EC Semies: [#2] Boston vs. [#3] Orlando

[ralaw]

Yeah, I think its safe to say Van Gundy won't be back next season. However, this is how Orlando plays....they rarely get the ball into Howard and instead rely on Lewis, Turkoglu, Alston (was Nelson), etc to score. Now, IMO Howard isn't the type of bigman you throw the ball into (ala Shaq, Olajuwon, etc) and expect a bucket, but you have to at least make it seem like he's a threat to open up the floor a bit. I don't understand how a team just falls apart like that in the closing minutes.....it just doesn't make any sense. You would think someone would step up and say, "this isn't about to happen!"

 

[red33]

I saw Howard play 1 game in the playoffs and knew dudes game is Fing trash right now. No offense whatsoever like quietstrom has been saying. How are you going to be getting outplayed by Perkins and Big baby?

Yao Ming is the best center in the L still.

 

[QuietStorm]

He shouldn't need one. When Dwight plays motivated, he's one of, if not the most dominant player in the game. He's worked on his jumphook, but saying he needs a jumper to be better than Kendrick Perkins is farfetched. Shaq never developed a jumper, he just worked on being more dominant, and more dominant is what he was.

True.... but everytime he trys to post up, he turns the ball over or misses the shot. He needs to develop a jumper and some more post moves. Right now all he has is a little running hook and thats not even consistent.

 

[Len B]

True.... but everytime he trys to post up, he turns the ball over or misses the shot. He needs to develop a jumper and some more post moves. Right now all he has is a little running hook and thats not even consistent.

Agreed. I'm not scared at all of Dwight Howard right now. If all you can do is score on garbage points then your offensive game is lacking. Now I see why people say he won't be an MVP type player until he learns some moves.

 

[Vinsane]

lol it's funny going through the first two pages of this topic about how the Celtics would get raped because of dwight...

Gortat right now is more feared in the post

I was one, I'm not going to try and deny it. I thought that Dwight would have a hay-day with the Celtics big men. Then I'm watching three pointer, after three pointer. Watching them constantly look past Dwight. I now see what I didn't before, Dwight has the size, he has the skill to get the easy buckets but Orlando doesn't let him get enough touches. Instead Van Gundy is content with tossing up 30 three pointers a game instead of letting Dwight work inside.

 

[QuietStorm]

I was one, I'm not going to try and deny it. I thought that Dwight would have a hay-day with the Celtics big men. Then I'm watching three pointer, after three pointer. Watching them constantly look past Dwight. I now see what I didn't before, Dwight has the size, he has the skill to get the easy buckets but Orlando doesn't let him get enough touches. Instead Van Gundy is content with tossing up 30 three pointers a game instead of letting Dwight work inside.

The thing is that Dwight isnt having any success down low, he continues to miss or turn the ball over. I agree that they shot to many threes and I think they should go to Lewis in the post more. Also they need to get Battie involved in the game early.

 

[Vinsane]

The thing is that Dwight isnt having any success down low, he continues to miss or turn the ball over. I agree that they shot to many threes and I think they should go to Lewis in the post more. Also they need to get Battie involved in the game early.

When Dwight was aggressive and he had Boston's bigs in foul trouble early, it was the best Orlando had looked against Boston. Dwight needs to take Perk/Baby out of the game by doing that same thing that he did in game (4?). To me it seemed like Orlando was content with the early split in Boston, then Big Baby pushes the momentum Boston's way in game four, Orlando should be up 3-2, not down. Alas, they are though and like I said a couple of post ago. I don't think Orlando wins game 6.

 

[.RoCkEtS1]

Boston will lose if their bigs are in foul trouble. That's the deciding factor of this series.

 

[.RoCkEtS1]

Just Dwight's presence on the court is a positive for Orlando. He draws attention to him which can get shooters like Lee and Redick some open looks and Dwight is a monster on the boards. Orlando can win if Dwight doesn't score much as long as Hedo creates instead of Dwight. This Orlando team is a lot more than just Dwight Howard.

 

[JrRawlins]

can Orlando please stop fuckin around and win these next two games.....?

 

[Houston]

:gtfo: Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ston

 

[Chrispy]

Let's go Magic!!!

 

[jags224]

PP choke boy, turk big three at the end

 

[Len B]

So sad. Would be nice to see Boston actually play well for once as a team. They can't seem to get at least three of Pierce/Allen/Davis/Rondo on the same page.

Tonight Pierce/Rondo step up, and Allen/Davis disappear.

 

[Vinsane]

I was wrong, maybe Orlando does have it them?

Things that Orlando did good tonight, got Dwight the ball. Dwight did what he needed to do against the Big Men, getting them in foul trouble early let the Magic play big. Boston was able to counter with their small lineup for sometime blowing by the bigger defenders and it worked for most of the game, however, when Boston got up big this time it was them who was unable to stop the comeback. A 16 point 3rd quarter, a piece? That's either good defense or shoddy offense. Either way the Magic were the ones who benefited as they were able to come back from 10 down.

Into the late fourth quarter? Rashard Lewis came through for the Magic, that coupled with turnovers on Boston's part let the Magic get ahead late. Rondo seemed to be trying to do too much for Boston. While he had two big three pointers it was his inability to score on the drive, he did it a few times but more often than not he was missing the runners. That coupled with his turnovers and Boston's chances to beat the Magic in Orlando inched away and Orlando for the first time this series was able to close the door.

Predicting Game 7 after watching this one? That's hard. Heelsox said it best that it depends more on how Orlando plays than how Boston plays. The Magic have to establish themselves early once again in game 7. They have to do EXACTLY what they did this game. Make Big Baby and Perk a none factor early, keep them in foul trouble and give Dwight the damn ball. Take that with the Lewis/Scal mismatch and you could see the Magic become the fourth team in History to beat Boston in a game 7 in Boston.

 

[Vinsane]

Well, I guess I was right...

Yeah you did, sorry I missed that or I would've mentioned it in my write-up.

 

[kyhadley]

nvm

 

[Vinsane]

So much for a Cleveland/Boston rematch.

Ask Vinsane...according to him, the "east has shifted hands."

All I've simply stated was that it's hard to say the east has "changed hands," when you've got the Celtics playing even better basketball than they were last year.

Has it changed hands yet?

 

[Whatupdoe44]

man I can not be happier

 

[.RoCkEtS1]

At least Orlando won. Although I'm still upset over the Rockets loss.