Orlando Magics escape with a 91-90 victory over the New Jersey Nets
Two nights after being toppled by the Toronto Raptors the Orlando Magic were desperate for a win and all Jameer Nelson needed to ensure that was to convert two free throws. He misfired them both and had to figure out another way to redeem himself.
He did eventually though, as he hit a base line fade-away jump shot with 4.1 seconds left on the clock to break the Orlando Magic’s two-game losing streak with a 91-90 win over the New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
The match started with both the teams going all out at each other. The lead changed hands 7 times and the score was tied 5 times within the first six minutes as neither team was willing to hand over the initial advantage.
Orlando stepped up their game though as they reeled off a 12-4 run to open a 29-21 lead. The New Jersey Nets scored the next four points but a Brendon Bass jump shot ensured that Orlando went into the second quarter holding a six point advantage at
31-25.
The Magics carried their momentum into the second quarter and raced to 46-34 advantage, their biggest of the match. The Nets bounced back emphatically and went on an 11-0 run to shave the deficit to a single point as the teams headed for the locker
room at 52-51.
Orlando started the second quarter with six straight points. Brook Lopez, who had a nightmare of a game against Orlando last time around, responded as he shot two consecutive buckets to keep the Magics surge under check. Devin Harris followed the good
work as he made a jump shot to level the scores and then slipped in two free throws to give New Jersey the lead seventh minute into the period.
The match hung in balance from that point onwards as both sides clawed back at each other. Vince Carter converted two free throws to give a 68-66 lead to the Magics but Travis Outlaw nailed a triple pointer just before the buzzer as the teams entered
the fourth quarter with the Nets leading at 69-68.
The fourth quarter proved to be another tight affair. Orlando had the early honors as they spurted a 6-0 run to lead 78-72 with 8:36 left on the clock.
The Nets rallied back to level it at 83-83 with 2:46 to go but the Magics raced to another 6-0 burst to again carry the advantage going into the last minute.
New Jersey retaliated vociferously as the Nets took a one-point lead with a 7-0 run, capped by a pair of Brook Lopez charity shots with 11 seconds remaining in the game, after Jameer Nelson missed two free throws.
It was then that Jameer Nelson who took the ball full court, got a screen from Dwight Howard, and dropped the difficult shot over Lopez. The Nets had no timeouts left, so Devin Harris could only get a half court heave off before the buzzer. It missed
and the Magic escaped with the victory.
The Nets had one of their strongest performances of the season on Saturday, but it wasn't enough against the Magics, who pulled out a 91-90 win in a nerve jangling thriller.
The Nets shot 49 percent from the field and 8-for-18 from the 3-point line, but they were outrebounded 43-31 and outscored 19-12 at the free throw line.
Harris, who began the second half in the locker room because of cramps, led all scorers with 26 points, adding six rebounds and eight assists. Lopez finished with 23 points, while Travis Outlaw shot 8-for-12 from the field, including a career-high
tying 4-of-5 from downtown, for 20 points in 46 minutes of action.
Five Orlando players got into the double figures with Dwight Howard leading the charge. He scored 16 points and 10 boards while Brendon Bass had 14 and Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson scored 13 points apiece.
Mickael Pietrus, who scored a career-best eight 3-pointers against the Raptors, buried four more from beyond the arc scoring 12 points as the Magics just crossed the line.
A relieved Jameer Nelson remarked after the match "I kind of put us in that situation by missing those free throws, so I kind of had to make up for it," the Magics guard said and went on to retort sarcastically "Just
like we drew it up. Miss the free throws and make the two."
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