DeadlyDynasty
01-12-2012, 12:35 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/01/live_chat_portland_trail_blazers_vs_orlando_magic. html
After the Trail Blazers beat the Clippers on Tuesday night, point guard Raymond Felton insisted that Portland would not "lay an egg" against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night as they did last week in Phoenix one night after beating the Lakers.
For the better part of the game, Felton couldn't have been more wrong as the Magic rained threes and drove for easy layups on the way to a 23-point second-half lead.
But by the end of the game, Felton was right, as the Blazers mounted a furious comeback, only to fall just short and lose to the Magic 107-104 at the Rose Garden.
It was the Blazers' first home loss of the season, and Portland fell to 7-3 overall. The Blazers next face the Spurs on Friday as they begin a six-game road trip.
Jamal Crawford led the Blazers with 24 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 in the losing effort.
Orlando made 16 three-pointers on the night, one shy of the record by a Blazers opponent, and 11 of them came in the first half, when the Magic were red-hot from everywhere. They cooled off a bit in the second half but still managed 58 percent shooting overall and 59 percent from three-point range.
The Magic opened the game with four layups to go up 8-0, and it didn't get much better from there for the home team in the first half at the Rose Garden on Wednesday.
Despite Felton's prediction, the Blazers repeatedly gave up layups and wide-open three-pointers in the first half, at one point finding themselves down 20 points.
Orlando drained 11 threes in the first half, one shy of the record of 12 made threes in a half by a Blazers opponent.
Portland finally showed some fire late in the second quarter and closed the gap to 12 at halftime, at 62-50. But Orlando opened up a 23-point advantage in the third quarter before the Blazers closed the gap with their rally.
After the Trail Blazers beat the Clippers on Tuesday night, point guard Raymond Felton insisted that Portland would not "lay an egg" against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night as they did last week in Phoenix one night after beating the Lakers.
For the better part of the game, Felton couldn't have been more wrong as the Magic rained threes and drove for easy layups on the way to a 23-point second-half lead.
But by the end of the game, Felton was right, as the Blazers mounted a furious comeback, only to fall just short and lose to the Magic 107-104 at the Rose Garden.
It was the Blazers' first home loss of the season, and Portland fell to 7-3 overall. The Blazers next face the Spurs on Friday as they begin a six-game road trip.
Jamal Crawford led the Blazers with 24 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 in the losing effort.
Orlando made 16 three-pointers on the night, one shy of the record by a Blazers opponent, and 11 of them came in the first half, when the Magic were red-hot from everywhere. They cooled off a bit in the second half but still managed 58 percent shooting overall and 59 percent from three-point range.
The Magic opened the game with four layups to go up 8-0, and it didn't get much better from there for the home team in the first half at the Rose Garden on Wednesday.
Despite Felton's prediction, the Blazers repeatedly gave up layups and wide-open three-pointers in the first half, at one point finding themselves down 20 points.
Orlando drained 11 threes in the first half, one shy of the record of 12 made threes in a half by a Blazers opponent.
Portland finally showed some fire late in the second quarter and closed the gap to 12 at halftime, at 62-50. But Orlando opened up a 23-point advantage in the third quarter before the Blazers closed the gap with their rally.