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12/06/2008 0:50am
Magic silences the Thunder
ORLANDO, Fla. - The confetti, triggered to be released after victories, rained from the rafters.
The problem was that there was still one minute, 48 seconds left in the game, and the Orlando Magic had yet to dispatch the NBA's worst team.
"That was a little early," Coach Stan Van Gundy huffed, noting the blue-and-silver steamers that had fallen around him. "Especially the way we played."
The Magic (15-5) avoided an embarrassing premature celebration, defeating the Thunder, 98-89, on Friday night at Amway Arena.
"We didn't put much into the game, quite honestly," Van Gundy said.
Hardly inspired by the 2-18 Thunder, the Magic did just enough to get by.
They played carelessly (17 turnovers), surrendered 54 points in the paint and held just a four-point lead until pulling away late in the final quarter.
Bless the 3-point shot. It often acts like a room freshener for the Magic, and it concealed some nose-pinching aromas.
The Magic made 13 of 27 3s (48.1 percent), including seven timely ones to blunt Thunder uprisings in the fourth.
"Dwight Howard allows that to happen," interim Thunder Coach Scott Brooks observed.
Indeed, Howard softened the Thunder with body blows early, drawing double-teams and setting up the long-range shots in the end. He finished with 21 points, grabbed 23 of the Magic's 45 rebounds and added six blocks.
"You have to pick the play, and take it out of (Howard's) hands," said Brooks, who replaced the fired P.J. Carlesimo. "You have to give up something."
The Thunder gave up 3s. The Magic made 4 of 7 in the third and 6 of 9 in the fourth. The inside-out plan is Orlando's strategy to contention, especially with the arrival of forward Rashard Lewis last season.
But it wasn't Lewis (11 points) who burned Oklahoma City from long range as he missed 6 of 7 during a chilly 5 of 15 night. It was the two guys coming back from injury who were hot, making 6 of 9 3s.
Point guard Jameer Nelson, who missed five games with a strained hip flexor, made all three of his attempts. Reserve shooting guard Keith Bogans played for the first time since Nov. 24, a span of six games, and hit 3 of 6.
Oklahoma City drew to within four at 81-77 with 7:31 left only to see Bogans bury a 3-pointer.
"The 3s can help you, but it's a trap," shooting guard J.J. Redick said. "We don't want to rely on threes. You have to rely on energy and defense."
Redick finally found the range with eight points on 3 of 5 shooting, and Nelson was 6 of 10. Hedo Turkoglu (13 points) was 5 of 17 and Howard 7 of 17. The bench scored 30 points and hit 12 of 20 shots.
Nelson's return brought order to the rotation, sending Anthony Johnson (seven points, five assists) back to his bench role. Nelson had five of his seven assists in the fourth, and added four steals.
"It felt good to see Mighty Mouse back," Howard said of the 5-10 Nelson.
Howard recorded 10 rebounds and 12 points in the first quarter, on pace for a Chamberlain-esque sort of night. The Thunder's only recourse was to foul, banking on his 57 percent average at the line. (Howard, incredibly, shot 13 of the team's 16 free throws, making just 7.)
It looked as if it would be an easy night, but then the Magic got out of whack. Lewis finished with five turnovers, Turkoglu three and Howard three.
"They just can't play like that and have us win very many nights," Van Gundy said. "We had to do a lot of shooting to overcome that."
The Magic were ahead by eight when the post-game confetti fell. Somebody accidentally hit a remote-control button. Luckily, Howard could smile later. "I thought, 'The game's not over,' " said Howard, who turns 23 on Monday in L.A., where the Magic start a five-game West trip against the Clippers.
"I thought they were celebrating by birthday."
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(c) 2008, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.). Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
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