The Orlando Magic [3-11]- very bad two weeks

[joeygraham]

The Orlando Magic

Here I go, attempting to replicate the success of the Orlando Magic. We shall see how I do.

Rosters: Andrew's 1.01
Skill Level: Superstar
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Playoff Length: 7-7-7-7
Simulation Type: Intervention
Simulation Injuries: Yes
Game Play: 4th quarter intervention

Recaps: Every 2 weeks
October 28-November 11 Recap
November 12-November 25 Recap

[joeygraham]

Roster

The Starting Five



Dwight Howard C-F 6-11 265 1985 SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA) 2
Tony Battie F-C 6-11 240 02/11/1976 Texas Tech 9
Grant Hill F-G 6-8 225 10/05/1972 Duke 11
Keith Bogans G 6-5 215 05/12/1980 Kentucky 3
Jameer Nelson PG 6-0 190 02/09/1982 Saint Joseph's 2

The Bench



Keyon Dooling G 6-3 195 05/08/1980 Missouri 6
Hedo Turkoglu G-F 6-10 220 03/19/1979 Turkey 6
Trevor Ariza F-G 6-8 210 06/30/1985 UCLA 2
Darko Milicic C-F 7-0 275 06/20/1985 Serbia & Montenegro 3
Carlos Arroyo PG 6-2 202 07/30/1979 Florida International 5
Pat Garrity F 6-9 238 08/23/1976 Notre Dame 8
J.J. Redick SG 6-4 190 06/24/1984 Duke R

The Injured Reserve



Bo Outlaw F 6-8 220 04/13/1971 Houston 13
Travis Diener G 6-1 175 03/01/1982 Marquette 1
James Augustine F 6-10 235 02/27/1984 Illinois R

Former Magic (2006 onwards)

none

Player Rotation

[joeygraham]

Transactions

October
none


Novemeber
Phoenix signs F-C Maciej Lampe (Poland) for 771K for 1 year
Minnesota signs F-G Renaldo Major (Fresno St.) for 412K for 1 year
Philadelphia signs PG Raul Lopez (Spain) for 771K for 1 year
Philadelphia signs C Pavel Podkolzin (Russia) for 744K for 1 year
Seattle signs PG Brian Chase (Virginia Tech) for 412K for 1 year
New York signs PG Omar Cook (St. John's) for 744K for 1 year
Utah signs C Peter John Ramos (Puerto Rico) for 664K for 1 year


December



January



February



March



April

[joeygraham]

Season Standings and Awards

The standings will be updated occasionally. Refer to the title for the up-to-date Orlando Magic's record.

Standings

Eastern Conference


Western Conference


Player Awards

November

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

December

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

January

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

February

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

March

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

[joeygraham]

Magic Statistics

[Lamrock]

Has potential. I did a 2K7 association with them. I recommend starting J.J. and Turkey-glue over Battie and Bogans and making a trade.

[Effekt]

Can't wait for this dynasty, the Magic are one of my fave. teams!

[joeygraham]

Recap October 29 - November 11



Snapshot
Orlando goes 2-5, 2-2 at home
Dwight Howard is a monster.
Already a line-up change and an injury.
Orlando fails to hold on to leads in the fourth.

(1-0) Bulls 105 | (0-0) Magic 93
Jordan Player of the Game: Ben Gordon 27 PTS (10-22 FG, 1-3 3PT, 6-6 FT), 4 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 1 STL
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 18 PTS (8-18 FG, 2-3 FT), 9 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 1 BLK

November 1- The Bulls overran the Magic in the fourth quarter, led by Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich’s 8 points each. While the Orlando shooters had their touch late in the game, it was their 5 turnovers that did them in, along with their inability to defend against the fast break. Dwight Howard led the charge in the fourth with 6 points on 3-of-3 shooting, but did not receive much help from his supporting cast. Orlando seemed outclassed at every position, especially the smaller men, on which Chicago capitalized. There were a few highlight reel dunks by Trevor Ariza and Howard, but outside of that and Hedo Turkoglu’s team-high 20 points, none of which he scored in the final frame, there was little to rouse the home crowd.

(0-1) 76ers 88 | (0-1) Magic 112
Jordan Player of the Game: Jameer Nelson 27 PTS (9-17 FG, 3-4 3PT, 6-6 FT), 2 REB (1 OFF), 10 AST, 4 STL
Sixer Player of the Game: Andre Miller 29 PTS (13-23 FG, 3-3 FT), 2 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 1 STL

November 3- It was Orlando’s offence, going off for 37 points on 62.5% shooting in the last quarter that ensured Dwight Howard and his team a victory. While it is Howard’s team, the night, and especially the fourth quarter, belonged to his teammate and point guard Jameer Nelson, who scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and completed his double-double with 4 assists. Along with Nelson, Howard and Tony Battie also recorded double-doubles, scoring 19 and 12, and grabbing 14 and 13 rebounds, respectively. Things got even worse for the 76ers as Andre Miller went down with an injury just 4 minutes into the fourth; meanwhile, the Magic were shaken by Trevor Ariza going down in the final minute and the team doctors reporting he had suffered a sprained wrist and will be shelved for 12 days.

(1-1) Magic 91 | (2-0) Hawks 96
Jordan Player of the Game: Marvin Williams 15 PTS (5-17 FG, 5-6 FT), 16 REB (7 OFF), 3 AST
Magic Player of the Game: Grant Hill 22 PTS (8-14 FG, 6-7 FT), 9 REB (2 OFF), 3 AST, 3 STL

November 5- Joe Johnson led his Hawks to an improbable victory, coming back from a 15 point deficit, dropping 22 points in the final 12 minutes. Aided by the Magic’s inability to perform around the basket, shooting just 30.8% in the last quarter, the Hawks ran away with the show and left their home crowd in a frenzy as the Hawks remain undefeated after 3 games. Dwight Howard tried to carry his team on his back, recording 10 points, 5 rebounds a block in the end, but again failed to get support from his teammates offensively. Marvin Williams exploded for 6 points and 5 rebounds, while Lorenzen Wright doubled up, ending with 13 points and 17 rebounds, 11 of which came in the final frame. Johnson was limited to just 7 minutes in the first 3 quarters, ducking out with a slight injury, but came back with vengeance. A game after having one of the best games of his career, Jameer Nelson quieted down and recorded 14 points, 6 assists, a steal, a surprising block but was forced into 5 turnovers.

(2-0) Wizards 113 | (1-2) Magic 105
Jordan Player of the Game: Gilbert Arenas 23 PTS (9-18 FG, 3-10 3PT, 2-2 FT), 2 REB (1 OFF), 10 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 25 PTS (12-20 FG, 1-2 FT), 14 REB (2 OFF), 1 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK

November 6- The game was deadlocked coming into the fourth, but even with Gilbert Arenas riding pine for most of the quarter, the Wizards emerged victoriously. Arenas picked up his fifth foul minutes into the frame and not wanting to lose their best player to a foul out, had Antonio Daniels and Donnell Taylor step in to fill the position, to some success. Still, the Magic continued their string of unimpressive fourth quarters and while their ball handling has shown significant improvement, their inability to put the ball in the basket has been their downfall. While Dwight Howard collected 3 rebounds and 5 points, Jameer Nelson kicked it up, notching 10 points and 2 assists to finish the game with 17 and 7. Grant Hill had a very impressive opening to the game, but seemed to burn out as the game progressed; with Trevor Ariza still nursing his injured wrist, Hill continues to play in excess of 30 minutes each night. The Wizards also won the battle on the boards in a big way, out-rebounding the Magic 18-7 in the final quarter, and 6-2 on the offensive glass.

(3-1) SuperSonics 96 | (1-3) Magic 104
Jordan Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 29 PTS (13-23 FG, 3-7 FT), 14 REB (3 OFF), 1 STL, 1 BLK
SuperSonic Player of the Game: Luke Ridnour 25 PTS (10-16 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT), 1 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL

November 8- Seattle stormed into town hoping to continue their surprising winning ways, but fell short, unable to overcome the 8 point deficit they were in entering the fourth. Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard combined for 19 points to counter the combined efforts of Ray Allen, Luke Ridnour and Rashard Lewis, who totalled just 16 in the final frame. The Magic shot 52.9% from the field in the final quarter while limiting their opponents to just 40%. Hedo Turkoglu finally made it into coach Brian Hill’s doghouse, landing him on the bench for the entirety of the fourth, his minutes instead going to Keith Bogans and Keyon Dooling. In spite of the team recording 40 rebounds, Darko Milicic contributed just 12 points and 2 blocks, but no rebounds, the first time this season he has grabbed less than 4 boards.

(2-3) Magic 94 | (3-2) Pacers 99 in OT
Jordan Player of the Game: Jermaine O’Neal 27 PTS (11-21 FG, 5-7 FT), 20 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 1 STL, 4 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 28 PTS (12-16 FG, 4-5 FT), 9 REB (2 OFF), 2 STL, 1 BLK

November 10- While Jermaine O’Neal was named Player of the Game, it was Jamaal Tinsley who effected the win, notching 17 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in the final quarter and overtime, helping Indiana overcome a 14 point deficit. O’Neal did have 11 points and 7 rebounds, but Tinsley commanded the offence to perfection, allowing Mike Dunleavy, Jr. to connect on 50% of his shots at the end of the game to finish with 18. Dwight Howard attempted to keep his team in contention for the match, scoring 9 points and adding 5 rebounds on top of shifting over to power forward to cover O’Neal at times, but to no avail; he fouled out a little before midway through the overtime period. Even with 3 blocks and a steal in overtime, the Magic could not make up for their inability to hold the glass, pulling down only one rebound in the entire 5 minute period.

(2-4) Magic 95 | (2-3) Timberwolves 111
Jordan Player of the Game: Kevin Garnett 24 PTS (10-21 FG, 4-5 FT), 18 REB (2 OFF), 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Grant Hill 20 PTS (8-16 FG, 4-5 FT), 7 REB (2 OFF), 3 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK

November 11- Minnesota compounded their 5 point lead heading into the fourth quarter into a sizeable margin of victory, holding the Magic to just 7 field goals on 30% shooting in the final frame. There was no one player who scored the majority of the Minnesota point in the end, save Garnett’s 8, which was a cause of confusion for the Magic on the defensive end, not knowing to whom to divert double teams and more attention. Mark Blount continued to be a solid sidekick for Garnett, finishing 2 boards and 1 point shy of 20-10, while Rashad McCants contributed 20 points, 4 in the last few minutes. While Grant Hill was all over the place, it was Dwight Howard who collected a double-double and drew the defensive pressure. Jameer Nelson was joined by a new guard in the starting rotation, Keith Bogans, who quietly has been consistently putting up good numbers. He and Hedo Turkoglu almost split minutes at the two, but coach Brian Hill opted to go with the more guard-like Bogans over Turkoglu, though the Turk has been a reliable shooter, barring the few games this season.

Statistics for the two week period (Minimum 50 minutes):
Dwight Howard 23 PTS (56% FG, 50% FT), 12 REB (3 OFF) ,2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO
Tony Battie 8 PTS (34% FG, 75% FT), 6 REB (2 OFF), 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO
Grant Hill 16 PTS (47% FG, 83% FT), 7 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO
Keith Bogans 9 PTS (41% FG, 40% 3PT, 86% FT), 3 REB (1 OFF), 3 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO
Jameer Nelson 17 PTS (41% FG, 43% 3PT, 87% FT), 3 REB (1 OFF), 6 AST, 2 STL, 3 TO
Keyon Dooling 3 PTS (32% FG, 75% FT), 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 TO
Hedo Turkoglu 12 PTS (38% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT), 4 REB (2 OFF), 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO
Darko Milicic 9 PTS (44% FG, 48% FT), 6 REB (1 OFF), 1 AST, 1 STL, , BLK, 2 TO

Images
Chicago - Milicic shoots over Nocioni | Howard with a one-handed dunk | Gordon finger rolls it in | Deng with the dunk and foul | Ariza with a powerful dunk
Philadelphia - Ariza dunks over Korver | Dalembert soars for the dunk | Dalembert grabs a rebound | Howard throws it down | Howard with the double feature | Henderson grabs the offensive board in traffic | Nelson drives past Dalembert and Green
Atlanta - Hill throws down a two-handed dunk | Howard blocks a Williams dunk attempt | John stretch for the lay-up | Howard hangs on the rim after a dunk | Williams skies for the lay-up | Smith with the monster jam | Johnson dunks over Bogans
Washington - Arenas with an around-the-back pass to Butler | Hill dunks on the fast break | Thomas with a reverse lay-up after an offensive rebound | Nelson lays it in just out of reach of Thomas | Milicic dunks | Howard dunks and collects the foul
Seattle - Allen strips Dooling | Lewis hits the deep jumper | Howard with the big one-handed dunk | Howard casually dunks the ball over Wilcox | Wilcox hits the close hook shot
Indiana - Tinsely strips Nelson | Tinsley connects from above the free throw arc | O’Neal with a big two-handed dunk | Dunleavy lays it off the glass | Howard with a thunderous dunk | O’Neal blocks Dooling | Williams with a strong one-handed dunk | Bogans blocks Dunleavy’s reverse lay-up attempt | Battie stuffs Dunleavy | Milicic rejects a Tinsley lay-up
Minnesota - Howard knocks Garnett down with a forceful one-handed dunk plus the foul | Foye hits an off-balance lay-up | Garnett dunks | McCants lays it up after running over Bogans | Hill with the one-handed dunk over Griffin | Howard with another monstrous dunk


Odds And Ends

Top Performer: Dwight Howard
Top Performance: Jameer Nelson, Nov. 3 vs. Philadelphia
Top Bench Performer: Darko Milicic
Top Bench Performance: Keith Bogans, Nov. 10 vs. Indiana
Image of the Bi-week: to be decided by you

Hedo Turkoglu needs to shoot better; with Grant Hill and Keith Bogans as his possible fellow wingmen, he needs to be the best shooter of the bunch day in and day out…Darko Milicic is not one for defence, which is unfortunate since Tony Battie is not one for offence; Dwight Howard ends up having to take on the tougher defensive assignment while still being asked to lead the team on the offensive end…Jameer Nelson’s play seems to be the key to winning; in games Orlando has won: 24 points, 7.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 1 turnover; in games Orlando has lost: 14 points, 6 assits, 1 steal, 3 turnovers…It is time to get Pat Garrity in the game; the Magic need a capable shooter at the forward position…Nelson’s back-ups, Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling have been maddeningly ineffective, averaging a birdie score of 0.71 and 0.57, respectively; Nelson, who unfortunately does not have enough stamina to last an entire game, has a 2:1 assists:turnover ratio…Unsurprising is the effectiveness and leadership of Dwight Howard; surprising is the fact that he is leading the team in scoring by a full 6 points.

[joeygraham]

Recap November 12 - November 25



Snapshot
Orlando goes 1-6, with the lone win coming against a depleted Miami team
Dwight Howard records 4 more double-doubles.
Orlando continues to fail to hold on to leads in the fourth.
Trouble with chemistry and a lack of winning possibly prompting a trade.

(2-5) Magic 101 | (2-4) Celtics 102
Jordan Player of the Game: Wally Szczerbiak 27 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 23 PTS (10-22 FG, 3-4 FT), 14 REB (7 OFF), 3 AST, 3 BLK

November 13- Boston rallied behind Wally Szczerkiak’s 10 fourth quarter points to overcome an 8 point disadvantage entering the final 12 minutes. The Magic shot better than they usually do in the fourth, coming in at 44% and even had 7 offensive board in the quarter, but the Celtics’ steady hands missed but 3 shots en route to 35 points. Hedo Turkoglu had the chance to tie the game, and even hit the buzzer-beater, but it was deemed that the field goal was taken from just inside the three-point arc, leaving Orlando a point shy of a tie. Paul Pierce was limited in his play and production, a credit to the combined efforts of Grant Hill on defence, but Wally World let loose and in tandem with Al Jefferson’s powerful inside game, neutralized the Magic’s defensive attempts. Dwight Howard continued his impressive season, recording his sixth double-double in 8 games. Jameer Nelson was a tough opponent for Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West, the latter which was instrumental in creating plays late in the game, and he tallied 15 points along with 8 assists. Darko Milicic pitched in 10 points and 5 rebounds, while Pat Garrity made another fourth quarter appearance, netting 4 points in 6 minutes. Turkoglu, still resigned to the bench, knocked down 19 points and added 4 steals, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in his best game yet.

(3-3) Nuggets 103 | (2-6) Magic 90
Jordan Player of the Game: Allen Iverson 32 PTS (13-23 FG, 2-9 3PT, 4-5 FT), 6 REB (1 OFF), 7 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Jameer Nelson 25 PTS (11-21 FG, 1-4 3PT, 3-3 FT), 2 REB (1 OFF), 4 AST, 1 STL

November 15- Denver held a slim single-point lead coming after the third quarter, but busted the game wide open from the start of the fourth. The fearsome duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combined for 57 points and along with J.R. Smith, totalled 20 in the final frame. The Magic’s shooting woes continued, shooting under 40% for the game and just 29% on their last 28 shots. Dwight Howard recorded just 12 points and 9 rebounds, his fewest on the season in both categories, before fouling out midway through the last period, forcing coach Brian Hill to turn to Tony Battie and Darko Milicic, the latter which equalled a season-high 13 points and also added 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in the game. Trevor Ariza returned to the line-up and spelled Grant Hill rather nicely, totalling 4 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in 20 minutes of court time.

(5-3) Bobcats 101 | (2-7) Magic 96
Jordan Player of the Game: Emeka Okafor 17 PTS (8-23 FG, 1-3 FT), 11 REB (3 OFF), 3 AST, 3 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 34 PTS (17-27 FG), 9 REB (3 OFF), 2 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK

November 18- Orlando made a good run to take the game, but having to start from 10 points down allowed Charlotte to improve upon their improbable record. The Magic played tenaciously, forcing 11 fourth-quarter turnovers, including 7 steals, and 8 assists helped lead to a 34 point quarter. Dwight Howard shouldered the load and while his performance in his first 31 minutes was human, he absolutely wrecked Primoz Brezec and Emeka Okafor in the final 12 minutes, recording 14 points, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 assists and 6 rebound, 3 of which were on the offensive glass; in the battle of the first two overall picks of the 2004 NBA draft, Okafor’s team may have emerged victorious but he certainly was shown why he was selected after Howard. Grant Hill played a very well, rounded game, recording the lone Magic double-double, finishing with 14 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Raymond Felton carried his team in the fourth, notching 10 points to give him a team-high 22 points at the end of game. Rookie Adam Morrison scored 21 points and added 6 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals; though he lost the NCAA Player of the Year award to Orlando rookie J.J. Redick, Morrison was selected ahead of him and is a starter, while Redick has yet to play a game at the NBA level.

(2-8) Magic 95 | (3-6) Grizzlies 101
Jordan Player of the Game: Pau Gasol 22 PTS (10-12 FG, 2-3 FT), 11 REB (1 OFF), 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 32 PTS (16-29 FG, 0-2 FT), 9 REB (4 OFF), 2 STL, 1 BLK

November 20- Jameer Nelson had 8 fourth-quarter points before going down with an injury with 3:15 left in the game and he was joined on the bench shortly thereafter by Darko Milicic who collected his sixth foul, helping Memphis collect its fourth win in spite of the Magic’s solid play. Damon Stoudamire and Mike Miller combined for 40 points, 17 in the fourth, en route to a 6 point victory. Pau Gasol helped frustrate Dwight Howard on the boards and the loss marked the third straight game in which Howard did not record double-digit rebounds. When Nelson went down it was a frightening moment for Magic fans, knowing that his support at the position is rather weak; fortunately, the injury was minor and he will be able to return to the court immediately, though not at 100%. Grant Hill followed up one of his best games with another solid performance, finishing with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. The Magic did not get much support from the shooting guard position, with Keith Bogans and Hedo Turkoglu combining for just 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, though Turkoglu was especially poor from the field tonight, causing him to play all of 15 minutes.

(5-6) Pacers 97 | (2-9) Magic 94
Jordan Player of the Game: Mike Dunleavy, Jr. 26 PTS (11-23 FG, 1-4 3PT, 3-4 FT), 8 REB (4 OFF), 5 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 15 PTS (7-18 FG, 1-3 FT), 11 REB (2 OFF), 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK

November 22- The Magic lost another heartbreaker to the Pacers, falling by 3 points in the end, in spite of Dwight Howard breaking his double-double-less streak, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Orlando remained competitive throughout the game and especially in the final frame, where they effected 6 turnovers. In spite of the effort, Keith McLeod hit 4 free throws at the end of the game to squash any chance of a home victory. With Nelson still not up to playing full minutes, Carlos Arroyo saw action in the fourth quarter for the first time this season, playing 8 minutes and picking up 2 points, but his defensive inadequacy was instrumental in Dunleavy’s busting out offensively, going off for 12. Jermaine O’Neal was again a huge factor, adding 5 points and 7 rebounds in the last 12 minutes en route to finishing with a 19-18 double-double. Grant Hill again scored 22 points but he and the starters were supplemented very little by the bench, save Hedo Turkoglu’s 12 points. The Magic have now not won a game in their last 7, leading to much frustration in the office and locker room. Rumours are beginning to swirl as a need for a big man to complement Howard has arisen, given Darko Milicic and Tony Battie’s struggles, a permanent solution at the 2 guard and a suitable back-up for Jameer Nelson.

(2-10) Magic 97 | (7-4) Heat 95
Jordan Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 22 PTS (9-19 FG, 4-6 FT), 11 REB (4 OFF), 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK
Heat Player of the Game: Shaquille O’Neal 16 PTS (7-14 FG, 2-3 FT), 13 REB (6 OFF), 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK

November 24- Orlando caught a break when their former first overall pick, Shaquille O’Neal, fouled out under a minute into the fourth quarter; had he stayed in, the game surely would have had a different outcome. O’Neal grabbed an offensive rebound and threw it down on the first possession, but picked up a useless foul on Dwight Howard on the first Magic trip down court, causing a vacancy at centre which Howard exploited, notching 7 points and 3 rebounds in the frame. Miami caught a break as Grant Hill was sidelined with an injury with 8 minutes to play, leaving Antoine Walker to be guarded by Trevor Ariza, who managed, along with Hill, to hold Walker to 4-of-9 shooting. Dwayne Wade had a quiet night, instead deferring to his teammates, but picked it up in the fourth to try to keep his team in the game. Orlando took the final lead on a Trevor Ariza field goal, but his inexperience showed, as he left 10 seconds on the clock. Miami inbounded the ball and got it to Alonzo Mourning in the post, but neither he nor Antoine Walker could put the ball in the basket, though given an unreasonable number of chances in the short period of time; the ball was rattling around the rim as the buzzer sounded, the sixth man for the Orlando Magic amid such an unimpressive defensive display.

(7-3) Hawks 90 | (3-10) Magic 75
Jordan Player of the Game: Josh Smith 21 PTS (9-17 FG, 3-5 FT), 8 REB (4 OFF), 1 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK
Magic Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 18 PTS (9-26 FG, 0-2 FT), 10 REB (4 OFF), 3 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK

November 25- Atlanta held on to their 10 point lead for a while before ultimately winning the game by 15 points to improve to a shocking 8-3 on the season. While the Magic played poor basketball in the fourth, including 7 turnovers, the also limited the Hawks to 36% shooting and just 22 points. After a huge game last time these two teams met, Marvin Williams calmed down and recorded 14 points and 9 rebounds while last time’s hero Joe Johnson dropped 20 points and had 3 steals but failed to register an assist. The Magic were led by their big men, Dwight Howard and Tony Battie, who each recorded 10 rebounds and double-doubles. Jameer Nelson and Grant Hill, both still slightly hampered by injuries, were limited to a combined 13 points, though Nelson showed a clear improvement, leaping for 6 rebounds and 2 blocks along with his 6 assists. Keyon Dooling had his best game yet amid talks of his eminent departure, knocking down 3 of his 4 shots for 8 points along with 3 assists and 2 steals.

Statistics for the two week period (Minimum 50 minutes):
Dwight Howard 22 PTS (47% FG, 47% FT), 10 REB (4 OFF), 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO
Tony Battie 6 PTS (25% FG, 72% FT), 8 REB (2 OFF), 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO
Grant Hill 13 PTS (42% FG, 73% FT), 6 REB (2 OFF), 5 AST, 1 STL, 3 TO
Keith Bogans 7 PTS (36% FG, 20% 3PT, 74% FT), 4 REB (1 OFF), 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO
Jameer Nelson 15 PTS (41% FG, 34% 3PT, 100% FT), 2 REB (1 OFF), 5 AST, 2 STL, 3 TO
Keyon Dooling 5 PTS (46% FG, 17% 3PT, 80% FT), 2 REB (1 OFF), 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO
Hedo Turkoglu 10 PTS (43% FG, 35% 3PT, 93% FT), 1 REB (1 OFF), 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO
Trevor Ariza 4 PTS (44% FG, 54% FT), 3 REB (1 OFF), 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO
[color=darkblue]Darko Milicic 6 PTS (38% FG, 60% FT), 7 REB (3 OFF), 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO

Images
Boston - Howard picks up the foul as he dunks | Hill soars for the dunk | Garrity connects from the field | Szczerbiak lays it in over Turkoglu | Howard hanging on the rim | Howard dunks again
Denver - Ariza with a big dunk in his return | Camby with the off-balance lay-up after contact | Milicic dunks | Iverson hits a shot | Nelson with the easy bucket | Nene finishes above the rim after an offensive rebound | Smith with the two-handed dunk
Charlotte - Ariza hangs after a dunk | Hill dunks | Howard with a reverse dunk | Morrison called for the offensive foul against Ariza | Wallace skies for the slam | Nelson finds Howard under the net | Howard posting up Okafor
Memphis - Stoudamire caps a fast break with a finger roll | Howard with a thunderous dunk amid numerous Grizzlies | Hill knocks Miller to the ground with a dunk
Indiana - O’Neal dunks off an offensive rebound | Arroyo finger rolls in the bucket | Bogans with the lay-up
Miami - O’Neal threatening to shatter glass | Hill blocks Walker’s lay-up | Howard dunks over Mourning and Payton | Wade dunks and picks up the foul | Nelson lays it in in the open court | Turkoglu fires a try | Wade hits a late field goal | Wade dunks over Milicic
Atlanta - Smith dunks over Nelson | Smith puts on a clinic

Odds And Ends

Top Performer: Dwight Howard
Top Performance: Dwight Howard, Nov. 18 vs. Charlotte
Top Bench Performer: Darko Milicic
Top Bench Performance: Hedo Turkoglu, Nov. 13 vs. Boston
Image of the Bi-week: to be decided by you

Garrity is a steady shooter which seems to be rare on this team; it still will be tough for him to earn minutes at either forward position…Possible trade targets mentioned have been disgruntled F Zarko Cabarkapa of Golden State, currently injured F-C Matt Bonner of San Antonio, underutilized F Donyell Marshall of Cleveland and bench-warming rookie F Walter Hermann of Charlotte…Milicic, Ariza and Turkoglu have been decent off the bench and the only players who have been producing not from the starting line-up; Nelson is forced to play longer because of the dearth of viable options behind him currently, which is worse when he is injured…Ariza has been spelling Hill very nicely; he could feasibly replace him at small forward if Hill needs a break without management having to worry about a hole at the position...The team’s three-point shooting percentage is a dismal 31%; a serviceable shooter is desperately needed, be it Bogans, Turkoglu or someone new…Fourth quarter differentials thus far: points -5; rebounds -4; field goal percentage -11%; turnovers -1; the team has been more careful with the ball, they just need to shoot much better.

[Lamrock]

Tough losses. I'm surprised your Magic are doing so badly. They aren't a lottery-bound team like the Sixers. This is looking nice. If you continue to lose, you should make some trades.