BOX SCORE
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Hey, at least it was just a 14 point loss and not double that. Right? RIGHT?
Here’s what I’m telling myself: I wanted a split and a split is what I got. So the back end of this Florida back-to-back was very ugly. Very. Ugly. But yet, Oklahoma City comes home 6-6 with a winnable game Friday night.
Yes, that was a whooping. Yes, it doesn’t feel good. There are a TON of negatives to take out of that game, but consider: This was the fourth road game in five days for a very young team and the sixth overall in nine days. Oh, and playing at a fully rested Orlando Magic team that played for the big trophy last year. It’s not justification, it’s reality. This is a league where you play 82 times. Mail in efforts happen and they happen a lot. The Lakers just got walloped twice last week. The Nuggets took a beating a couple games ago. Heck, the Magic got smoked by some team by 28 if I remember right. Read more…
Recap
Orlando Magic
vs. 
TV: KSBI-52 (Cox 15, HD 715)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 6:00 CST
View from the enemy: Orlando Magic Daily
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 102.9 (23rd), Magic – 108.8 (9th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 99.5 (4th), Magic – 103.4 (13th)
Pace: Thunder – 90.6 (25th), Magic – 91.7 (22nd)
Onward. A goal was to come back to OKC with a split. Now that’s locked away. So a sweep… well, that would be outstanding.
History would say that since Oklahoma City played so well last night that it will come out flat and under-perform tonight. But that’s only happened when a lackluster team follows the good game. So now you’ve got a really good team, with the Thunder coming off a big win. So I guess I would expect a loss, which means OKC will probably win which means I have no idea. I guess. I just don’t know what to think anymore. Read more…
Preview
Orlando Magic
BOX SCORE
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
I’m kind of sort of shell-shocked. A lot of times last year and even in a game this year, I had no idea what I watched. And I mean that in a bad way.
But tonight, I really don’t know what I just saw, in a great, grand, wonderful way. Holy smokes what a beatdown. Oklahoma City pounded the defending Eastern Conference champs 102-74 in front of a third sellout crowd at the Ford Center. And I’m not even sure it was that close.
I know what some are going to jump up and say. Harumph! The Magic only suited eight players and were shorthanded! Harumph! If you want to use that as an excuse, fine by me. All I know is that the Thunder absolutely smacked one of the league’s best teams with one of the most dominating players in the league. So excuses or not, the scoreboard cares not.
It’s funny, because I couldn’t have been more wrong about this game. I thought the Magic had a major matchup advantage coming in. But I guess I had Dwight Howard’s triple-double emblazoned in my brain from last year in a game the Magic beat OKC just as a bad. But this was worse. I thought the Magic would torch the Thunder from the outside. Nope. Orlando went just 3-16 from 3 and shot 36 percent overall. I thought Howard would have his way in the post. Wrong again. Superman had just 20 points and seven boards, but he wasn’t as good as the numbers seem. OKC frustrated Howard in every way on the post. And I had just a bad feeling in general. Well, that appears to have been incorrect as well. I like being wrong. Read more…
Recap
Orlando Magic
vs. 
Orlando Magic (5-1, 2-1 road) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3, 1-2 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, Tulsa Cox 27, HD 722; DirectTV 679, AT&T U-Verse 753)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 6:00 CST
View from the enemy: Orlando Magic Daily
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 99.4 (25th), Magic – 118.0 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 99.8 (6th), Magic – 107.7 (19th)
Pace: Thunder – 90.5 (26th), Magic – 92.1 (19th)
The Thunder’s lost three in a row and staring a fourth straight in the face. Let’s be honest, I don’t think many of us have aspirations of winning this one. The Magic aren’t necessarily better than the Lakers, but it’s just a far worse matchup for Oklahoma City. And the thing about playing Orlando is that they can physically dominate you. Dwight Howard can and absolutely will own the paint tonight, but with their 3-point proficiency and inside-out ability, this is just bad match all around. I mean, how could you forget Howard’s triple-double last year in Oklahoma City? Read more…
Preview
Orlando Magic
