Orlando bounce back in second half to overcome Clippers 101-85
A second half surge from the Orlando Magic helped them thrash the Los Angeles Clippers 101-85 on Tuesday night at the Amway Centre.
Dwight Howard played a stellar game for Orlando as he had 22 points and 20 rebounds in the home victory. Howard registered his fifth 20-20 game of the 2010-11 season.
Jameer Nelson also had one of his finest games against the Clippers with 17 points, including going 4 for 5 from the three-point range. Clippers shooting guard Eric Gordon however, missed his 10th consecutive game of the season with a sprained right wrist.
Baron Davis did all he could as he scored a season-high 25 points for the Clippers, who lost their fourth straight game. Ike Diogu scored 18 points while Blake Griffin finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, who have lost their seventh consecutive
contest on the road.
A disappointed Griffin said after the game, "Anytime a team doubles quickly like that, you have to swing the ball and just let your team-mates hit shots. We didn't hit shots as a team tonight. That hurt ... Once they were up, they kind of never let up."
Match Analysis
First Half Recap
Both teams started ice cold, but the Clippers got going it offensively halfway through the opening quarter.
Los Angeles hit 40 percent of their first-quarter field goals, led by six points from Baron Davis. While the Magic shot at just 38 percent, allowing the Clippers to take a 23-21 lead into the second.
Orlando got off to an aggressive start in the second quarter by making some tenacious shots around the court. However, the Clippers continued to play offensively, extending their lead to 46-42 at half time.
Second Half Recap
Trailing by four-points at the half, the Clippers got it going defensively in the third as they cut the deficit by four. However, the Magic then went on a 21-16 run to take a 66-65 advantage into the final stanza.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was pleased with his side’s performance in the third quarter. He said, "Even in the first half when we weren't making anything, I liked the shots we were getting. The ball was moving, they were open shots, and we were stepping
into 'em."
Los Angeles fought hard in the fourth quarter as they successfully tied it at 70-all with less than 10 minutes to go. The Magic then switched to defensive mode, as they went on a 12-0 run to build an 82-70 advantage, and the Clippers never fully managed
to dig themselves out.
Orlando got a nice lift from Ryan Anderson (13 points) and J.J. Redick (12 points) to seal the home victory at 101-85.
After losing to Eastern Conference title contenders, Boston Celtics in their last encounter, the Magic finally took a step in the right direction as they thumped the Clippers for the ninth straight time and twice this season.
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