Archive for February, 2010

The Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-91 on Wednesday night. The game got very physical – Matt Barnes was issued a flagrant foul and Ben Gordon was ejected.

The acquisition of Antawn Jamison by the Cleveland Cavaliers has made the Cavs, who currently look like Orlando’s biggest competition in the Eastern Conference (although we should not sleep on Boston), the favorite to win the NBA Championship in many pundit’s eyes (if they weren’t already). Most of the players didn’t have a lot of interesting in talking about the deal or the Cavaliers in general but here is what the Magic had to say about the situation:

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, former Magic Guard Tracy McGrady has been traded to the Sacramento Kings. The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement in principle with the Houston Rockets on a trade that will swap Kevin Martin(notes) for Tracy McGrady(notes), league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Along with Martin, the Kings will send Sergio Rodriguez, Hilton Armstrong(notes) and Kenny Thomas(notes) to the Rockets. Joey Dorsey(notes) and Carl Landry(notes) will go to the Kings. This will be McGrady’s fourth team. McGrady spent four seasons with Orlando. During that span, he was one of the three most efficient players in the league each season, [...]

Aside from the chatter about the trade of Antawn Jamison, the main topic of conversation in Orlando’s locker room  after the game was the physical play between the Pistons and the Magic. The Pistons have always given the Magic trouble due to their physical play. They have punched the Magic in the mouth early and knocked them out late. It is one of the main reasons that the Magic were eliminated from the playoffs by the Pistons in both 2007 and 2008.

The Orlando Magic finally got a blowout victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. So far this season, the Magic have struggled with the Pistons. On Wednesday, the Magic kept building double digit leads but had trouble holding the lead until a big fourth quarter closed out the victory. That’s when the Magic used a 33-14 run to put the finishing touches on a 116-91 victory. Dwight Howard led the Magic with 33 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists and Vince Carter had 20 points in the victory. Richard Hamilton scored a season-high 36 points on 12-of-18 [...]

Matt Barnes is hosting an event with a great cause and one that is very close to him because he lost his mother to cancer. Orlando Magic’s Matt Barnes to Host Fundraiser **Event to raise funds to benefit the Florida Hospital for Children Cancer Institute** WHO: Matt Barnes, Orlando Magic players, athletes, celebrities WHAT: Matt Barnes Foundation Presents Mardi Gras Ball The 2010 Mardi Gras Ball Blue Carpet Event will raise funds, increase education and enhance awareness for the fight against cancer.  The event will feature Magic players, athletes and celebrities along with a unique silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, open [...]

The Magic look to get back to their winning ways when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. The Magic had a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. The Pistons, who have been Orlando’s arch-nemesis, have once again given the Magic a lot of trouble this season. The Magic have played three close games with Detroit so far this season, dropping one and using late-game comebacks to win the other two. The Pistons have not been a very good team this season. They are just 19-33 on the season but they are coming off a [...]

There are rumors flying all over the league but according to the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic are not expected to make a move. As I said earlier, it will be very difficult for the Magic to make a move but that hasn’t stopped General Manager Otis Smith from shopping for a new Point Guard. Smith usually says that he is standing pat and likes his team but that hasn’t stopped him from making moves in the past.

Per the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith likes his team the way it is and it looks like he won’t be making a move before Thursday’s trade deadline. “I think we have enough talent to win a title,” Smith told the Sentinel. “We have enough people here to go back [to the Finals].” That said, Smith is not planning to make a deal before Thursday’s deadline, although it should be noted that Smith has become an adept poker player. Unless “something knocks your socks off,” Smith said the Magic will stand pat. They are 36-18 and have [...]

John Denton has an excellent article about Head Coach, Stan Van Gundy. At some point before Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, Stan Van Gundy will briefly relax his must-win mentality, take in the surroundings that include roughly 90,000 fans and 24 of the best basketball players in the world, and be overcome by one overriding thought. “I’ll be wondering, `What the hell am I doing here?’ Van Gundy said in his typical self-effacing style. Van Gundy likes to call himself a “nobody” and a “grinder,” but don’t be confused why the Orlando Magic’s coach is at the NBA’s All-Star Game tonight. [...]