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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| MAGIC | 31 | 22 | 34 | 26 | 113 |
| RAPTORS | 25 | 22 | 18 | 25 | 90 |
Recap:
TORONTO (AP) -- Dwight Howard had 29 points and 14 rebounds, Jameer Nelson added 18 points and 10 assists, and the Orlando Magic never trailed in a 113-90 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Mickael Pietrus scored 22 points and Rashard Lewis had 15 for the Magic, who led by as many as 24 and have won three straight following back-to-back losses to Boston and Miami.
Orlando broke it open with a 20-6 run to start the second half, keyed by two 3-pointers each by Lewis and rookie Courtney Lee. Toronto trailed 87-65 after three quarters.
Orlando, the NBA's best 3-point shooting team, shot 13-for-30 from beyond the arc, while Toronto finished just 2-for-11.
Jose Calderon scored 16 points for Toronto, reserve Joey Graham had 14 and Andrea Bargnani had 12.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh. He didn't make his first basket until 5:20 of the second, and was booed after missing his next three shots. Bosh, who finished with 11 points, was called for a technical after slamming the ball as the half expired.
Nelson and Howard combined for 22 points as Orlando opened a 10-point lead in the opening quarter. But when Howard went to the bench after picking up his second foul with 38 seconds left in the first, Toronto responded with a 12-2 run, tying the game 33-all on Graham's layup at 9:35 of the second.
Howard and Nelson both returned a minute later and scored another 11 points between them and the Magic took a 54-47 lead at the half.
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Preview:
For the second time this season, Orlando will head north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors (19-29), this time at noon on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Raptors currently stand in last place in the Atlantic Division and have won only three of their last 10 games. The Magic and Raptors have split two games against each other this season, with each team winning at home.
Trade rumors have swirled around Toronto in recent weeks, with a Shawn Marion for Jermaine O’Neal swap possibly being on the horizon. With that being said, O’Neal is still in a Raptors uniform and has recently returned from an injury. His production has been rather pedestrian since returning (39 points and 26 rebounds in his first five games), but he recorded a solid performance Friday night vs. Milwaukee with 16 points and eight boards.
Toronto’s dream of an O’Neal-Chris Bosh combination on each side of the lane hasn’t worked well this season, but Bosh continues to thrive and play at an All-Star level. His averages of 23.1 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. both lead the team and will be in Phoenix next month representing the East over All-Star weekend.
Another Raptors player with great numbers is point guard Jose Calderon. He is returning from a strained hamstring and has yet to play against Orlando this season, but Toronto has won three of four since his return to the lineup. In 36 games this season, Calderon is scoring 13.2 ppg. and recording 8.7 apg. while shooting a blistering 50.3 percent from the floor. He is making 45.8 percent of his 3-point attempts and just missed his first free throw of the season Friday night.
Battling him at the point guard position will be All-Star Jameer Nelson. He is also making more than half of his shot, currently at a 50.5 percent average, and is giving the Magic 17.0 points a night.
Bosh has gotten the best of Rashard Lewis in the first two matchups and has averaged 31.5 points and 14.5 boards. But Howard has rebuttled those numbers as he has gotten the best of O’Neal on the block. He scored a season-high of 39 points against the Raptors on January 4.
This game should be a tight one and could be decided by which point guard can take over. If either point guard can outperform the other and continue their hot shooting touch from the outside, their respective team should have a great shot at pulling out a Sunday afternoon victory.
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Keys to the game:
Howard's Rebounding: Playing against a team with a solid front line means that everyone must hustle for rebounds. That includes Dwight Howard, who hasn't recorded double-digit rebounds against the Raptors yet this season. He should be able to get his points in the paint, but rebounding may be an even higher point of emphasis. If Howard can control the boards as he usually does, it will give the Magic extra possessions on offense as well as an opportunity to run the fast-break.
Toronto's Game Plan: In the January 4th meeting between these two teams, Toronto allowed Dwight Howard to get his points in the paint and opted not to double-team him on every post-up attempt. That strategy allowed the Raptors defenders to play tight defense on the perimeter against Orlando's outside shooters. In other words, Jay Triano decided to let Howard try and beat them, rather than let the Magic's shooting touch beat them. If they opt to go that route again, the Magic will have to consider running more pick-and-rolls to open up the court and force Toronto to play help defense and rotate accordingly. If the Raptors come out with a new game plan, Orlando will need to continue the hot shooting stretch they've been on all season long from beyond the arc.
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Game Notes:
Feb. 1 @ Toronto: Orlando is 26-22 all-time vs. Toronto (15-8 at home, 11-14 on the road) during regular season action, including 1-1 this season (see recaps below)…The Magic went 2-1 last season against the Raptors...The Magic are 4-1 in postseason play against the Raptors (2008 First Round)...The Magic have lost six of the last nine regular season meetings…Orlando has won eight of the last 14 regular season matchups at home, but lost eight of the last nine at Toronto…Assistant Coach Brendan Malone was the first-ever head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 1995-96…Assistant Coach Bob Beyer served as an assistant for the Raptors in 2003-04 and as an advanced scout in 2004-05…Jan. 4 @ Toronto – Raptors 108, Magic 102: Anthony Parker scored 26 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the field, as Toronto defeated Orlando, 108-102, at Air Canada Centre. Chris Bosh tallied 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, while Andrea Bargnani added 18 points. Dwight Howard tied his career-high with a game-high 39 points, while Rashard Lewis recorded 20 points, a career-high nine assists and six boards. Toronto jumped out in front quickly, leading 34-22 after the first quarter and by as many as 16 points. Orlando fought back and took an 86-82 lead after a three-pointer by J.J. Redick with 8:50 remaining. Trailing 101-99, the Raptors closed the game with a 9-1 spurt during the final three minutes. The Magic had a chance to tie with 32.9 seconds left, but Redick’s three-point attempt was off the mark. Toronto shot 53.9 percent from the floor…Nov. 18 vs. Toronto - Magic 103, Raptors 90: Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu all scored 22 points each for the Magic, as Orlando defeated Toronto, 103-90, at Amway Arena. It was the fourth consecutive victory for Orlando. All five starters scored in double figures for the Magic. Chris Bosh led all players with 40 points and 18 rebounds. Orlando trailed 26-21 after the first quarter and faced a 10-point deficit midway through the second quarter. The Magic closed the first half with a16-6 run and tied the game at 45-45 at halftime. Orlando then outscored the Raptors during the second half, 58-45. The Magic went 11-of-23 from three-point range and forced Toronto to commit 24 turnovers.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. RAPTORS: 38 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Orlando, 11-12-02)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 41 pts., Chris Bosh (@ Toronto, 2-7-07)
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