76ers vs. Magic Preview
ORLANDO, FL (AP) – It’s not unusual for Stan Van Gundy to vent his frustrations about his team, and the coach had plenty after watching the Orlando Magic close a four-game road trip with another ugly loss.
It’s considerably less common to hear the same critical words from Dwight Howard.
The four-time All-Star joined Van Gundy in taking the Magic to task for their defensive effort after the team’s fifth loss in six games, a trend they’ll look to change as they return home Saturday night looking for a ninth straight win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Magic -9.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against the 76ers. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 89% of more than 328 bets for this game have been placed on the Magic -9.5.
Orlando (16-9) had its six-game winning streak snapped Dec. 4 in Milwaukee, but that loss didn’t turn out to be a blip in the radar. The Magic lost 80-74 at home to Atlanta two nights later, then dropped three of four during a Western road trip.
Each loss came by double figures, the worst of which was Tuesday’s finale in Denver. The Nuggets outscored Orlando 32-16 in the fourth quarter, turning a one-point deficit after 36 minutes into a 111-94 rout.
For the trip, the Magic allowed 102.5 points per game – 11.7 more than they’d been letting up before hitting the road.
“It was lack of effort, lack of toughness, lack of any desire to defend anybody,” Van Gundy said. “I thought all four games in the trip were the exact same. … If that doesn’t change then we’re going to be a very bad basketball team.'”
The two-time defensive player of the year agreed.
“We just have to play D, and that means everybody,” Howard said. “We have to do a better job of not allowing anyone to get to the rim every play. It is time for the big guys to help out in the lane, but it is very tough when after one dribble they get to lane and I am on the other side.
“I can’t fly over there. I don’t have a cape in real life.”
Howard hasn’t needed to do his best Superman impersonation against the 76ers (10-16) recently thanks to his team’s offensive explosiveness. The Magic averaged 120.0 points while shooting 56.6 percent during four victories over Philadelphia last season that pushed their winning streak in the series to eight.
Six Orlando players averaged in double figures last season against the Sixers, led by Howard’s 18.3 points per game.
Philadelphia won five of six during a home-heavy stretch to kick off December, but its last game of 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center rang a sour note heading into a season-high eight-game road trip. The 76ers led the Lakers by four at the end of three quarters, but were then outscored 35-19 en route to a 93-81 loss.
That wasn’t enough to discourage coach Doug Collins, who was happy to see his team limit Los Angeles to 41.8 percent shooting.
“I told our guys I was incredibly proud of them,” he said. “We played a terrific defensive game against one of the best offensive teams in the league.”
Only once since the 1989-90 season has Philadelphia played eight straight on the road, but there’s an arguably worse element involved than just the length of the trip. The Sixers’ opponents are a combined 125-77.
One positive development for Philadelphia is the improvement of Spencer Hawes. The center, acquired from Sacramento in July, has averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in his last three games.
Howard, however, averaged 26.3 points and 14.2 boards in six games while Hawes was with the Kings.
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