Game Thread: Magic @ Bulls [12/31]

[PEC 0]

quote:

Originally posted by ma:

Thanks, happy new year to you also. Where are you at if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Orlando and it is comfortable today in the low 70s I think.

 

Upstate NY in the Onondaga Hill area. Everyone seems to have moved up here including the Community College and a hospital. BTW the community college here has 23 thousand students and would you believe dorms.

I know more information that you thought you were going to get.

 

quote:

Originally posted by PEC:

quote:

Originally posted by ma:

Exactly, I wonder if Stan has regular chats with him?

 

Well I hope he does because he was one of the better coaches that the Magic have had other then Stan.

BTW ma have a great New Year, and enjoy the warm weather it's 9 here with a windchill of 25 below zero. Oh and it's snowing. I need to move.lol

 

quote:

Originally posted by PEC:

quote:

Originally posted by ma:

I for one am surprised that he is not one of the assistant coaches on the Magic bench. He has a lot of wisdom for a commentator.

 

Remember he used to be the Head Coach years ago.

 

quote:

Originally posted by bravlady:

The Magic dialed it up a notch for this game. SVG not a happy camper so they knew they had better not let this one get out of hand. I noted Jameer giving Lee the business coming out of a time out. Lee didn't look happy with Jameer's words of wisdom. Good to see Jameer showing some leadership skills. Not sure what happened to JJ because Matty was doing his famous babbling routine. I'd rather listen to the radio feed and put the TV on mute than to listen to his nonsense. That guy grates on my nerves.

[ma 6]

That's very interesting, most big name universities don't have that many students :-)

 

Good luck with the cold and the snow, I know what it feels like from my years in the MidWest.

People in Florida are spoiled really weatherwise.

 

 

quote:

Originally posted by PEC:

quote:

Originally posted by ma:

Thanks, happy new year to you also. Where are you at if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Orlando and it is comfortable today in the low 70s I think.

 

Upstate NY in the Onondaga Hill area. Everyone seems to have moved up here including the Community College and a hospital. BTW the community college here has 23 thousand students and would you believe dorms.

I know more information that you thought you were going to get.

 

[bravlady 0]

You guys missed the point on Matt. He doesn't talk about the game. He babbles about everything under the sun but the game. I could care less what player did something 20 years ago. Talk about what's going on in front of him. If he can't call the game then find another job.

[Mr Charisma 0]

quote:

Originally posted by bravlady:

You guys missed the point on Matt. He doesn't talk about the game. He babbles about everything under the sun but the game. I could care less what player did something 20 years ago. Talk about what's going on in front of him. If he can't call the game then find another job.

LOL. My father has the exact same opinion of him. I'm middle-of-the-road on him.

 

But I will say that when I'm watching a game, I don't really depend on the announcers to inform me as to the game; I can see what's happening for myself.

 

What REALLY drives me crazy is when Richie A. is on the radio and goes into 1 of his many rambling stories. By the time he shuts up, half the quarter has gone by and we have no idea what the score is or who is doing what.

 

My point is that "ramblers" are a lot more tolerable on TV than they are on the radio. Matt would be a train wreck on the radio, but no worse than Richie. He's just awful.

[KillingInTheNameOf 63]

I like Gukous as a color guy. He brings the perspective of a true old school coach and I enjoy his sarcastic view of NBA players.

[Jareth Cutestory 678]

Matty and David are fine. It's when Whit Watson shows up on my TV is when I get annoyed. Something about that guy just rubs me the wrong way.

 

And what's with the "Let's go down to Paul Kennedy to see what assistant coach Patrick Ewing has to say. Paul". Why not just say "Let's watch and see what assistant coach Patrick Ewing had to say to Paul Kennedy at halftime". They make it seem as if it's happening live!

[Skywise316 211]

Hey everyone, better late than never.. had some internet problems but I watched the game, now have my lil' grubby hands on some box scores, and seem to have a working internet connection.

 

Let's get to the analysis of another matinee annihilation.

 

Stock Up:

 

Team Rebounding. (The Magic trounced the Bulls in this department. Who knew Drew Gooden not playing could have such an impact?

 

Orlando outrebounded Chicago 48 to 38.)

 

Rashard Lewis. (He just keeps rolling along. The Dagger was in full effect, for the most part in the first half with 16 points. He had 21 points overall on 8 of 17 shooting, 3 of 9 from Three Land. 7 boards, 4 assists, and a steal. The only negative was 4 turnovers, but Rashard really took Chi-town's heart away right from the jump in the first 24 minutes of play.)

 

Jameer Nelson. (Definitely better than his results against the Pistons. In only 20 and a half minutes played because he wasn't needed rather than foul trouble, Jameer had 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting, 3 boards, a steal, and 5 assists against only 1 turnover. You have to like an assist for every 4 minutes played in this system.)

 

Dwight Howard. (15 points on 5 of 7 shooting and over 50 percent from the charity stripe, 14 boards, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, and one trip for Aaron Gray straight to therapy.

 

The Bulls just had no answer for Dwight... or Rashard... or, well, just about anyone in a Magic uniform. If this was a home game, the Bulls wouldn't have had an answer for Stuff or The Fat Guy, most likely.)

 

Anthony Johnson. (How about the last couple of games for No Neck?? 10 points on 3 of 8 shooting, and 2 of 3 from deep.. he's been shooting the Three well. 2 boards, 2 steals, and 3 assists against no turnovers in 27 minutes thanks to extended garbage time.

 

As for defense, both Jameer and A.J. held Derrick Rose and Lindsey Hunter to a combined 7 for 20 shooting. You'll take that pretty much every time, especially with no Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng to bail them out.)

 

Marcin Gortat. (The kills continue to pile up. 19 minutes played, 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting (and all manner of shots), 7 boards, 2 blocks.

 

As Matty Guokas said, if Gortat played for the Bulls he'd be an All-Star. The sad thing is for Chicago, that statement was closer to truth than joke.)

 

Courtney Lee. (The shooting touch returns, as does a Subway Sub of the Game honor. 12 points on 4 of 7 shooting including making his only three point shot and perfect from the FT line. 3 assists against 1 turnover, a board, 2 steals and a block. Talk about stuffing the stat sheet, without the services of Mickael Pietrus, Jet Lee's offensive game returned at just the right time. (See Stock In The Middle for analysis of his defense.))

 

Hedo Turkoglu. (If it wasn't Shard, it was Turk. 18 points on very sharp 7 of 16 shooting and 2 of 4 from deep. He was only 1 board short of a double-double. 4 assists against only 1 turnover. 1 steal, and 1 block. Major Ups on the nearly 50 percent shooting as well as having only 1 turnover.)

 

J.J. Redick. (Without Pietrus, J.J. seemed to get those 15-20 clean up guard minutes, as well as his normal garbage time, and Redick took advantage of the opportunity and rounded out a great day for the Magic's second unit.

 

In nearly 20 minutes, Redick had 7 points on 3 of 6 shooting and had 2 boards and an assist. Yet again Redick didn't hurt the team defensively and added a bit of offense. In his last two stints on the court Redick has looked much more confident and comfortable than when he was starting. If Redick (and A.J.) can stay this solid on both ends, the rotation that we saw from SVG in the first three quarters should become the norm until Pietrus returns healthy.

 

(See SITM for analysis of his defense.))

 

Stock In The Middle:

 

Keith Bogans. (The defense for all 3 shooting guards that played, Bogans, Lee, and Redick, were solid if not downright good. Larry Hughes had an efffective second half with 50 percent shooting, but Ben Gordon looked like he had his shoelaces tied together all day long with only 6 of 17 shooting and 4 turnovers.

 

So Bogans, Lee, Redick, and uh.. Gordon all played good defense on Gordon. *ahem*

 

However, Bogans can only get a SITM because the cringe-inducing shooting has returned after a couple of games off for the holidays. He had 2 boards (not as much as he's been doing lately) and an assist, but he also had 2 turnovers and only 3 points on 1 of 7 shooting. 1 for 5 from downtown.

 

In a word... ergh. I'd take 30 percent shooting over 4 of 5 games at this point, it'd be an improvement.)

 

Stock Down:

 

Pietrus' MRI Results. (Compared to x-rays, MRIs are major league jerks! *sobs*)

 

Andres Nocioni. (No good? Check. Unkempt? Check. Hacking? Check. Dirty? Check. Evil? Clearly, check. Flopper? Most definitely, check.

 

Yep, you're still a no good, unkempt, hacking, dirty, evil flopper. But you have been thwarted once again!)

 

That's all, a thoroughly dominant performance by the Magic and Chicago should work on their defense. Like, as in getting some.

 

As of Friday afternoon the Magic are 3.5 games up on ATL for 3rd and for best in the SE, while the Magic are a scant 1.5 games back of Cleveland since both they and Boston did the Magic the favor of losing while I was on "forced internet vacation." Tonight presents a chance to make a statement against our in-state and division rival Miami Heat... not to mention if the season ended yesterday, we would be facing Dwayne Wade and the Heat in the first round.

 

And enough of this Wade for MVP talk, we all know who the real MVP is. Dwight..? No, no! Rashard Lewis, of course!

 

Until tonight with beautiful FSN on your Brighthouse TV....

 

Good night.. er, good day.. and good luck.