Orlando
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Magic pushed their winning streak to three games and settled themselves atop the Southeast division again by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 96-91on Saturday. Grant Hill led all scorers with 23 points but also had a very balanced stat line: seven assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block. In fact, the Magic had ten total blocks as every starter plus two subs got at least one block except for Steve Francis, who made up for it with a game-high five steals.
It was a tough, gritty game as snarls and scowls abounded. Even goodie-two-shoes Grant Hill, whom Shaq labeled as a nice guy and a softie suburbanite in his bookShaq Talks Back, did a little talking back of his own to earn himself a technical foul a few minutes into the second half.
General Manager John Weisbrod wanted a bunch of toughs out there on the parquet and he got it. These Magic players don't back down from anyone or anything. Elbows, curse words, nothing.
Now it's time to take the tough-guy image to the left coast. It all starts tonight.
NEXT GAME
The Magic (11-5, first in the Southeast) put everything on the line on a six-game, nine-day Western Conference road trip starting TONIGHT as they visit the Denver Nuggets (9-7, third in the Northwest). The game starts at 9:00pm Eastern. It will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA League Pass. Tickets are still available at the Pepsi Center.
TEAM NOTES
Eastern Conference Coach of the Month: Magic Head Coach Johnny Davis led the Magic to an 8-5 record during November, the fourth-best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference.
How will the Magic do out West? The poll at nba.com/magic has virtually no responses except me, your intrepid reporter, who has personally brought the vote tally to 100% in favor of a strong showing.
INJURY UPDATE
Pat Garrity(foot),Michael Bradley(hamstring), andAndrew DeClercq(knee) are all on the injured list.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: Assembling the parts perhaps faster than expected, the Orlando Magic take their workshop out West tonight to start their longest road trip in three years.It's a chance to take yet another look through the keyhole at what they might be building. And rebuilding. After finishing with the league's worst record last season, the Magic stunningly sit atop the Eastern Conference at 11-5.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: Tony Battie was thrown out for throwing an elbow. Rookie Dwight Howard uttered something close to a curse word. Mario Kasun and his tattoos had to separated by a ref from a glaring opponent. Even Grant Hill asked for (and received) a technical foul -- one of three player techs called on the home team. What was this? Could it be that the newest wrinkle the Orlando Magic are adding is a snarl?Saddled with the reputation as a soft, amiable, let's-do-lunch bunch the past few seasons, the Magic showed every sign of becoming tough guys in a 96-91 victory Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Dick Scanlon ofThe Ledgerwrites: Now comes the real test for the Orlando Magic, who have quietly gone from worst to first in the Eastern Conference.Tonight in Denver they open a six-game, 10-day road trip that will test the legitimacy of their surprising 11-5 record.