Orlando Magic beat Philadelphia 76ers 95-85: NBA Recap
The Orlando Magic, who ended their homestead with a disappointing loss to the Eastern Conference Champions Chicago Bulls, bounced back with a 95-85 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Centre on Monday night. The result meant that Philadelphia
slipped into seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The dazzling Dwight Howard scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Magic, who have won six of their last 10 games. Guard Jameer Nelson also had 19 points in the victory, while guard Jason Richardson netted 12 points for Orlando.
Forward Ryan Anderson had an impressive night off the bench as he scored 18 points, hitting 7-of-11 from the field, and pulled down 14 rebounds in the victory. The 32-year-old Philadelphia forward, Elton Brand, added a game-high 32 points and pulled down
five rebounds in the defeat.
Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points and 11 assists, while Andres Nocioni ended with 13 points for the Sixers, who have lost four of their last five games.
Match Analysis
Orlando went on a 5-0 run early in the first quarter to take the initial lead. Richardson and Howard both scored eight of their points in the opening stanza as the Magic held a 34-25 lead going into the second.
The 76ers fought hard and held the Magic to 16 points in the second quarter. However, Orlando managed to maintain a 50-47 advantage going into the locker room. The Magic fought back in the third quarter and outscored the Sixers 26-15, taking a 76-62 lead
into the final stanza.
Orlando controlled every aspect of the fourth quarter as they made shots, forced Philadelphia into difficult ones and controlled the rebounds. The Magic held a 91-73 lead with three minutes to go in the fourth. The Sixers tried hard to make the score a respectable
one but Orlando maintained their lead down the stretch to seal the victory.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy made a bold move by deciding to keep Howard in the game for the final few minutes despite holding an unbeatable lead after three quarters. Gundy said, "He's had three of the last four nights off. I just wanted to keep running post-ups
for him. You couldn't have had more rest than he has had in the last three to four days."
With this defeat, the Sixers missed the chance to secure their first winning record, since going 43-39 in the 2004-05 season. However, they have one more chance to redeem themselves, when they take on the Detroit Pistons in their final game of the season
on Wednesday.
The game's top-scorer, Brand was upbeat ahead the Sixers next game. He said, “I'm not on high alert, but we want to be prepared. We have one more game to tune it up.”
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