of beating anybody if they get going.


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