TreyMachine

Looks like Vuc was wide open. Victor was going for the 3 win. Took just a generally bad shot selection.

Who thinks we drive to draw defenders in and go for 3 to win it? This guy does.

We needed a drawn up play. That was awful. Thank God he missed that FT.

You know it's killing Oladipo to not play right now.

They've got all the momentum now. Something I don't like: Payton tends to just decide when he's going to be aggressive or not. Plays with a lot of emotion, but sometimes plays extremely passively if he's not feeling like taking over a game. I think it's time (especially with Oladipo out) to take over and get angry. Our last 5 shots have been garbage.

Gordon trying to do too much. This is his problem - he wants to be a starter, but much of the time doesn't let the game come to him.

Clippers body language essentially blames everyone but themselves. Not the way you want a team to look at each other or themselves.

We got 3 fouls called on us quick after going up by 12.

I really hate when we take clear charges and the other team gets the superstar calls. -_-

Skiles bringing Gordon in. Good move from a defensive standpoint. Wondering how that will affect spacing.

Griffin awkwardly handling the ball - case in point.

Fournier can't keep up with Crawford. Oladipo change is needed.

I think there are very few PG's who are better than Elfrid when he's upset and looking to prove / assert himself. Definitely came out with a fire this 3rd quarter.

It's truly a board game. We win the 2nd half board battle, we give ourselves a very good chance at winning the game.

I can't argue with results of TS% (though you can argue PPG has to do as much with volume shooting as it does with a player's actual abilities - anyone on the Magic can average 30 PPG if they chuck up enough shots). It may be just me, but I just think handles the ball like an subpar player. Perhaps he has really good touch with his shot selection - don't know. In my mind, his handles are only slightly higher than Dwight's, yet it still translates to a gentle jumpshot.

Payton stealing from Griffin... he's gotta make that jumper if he's going to pull up on a 3-on-2.... Overall, I've only been able to watch the 2nd quarter, but I'm proud of our effort. We gotta do better on defense, especially with Chris Paul out. No reason why we cannot win the 2nd half.

I really don't see how people think Blake Griffin is that great. He can jump, but he doesn't have particularly good handles or footwork, and isn't that great of a defender. Definitely one of the more overrated players in the NBA in my mind.

PAYTON WITH THE FOLLOW DUNK!!

Magic going on a little run with their defense creating good opportunities on offense. It seems as though the Clippers are getting a little sloppy. This team truly believes they can win every game. It's nice to know that's the mentality, no matter how many points they are down.

Interesting Statistic: "Channing Frye and Jason Smith are far and away the team leaders in net rating this season, meaning Orlando consistently outscores opponents with them on the floor. Neither are averaging particularly impressive figures, but Smith's plus-16.4 and Frye's plus-12.7 show their worth in stabilizing the adolescent core. Friday wasn't the best example, with Utah's bench making them pay, but there's no doubt that much of the Magic's success stems from their ability to anchor a trio or quartet of young players oozing talent with a long-time, glue-guy veteran who just knows how to make it all work." http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/12/4/9847364/nba-scores-2015-orlando-magic-win-streak-scott-skiles

Hey All - Good to be back on the boards. Just got married last weekend, so I've been generally gone for a few weeks. Now that I'm settled back in Orlando, I have a question for those who have been here for a while: Where are the good places to watch Orlando Magic games in/near the city? Every city has certain places that are known for fans congregating to watch games together, whether that is local bars or restaurants. Does anyone have any experience with finding a great central location for this or is Orlando one of those cities where everyone just goes to the game or watches privately at home by themselves? Would love to know what others have found.

We're that team that is "one piece away." Bank on us being the team that trades 2 of our young core to a team with one good player in his prime and stuck in the middle of good/bad. They'll win by getting a young core to build around and we'll win by getting that "go to" piece. That's the only way I see us making it over the hump. We have enough great secondary pieces to field a great trade for a team who wants to rebuild while staying competitive.

It has been said that he plays his players too much. That being said, players in those situations sure as hell don't want to go out. I'm really shocked he took Payton out with the kind of offense he normally generates (even if he is a shooting liability).

Vaughn was good at last second plays??? Did you watch ANY of the last 3 seasons and how good our last-second offense was in late game situations????

Exactly. Dipo should have used a time-out though to get a better look rather than to just throw it in. I'm going to chalk it up to exhaustion (both physical and emotional) on the Magic's part. This has been one hell of a 5 game stretch, of which we could have easily come out 4-1. Get some rest, fellas! It's a long season!