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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| MAGIC | 29 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 109 |
| BLAZERS | 25 | 23 | 32 | 28 | 108 |
Recap:
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- In a game of back and forth between Portland and Orlando, the Magic hit the last big shot -- maybe a lucky one.
Orlando made three 3-pointers during the final 1:57, including Hedo Turkoglu's 25-footer that banked in with 0.3 seconds left, and rallied to beat Portland 109-108 on Tuesday night.
Southeast Division-leading Orlando (17-5) went 14-of-27 from 3-point range. Rashard Lewis, who led the Magic with 27 points, hit six 3-pointers, while Jameer Nelson had four.
But the biggest shot came from Turkoglu, whose shot was set up following a timeout with 5 seconds remaining. Orlando gained a last-ditch chance to win the game when the Magic forced Portland into a 24-second violation.
Turkoglu's name was barely mentioned during the timeout. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said the play was meant to go to Lewis or Nelson, with Turkoglu as the last option. With Lewis and Nelson pressured, Turkoglu got the ball, dribbled near the top of the key and let the shot fly.
"I just dribbled hard and jumped. The shot went in," said Turkoglu, who scored 24 points.
Van Gundy admitted the Magic got lucky in the end.
"That was just brilliant, brilliant coaching down the stretch," Van Gundy said. "If you're [the Blazers], you've got to roll your eyes, because we threw one in."
To get to the lucky part, Orlando had to make some plays.
The Magic led throughout most of the first half, but needed a last-second basket by Turkoglu to take a 49-48 halftime lead. Portland (15-8) and Orlando traded leads throughout the third quarter before the Blazers used a 12-0 run to seize control early in the fourth quarter.
It appeared Portland was on its way to its eighth win in nine games, as the Blazers led by eight points on several occasions during the fourth quarter, including 108-100 on LaMarcus Aldridge's 19-foot jumper with 2:21 left.
Portland didn't score again, as Orlando changed its defensive strategy on Brandon Roy, who scored a season-high 30 points. The Magic decided to trap Roy each time he touched the ball down the stretch. The defensive ploy worked, as the Blazers went 0-for-4 with two turnovers during the final two minutes.
"We couldn't stop him, so we wanted to make someone else beat us," Lewis said.
The defensive plan, combined with sharp perimeter shooting, proved to be a winning formula for Orlando, which won for the eighth time in nine games. Nelson, Lewis and Turkoglu each hit a 3-pointer during the final 1:57 to complete the Magic comeback.
"That is what we have been doing on the road, making big stops," Turkoglu said of Orlando, now 8-2 in road games.
The Magic's 3-point shooting helped counter an off night by leading scorer Dwight Howard, who had 14 points and tied a season low with seven rebounds.
The stunning comeback spoiled brilliant performances by Roy and Aldridge. Roy scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half, to go along with a season-high nine rebounds. Aldridge, who hit 12 of 17 shots, had 25 points and 13 rebounds. Reserve Joel Przybilla added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The loss was Portland's first at home this season. The Blazers fell into a first-place tie with Denver in the Northwest Division.
"Our offense was really bad the last minute and a half," Roy said. "It's a tough loss but tomorrow's a new day."
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Preview:
Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic kicked off their road trip with a win Monday night and will look to continue their hot play at 10 p.m. tonight against the Northwest Division-leading Portland Trail Blazers (15-7).
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, as the Blazers pulled out a win at Amway Arena on November 10 by a score of 106-99. In that game Brandon Roy, the unquestioned leader of the young and talented Portland squad, led his team to victory with 27 points and several clutch baskets down the stretch. Five Blazers scored 16 or more points in that game while the Magic were a two-man show. Hedo Turkoglu had his best game of the season in notching 35 points and Howard scored 29 while grabbing 19 boards. They were the only Orlando players to score more than 12 points. Greg Oden missed the first meeting with an injured foot, so this match-up will give him his first taste of Howard, the 2007-08 All-NBA First Team center.
The Blazers are a well-rounded team that plays well in nearly every facet of the game. Their assist to turnover ratio is outstanding (21.0 apg., 13.2 turnovers per game) and has played a large role in their early season success.
Their tallest order tonight will be to contain Dwight Howard. Dominant is an understatement in describing his recent play. He has recorded at least six blocked shots in three consecutive games and is the first player to do that in Orlando Magic history. In addition to his defensive prowess, Howard recorded his third 20 point-20 rebound game of the season last night in Los Angeles. He is a force to be reckoned with and should enter tonight's game with motivation to rebuttle the Blazers' early season win against the Magic in Orlando.
This is a benchmark game for both teams and will certainly add a marquee victory to one of their resumes. If Orlando wants to leave Portland with a victory, they will need to have a much stronger team effort with a more balanced box score. Rashard Lewis struggled in the first meeting and scored only six points on 3-of-11 shooting. He has played outstanding of late and he may wind up being the x-factor for the Magic.
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Keys to the game:
Greg Oden vs. Dwight Howard: Oden is a big, strong body that is well equipped to deal with Howard's strength and wide frame. The Blazers' rookie was upset last month when he missed their game in Orlando beacuse he wanted to play against one of the top centers in the NBA. He'll get his chance tonight, but he may not like it by the end of 48 minutes. Howard is averaging almost double the amount of rebounds Oden is (14.80 rpg. compared to Oden's 7.8) and nearly triple the scoring average (Howard's 21.5 ppg. compared to Oden's 7.9). If Howard can continue his hot streak tonight against Oden, it will be tough for the Blazers to get a win.
Bench Play: The Magic are almost back to full strength and it has shown in their recent bench production. Keith Bogans has stepped back into the starting shooting guard position with Mickael Pietrus sidelined with an injury, leaving emerging rookie Courtney Lee, J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson as the guards coming off the bench. Tony Battie has also been playing well and is shooting 60 percent from the field this season while grabbing 4.3 rebounds per game. That cast of bench players will be taking on one of the top scoring benches in the league tonight in Portland. Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw are both averaging more than 11.0 ppg. off of the bench and can nail a shot from anywhere on the floor. For Orlando to win this game, their bench will need to either defend Portland's bench players effectively and limit their scoring, or catch fire on the offensive end and match the Portland bench scoring throughout the entire game.
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Game Notes:
Dec. 9 @ Portland: Orlando is 17-22 all-time vs. Portland (9-11 at home, 8-11 on the road) during the regular season, including 0-1 this season (see recap below)…The Magic were 2-0 last season against the Blazers…Orlando has won four of the last five and six of the last eight meetings between the two clubs…The Magic lost 11 straight match-ups from Nov. 17, 1999-Nov. 24, 2004 …Prior to that losing streak, Orlando had won 11 of the previous 12 match-ups…Orlando has won three of the last four meetings at home and three of the last four outings at Portland…Assistant GM Dave Twardzik was a member of the 1977 NBA Championship team and has his #13 retired by the Blazers…For last season’s stats and Magic career numbers vs. Portland, see p. 269 of the media guide…Nov. 10 vs. Portland - Blazers 106, Magic 99: Three Blazers scored 20-or-more points, led by Brandon Roy’s 27, as Portland defeated Orlando, 106-99, at Amway Arena. The loss snapped the Magic’s four-game winning streak. Steve Blake had 20 points for the Blazers, while Travis Outlaw also added 20. Hedo Turkoglu led all scorers with a season-high 35 points, while Dwight Howard recorded 29 points and 19 rebounds. Portland led 36-28 after the first quarter and 55-54 at halftime. Orlando fought back and led 73-72 heading into the fourth quarter. However, the Blazers opened the final stanza with a 15-2 run and took control of the game, despite 15 points in the period from Turkoglu. Portland only committed six turnovers during the game.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. BLAZERS: 41 pts., Shaquille O’Neal (@ Orlando, 3-2-96)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 37 pts., Rasheed Wallace (@ Portland, 12-15-01; @ Orlando, 11-19-00)
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