Denton: Magic-Knicks Postgame Analysis

By John Denton
December 2, 2009

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

ORLANDO – Owners of 15 wins, the Orlando Magic now sit alone atop the NBA in victories. And from the looks of things Wednesday night and the sounds coming out of the Magic’s locker room, it’s a lofty perch that the Magic take very seriously and don’t intend on giving up anytime soon.

``This team really wants to be great,’’ Dwight Howard said after Orlando’s 118-104 throttling of the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. ``Every day that we’re in the gym we’re going hard and doing what we can to get better. This team wants nothing but to be great.’’

At 15-4, the Magic are a win better than the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics and two victories ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has preached to his team for weeks about getting on top in the East and not relinquishing the spot.

``We take a lot of pride in it. Coach has been saying let’s get on top and stay on top because building a cushion for ourselves could really help in the long run,’’ said Rashard Lewis, who had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five 3-pointers. ``We want to get our division and we’re trying to win the Eastern Conference, too.’’

The Magic looked very much like championship material against the hapless Knicks (4-15), battering them inside in the first quarter with Howard and raining in a shocking eight 3-pointers in the third quarter alone. Four Magic starters hit double figures in scoring and Brandon Bass (17 points) and Matt Barnes (12 points) played well off the bench.

The Magic are only one-fourth of the way into an 82-game schedule, but Van Gundy likes how his team’s chemistry is coming together. While he said they can’t be satisfied with having the NBA’s most wins, the Magic should be pleased with what they’ve accomplished considering all that its gone through so far this season.

``Long-term significance there’s really none, but it’s always good when you can get off to a good start and build yourself a cushion,’’ Van Gundy said. ``At some point you’re going to need (the cushion) somewhere along the line because no one plays 82 games and doesn’t run into some tough stretches. To be 11 games over .500 and building a cushion against injuries, it’s helpful. And it’s always good to get wins. One in December is as good as one in March or April.’’

Strangely, the Magic were home for just one game and now head back on the road, this time to the West Coast. Orlando can tie its franchise record for consecutive road wins (seven) on Saturday in Golden State and possibly break the team record on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

But before we look ahead to the upcoming West Coast trip, let’s review the good, the bad and the ugly from Wednesday’s game.

THE GOOD

---- The Magic followed up a first half in which they made just two of 14 3-pointers by hitting a staggering eight of 12 shots from beyond the stripe in the third quarter.

Pietrus made three in a row at one point and four 3-pointers in the third period. Lewis was equally effective from beyond the stripe, burning the Knicks for three more 3-pointers. And on his fourth try he was fouled by New York’s Al Harrington and proceeded to make all three of his free throws.

Lewis has to like playing against New York’s tissue-soft defense. He scored a season-high 26 points and made five 3-pointers in Orlando’s defeat of New York on Sunday.

``It’s a good feeling to get into that rhythm as good as it felt every time I caught the ball,’’ Lewis said. ``I was waiting for the ball to come to me every time in the third quarter. I felt like every shot I took was going to go in.’’

---- The smallish Knicks had little chance of stopping Howard inside and he abused converted power forward David Lee in the early going. Howard made his first four shots and had nine of the Magic’s first 13 points.

For the game, Howard made six of seven shots and looked much better at the free throw line while sinking seven of 10 tries. His 19 points and 11 rebounds gave him 14 double-doubles in 19 games.

---- Van Gundy raved about Brandon Bass’ work in practice of late, predicting that the 24-year-old power forward could soon make a return to the Magic’s regular rotation.

Bass was very good on the offensive end, finishing around the basket in traffic several times. He made seven of 12 shots and got to the free throw line six times for 17 points.

However, he had just three rebounds in 18 minutes – one of the areas that Van Gundy has harped on him to improve. Bass was better in the Magic’s rotations, but Orlando still needs him to turn more of his focus to being a strong post defender and rebounder.

---- Who out there doesn’t love those black, pinstriped jerseys that the Magic wore Wednesday night as part of the league’s Hardwood Classics promotions?

The Magic wore the jerseys modeled after the ones Orlando donned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And if you squinted just right, Howard looked like Shaquille O’Neal dominating the paint and Lewis and Pietrus resembled Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson raining in 3-pointers.

THE BAD

---- Van Gundy had to look long and hard to find something he didn’t like about the game, and pretty much all there was were the 19 turnovers. It was sloppy at times, but still the Magic shot 55.1 percent.

---- One-time Magic power forward Darko Milicic couldn’t get on the floor even though the Knicks had no chance slowing down Howard with Lee and small forward Wilson Chandler.

Milicic, who has played in just eight games this season, was acquired primarily because he has an expiring contract. And he hasn’t helped his standing in New York with D’Antoni with his poor practice habits.

THE UGLY

---- Enigmatic Knicks point Nate Robinson, who has had numerous run-ins with coach Mike D’Antoni, was benched and did not play Wednesday night. Robinson played just 10 minutes a night earlier in the Knicks defeat of the Phoenix Suns and didn’t touch the floor against Orlando even though he had success against the Magic on Sunday. He scored 22 of his 24 points against the Magic in the fourth quarter and hit 11 of 17 field goals.

Said D’Antoni: ``We’re just trying to find a winning formula. We want to win and if (Robinson) is conducive to winning, then he’ll obviously get back in the lineup.’’

---- Barnes, who played one of his better games in weeks with the 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one beep, left the locker room with left hand heavily bandaged.

Barnes said he strained tendons in two of his fingers, causing pain to shoot throughout his hand. But he said the injury won’t keep him out of action come Saturday night when the Magic face Golden State, one of his former teams.

John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.