Orlando Magic not done yet; beat Atlanta Hawks by 101-76 to keep the series alive
It was a must win game for the Orlando Magic as they took on the Atlanta Hawks at the Amway Centre on Tuesday night. In the context of the series however, a bizarre
game took place, one which nobody could have predicted.
Dwight Howard, averaging 32.2 in the playoffs so far, had just 8 points and made a single field goal in the entire game. Magic, who had been held below 90 in the
last two games, scored 101.The destructive duo of the Hawks, Joe Johnson and Jamaal Crawford, had been on fire all series but were nullified as they combined for only 13.
The home team, playing like a team possessed, won the game by a blow out margin of 101-76, Everybody from the Magic came alive on the night, defying there dependency
on Howard, as points were shared throughout the team. Howard only played 29 minutes, as opposed to the high 40s he has put up all series.
The turning point of the game was Orlando’s long range shooting. Magic had averaged 21.9 percent from beyond the arc in the series. But, on Tuesday night they really
turned it on from downtown and hit a healthy 42.3 percent. Atlanta on the other hand, struggled with a meagre 25 percent. This was a decisive factor in the game and could be the decisive one in the series.
Magic came out with all guns blazing and went on a 16-3 run to establish an early lead. They looked comfortable from there on in, and although the Hawks tried to
mount comebacks, led by Josh Smith with a game high 22, they simply did not seem to have enough fire power. Apart from Smith, the only other Atlanta player who reached double figures was Marvin Williams, who came off the bench to score 12 points.
Back from a one-game suspension, Jason Richardson led charge with 17 points for the Magic, who also got sizeable contributions from the bench, particularly J.J. Redick
and Ryan Anderson. As a result, Magic were able to rest “Superman” Howard for long stretches in the 2nd half. Magic led by as many as 32 at one point, and the Hawks never really became a serious threat in the game.
The scores never got close and Magic closed out the game with their reserves on the floor. Chris Duhon sank his free throws, ending the scoring for the night as Orlando
kept the series alive.
Orlando played with patience but also played hard, Quentin Richardson summed up his team’s mentality after the game, "There was nothing to talk about. In this type
of game, in this type of situation it was win or go home so we weren't going to leave anything to chance. We had to go out there and play the hardest we ever have this year and leave everything on the court.”
Orlando Magic now have a shot at doing what only 8 teams in NBA history have done, winning a series after going 3-1 down. They have struggled in the series on the
offensive end as well as on defense, with Jamal Crawford playing the role of tormentor in-chief. However everything seemed to come together for the Magic on Tuesday night and the importance of winning without a big performance from Dwight Howard cannot be
neglected. He has carried them for a long time, so last night’s win was overly impressive and will give the team great confidence for the games to come.
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