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Magic vs. Suns Game Thread; 3/26, 7:00 PM, TD Waterhouse Centre
Topic Started: Mar 26 2005, 05:35 PM (775 Views)
MagicMadness
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Orlando Magic vs. Phoenix Suns

Posted Image vs. Posted Image

What: Regular Season Game #66
Where: TD Waterhouse Centre
When: March 26, 7:00 PM
Broadcast: TV -- SunSports, Radio -- 580 AM (WDBO)


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The Orlando Magic hope Steve Francis will give their fading playoff hopes a boost when they host one of the league's best teams, the Phoenix Suns.
Francis will be returning after serving a three-game league suspension for kicking a courtside photographer during Orlando's 98-90 loss in Seattle on March 18.

The 6-foot-3 point guard is averaging team highs of 21.4 points and 6.9 assists for the Magic, who have lost nine of their last 10 to drop into ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando trails Philadelphia by two games for the final playoff spot with 14 left.

Grant Hill scored 28 points and rookie Dwight Howard had 14 and 15 rebounds on Thursday as the Magic opened a five-game homestand with a 108-94 loss to expansion Charlotte.

Jameer Nelson had his first career double-double with 18 points and 13 assists for Orlando, which lost its third straight at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

``We need some leadership both from the coaching staff and our veterans to say 'Hey, listen, we still have a lot of games left,''' said Orlando interim coach Chris Jent, who fell to 1-3 since taking over for Johnny Davis on March 17. ``People are writing us off, but stranger things have happened. We have to not feel sorry for ourselves but go out there and play a game we love.''

Jent hopes Francis can spark the Magic against the high-scoring, fast-paced Suns.

``We hope that we can feed off of Steve's energy,'' Jent said. ``He'll be fresh and ready to go and hopefully he can be that extra boost that we need.''

Phoenix had its nine-game road winning streak snapped with a 125-115 loss at Miami on Friday. Quentin Richardson led Phoenix with 26 points, Amare Stoudemire added 25 and Steve Nash had 19 and 14 assists as the Suns lost for just the third time in their last 11 games.

``We didn't get enough stops,'' Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. ``I thought we scored enough probably to be in the game but we didn't stop.''

Phoenix entered the game leading the league in scoring with 110.3 points per game, and was second in the league from the floor, shooting 47.9 percent. However, the Suns wilted early against the Heat, missing 10 of their first 11 shots.

Phoenix, which is a league-best 28-8 on the road this season, leads the all-time series with Orlando 20-11, including a 9-6 mark on the road.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2005032619
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plasticman
Sixth Man
This is going to determine how much heart and soul this Magic team has.....the time for Francis to pull his head out and play like a captain is now...if he plays well=Magic win, if he turns it over and plays one-on-five=we lose....

Look for Stevenson to continue his hot scoring as of late, but look for Augmon to get some quality minutes guarding Richardson, Johnson and Marion....Nelson will get good mins and Hill and Howard need to outscore the Suns frontcourt.....if Cato doesnt step up today, bench him....
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TheFalcon
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Air Gortat
hmmm... this is a tough game to call. common sense would say that the magic would lose, but it seems as if every time i make such an assumption, they prove me wrong (ex. common sense would say we wouldnt get beat by the bobcats, not once, or twice, but three times this year). I think theyll give it a good effort, but we dont have the firepower, especially without hedo, to keep up with the suns, nor does it matter as our playoff hopes slip farther and farther away.

This is somewhat unrelated, but I think we are seeing the difference between allen iverson and francis as this season comes to a close. Iverson has decided that his team is going to the playoffs and is putting them on his shoulders and carrying them there with huge performances night in night out. Francis, however, is kicking cameramen. He knows that this would result in a suspension, but apparently didnt care. His temper is getting him in trouble, and is beginning to wear on the team. Heck, Pat Garrity got a technical. Are you kidding me? Try an tell me his poor attitude isnt wearing off on the team and I will laugh in your face. I have never seen a team get more unneccesary technical fouls. Its ridiculous. With that said, I anxiously await the day when Dwight Howard is the leader of the team. We need a level-headed guy to guide this team, not someone with a firecracker shoved up his...ya know.

Anyways, lots of rambling, hopin for a good game tonight.

Go Magic.
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gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
Our chances of winning this game is slim. The key would be Francis' game.

If he plays well, not dominate the offensive sets, we should be OK.

Go Magic!
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gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
We're playing well so far. Now if only they can keep it up for 48 mins.

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gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
Man, Francis is 1-8 from the field. He shooting is still off.


----

1-11 at the end of the half.
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
what the hell is wrong w/ francis...i think he forgot how to play
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gomagic33
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Mr. Anderson
Francis better start selecting his shots and concetrate on distributing the ball. I know it's not his game, but he is stinking it up out there.
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
is jameer the only guy thats smart enough to take the ball to the hole???!!...watching grant and steve dribble around and settle for jump shots is making me sick ...especially steve he is doing it way too much atleast grant is attempting to go to the hole on some plays
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TheGreatOne
NBA Analyst
Nice way to end the 3rd quarter with the buzzer beater. Nelson missed the floater but Francis with the putback.
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
watching francis play makes me sick...who the hell fires a no look bullet pass right into the stands!!!! god he really pisses me off, and cato's lack of awareness near the basket is like wtf!!!!...u kno it would be funny if johnny davis was still coaching cause magiclive said he was going to this game and it would be funny as hell if he threw his drink at JD and he goes into the stands after him :lol:
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Magic333
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McGrady and Howard... What could have been
Come one Jameer can you win the game for us. he was scoring in the first half........ Killing the suns with his Jumpshots

And another thing...... is our team becoming a halfcourt team :/ I dont understand now if we are a fast break team.........

Just makes me angry that we are losing some much game in the last part of the season.

But At least we kept up with the suns...... Since they are a very good western conference.........
We have one a moral victory in this one......... :blush:
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
moral victories won't get us in the playoffs...wtf is up w/ our 3 point shooting, its non existent...i'm not even gonna say anything cause this team just really pisses me off
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HedoGS
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Rookie
of course, 3-point shooting's gonna be non-exsistent if: trade mobley, hedo's out, and the only one on ur team who crops a three is a rookie
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
not to mention he isn't very good at it either
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