duncan228
01-10-2009, 05:40 PM
[Edit: The game is on NBA TV. I'm not sure why that isn't in the preview.
B]Orlando (29-8) at San Antonio (24-11) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2009011124&prov=ap)[/B]
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Sun Jan 11, 2009
By Dan Pieringer
The Orlando Magic dominated their last opponent to extend their longest home winning streak in nearly three years. Their play away from home has been just as impressive.
The Magic look to improve the NBA’s best road record as they meet the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night in a matchup between division leaders that have been two of the league’s hottest teams lately.
Orlando (29-8) has won 16 of its 19 home games, including 11 in a row for its longest home winning streak since taking 12 straight from March 10-April 15, 2006.
The Southeast Division-leading Magic extended their current run Friday night with a 121-87 rout of division rival Atlanta. Hedo Turkoglu made all five of his 3-point attempts and led six players in double figures with 21 points as the Magic pulled into a tie for the most wins in the league.
“I don’t think anybody is too concerned with our record, we’re just trying to play healthy basketball,” said point guard Jameer Nelson, averaging 16.2 points and shooting 50.9 percent from the field—both career highs.
“We have a good team, but we know we have to get better. We aren’t the best team we could be. We can still get better.”
That may be the case, but no team has been better on the road than the Magic, who are 13-5 away from home. They’re scoring more (101.3 points per game) and shooting better (45.8 percent) on the road than they are at home (100.6 and 45.6).
The Magic are 7-2 in road games and 14-4 overall against the Western Conference. However, they’ve lost 14 of their last 16 in San Antonio, including 128-110 on Nov. 21, 2007.
They’ll likely have their hands full Sunday with the Southwest Division-leading Spurs (24-11), who have rebounded from a slow start with 22 wins in their last 28 games. San Antonio had five players with at least 11 points as it cruised to a 106-84 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, its ninth victory in 10 games.
After getting held to 16 points in the first quarter, the Spurs outscored the Clippers 90-62 the rest of the way.
“We started hitting shots,” reserve guard Roger Mason said. “But the thing we wanted to continue to do was play defense, and I think our defense got better as the game went on. … For us it’s about playing Spurs defense, sharing the ball and playing the right way.”
The slow start to the season was primarily due to ankle injuries that kept Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out of 12 and nine games, respectively. San Antonio, though, can’t claim injuries as an excuse for its 90-78 loss in Orlando on Dec. 18.
All three of the Spurs’ top players were healthy for that game, but Tim Duncan was 7-for-17, Parker was 3-for-17 and Ginobili was 4-for-12 as the Magic held the Spurs to a season-low 37.5 percent shooting.
Nelson led Orlando with 24 points and seven assists in that game. He’s averaging 21.2 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 54.1 percent from the field in six career starts against the Spurs, not including a loss last spring in which he played only seven minutes before leaving with a jaw injury.
Notes
Magic:
Orlando's 41 first-quarter points and 71 first-half points were both season highs. ... The Magic outscored the Hawks 20-0 over a seven-minute period covering the end of the first and start of the second quarter. ... G Courtney Lee made his fourth career start and joined five Orlando players in double figures with 11 points. ... C Dwight Howard recorded his NBA-leading 27th double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. ... No player on the Magic logged more than 27 minutes.
Spurs:
Los Angeles made just 4-of-20 shots in the fourth quarter (20 percent), while San Antonio hit nearly 62 percent on 13-of-21 shooting. ... San Antonio scored 13 of its 23 fastbreak points in the fourth quarter. ... The Spurs have won 10 straight games against the Clippers. ... C Tim Duncan's nine assists were a season high.
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Dwight Howard Orl 19.9
Tony Parker SA 20.9
Rebounds
Dwight Howard Orl 13.7
Tim Duncan SA 10.1
Assists
Jameer Nelson Orl 5.1
Tony Parker SA 6.7
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 29-8 1st Southeast / 2nd East 100.9 93.2 Road 13-5 Won 3 8-2
San Antonio 24-11 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.1 93.2 Home 14-6 Won 4 9-1
B]Orlando (29-8) at San Antonio (24-11) Preview (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2009011124&prov=ap)[/B]
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Sun Jan 11, 2009
By Dan Pieringer
The Orlando Magic dominated their last opponent to extend their longest home winning streak in nearly three years. Their play away from home has been just as impressive.
The Magic look to improve the NBA’s best road record as they meet the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night in a matchup between division leaders that have been two of the league’s hottest teams lately.
Orlando (29-8) has won 16 of its 19 home games, including 11 in a row for its longest home winning streak since taking 12 straight from March 10-April 15, 2006.
The Southeast Division-leading Magic extended their current run Friday night with a 121-87 rout of division rival Atlanta. Hedo Turkoglu made all five of his 3-point attempts and led six players in double figures with 21 points as the Magic pulled into a tie for the most wins in the league.
“I don’t think anybody is too concerned with our record, we’re just trying to play healthy basketball,” said point guard Jameer Nelson, averaging 16.2 points and shooting 50.9 percent from the field—both career highs.
“We have a good team, but we know we have to get better. We aren’t the best team we could be. We can still get better.”
That may be the case, but no team has been better on the road than the Magic, who are 13-5 away from home. They’re scoring more (101.3 points per game) and shooting better (45.8 percent) on the road than they are at home (100.6 and 45.6).
The Magic are 7-2 in road games and 14-4 overall against the Western Conference. However, they’ve lost 14 of their last 16 in San Antonio, including 128-110 on Nov. 21, 2007.
They’ll likely have their hands full Sunday with the Southwest Division-leading Spurs (24-11), who have rebounded from a slow start with 22 wins in their last 28 games. San Antonio had five players with at least 11 points as it cruised to a 106-84 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, its ninth victory in 10 games.
After getting held to 16 points in the first quarter, the Spurs outscored the Clippers 90-62 the rest of the way.
“We started hitting shots,” reserve guard Roger Mason said. “But the thing we wanted to continue to do was play defense, and I think our defense got better as the game went on. … For us it’s about playing Spurs defense, sharing the ball and playing the right way.”
The slow start to the season was primarily due to ankle injuries that kept Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out of 12 and nine games, respectively. San Antonio, though, can’t claim injuries as an excuse for its 90-78 loss in Orlando on Dec. 18.
All three of the Spurs’ top players were healthy for that game, but Tim Duncan was 7-for-17, Parker was 3-for-17 and Ginobili was 4-for-12 as the Magic held the Spurs to a season-low 37.5 percent shooting.
Nelson led Orlando with 24 points and seven assists in that game. He’s averaging 21.2 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 54.1 percent from the field in six career starts against the Spurs, not including a loss last spring in which he played only seven minutes before leaving with a jaw injury.
Notes
Magic:
Orlando's 41 first-quarter points and 71 first-half points were both season highs. ... The Magic outscored the Hawks 20-0 over a seven-minute period covering the end of the first and start of the second quarter. ... G Courtney Lee made his fourth career start and joined five Orlando players in double figures with 11 points. ... C Dwight Howard recorded his NBA-leading 27th double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. ... No player on the Magic logged more than 27 minutes.
Spurs:
Los Angeles made just 4-of-20 shots in the fourth quarter (20 percent), while San Antonio hit nearly 62 percent on 13-of-21 shooting. ... San Antonio scored 13 of its 23 fastbreak points in the fourth quarter. ... The Spurs have won 10 straight games against the Clippers. ... C Tim Duncan's nine assists were a season high.
Team Stat Leaders
Points
Dwight Howard Orl 19.9
Tony Parker SA 20.9
Rebounds
Dwight Howard Orl 13.7
Tim Duncan SA 10.1
Assists
Jameer Nelson Orl 5.1
Tony Parker SA 6.7
Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 29-8 1st Southeast / 2nd East 100.9 93.2 Road 13-5 Won 3 8-2
San Antonio 24-11 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.1 93.2 Home 14-6 Won 4 9-1