Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What They're Saying: Sixers vs. Magic Game 5

-So that is Hedo Turkoglu's secret. After struggling in the first three games, Brian Schmitz reports that Turkoglu did not check a pain-numbing shot in his ankle before his breakout Game Four performance.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily wonders why Orlando is electing to go small against the speedy 76ers. Tony Battie has had some very good performances against this 76ers team, but he did not even get into the game Sunday night. Interesting strategy from Stan Van Gundy, cannot argue with the end result but we will see how it works in the long run in Game 5.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel sets the table for Game 5. No doubt, Game 5 is a VERY important game. He also looks for the playoff blueprint that Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway left.

-Philadelphia has all of a sudden transformed into one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league -- at the same time that Orlando has plummeted from beyond the arc. This development has added interesting wrinkles to this series.

-Dwight Howard has been working on his free throws and the results have shown so far in this series. According to Howard, hitting those two free throws late in Game Three was like a dream come true for him and all big men.

-Jeff McMenamin of Philadunkia reviews the changes he saw in Orlando that evened up the series in Game Four. The big difference? The Magic got off the 3-point line and attacked the basket. He, like all 76ers fans, are probably worried that this strategy will leave shooter open beyond the arc.

-Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel reports that it was no coincidence the Magic looked to exploit Thaddeus Young on defense at the end of Game Four. Hedo Turkoglu got the switch to Young on a screen set by Rashard Lewis, enabling him to have the option to drive past the youngster or pull up and hit a 3-pointer.

-Brian of Depressed Fan breaks down Orlando's double-teaming attempts of Andre Iguodala from Game Four. It was effective enough to stymie the 76ers defense, but ultimately led to the game-tying dunk by Samuel Dalembert. Who will win this tug of war in Game Five?

-John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if people in Philadelphia know who this 76ers team is? God knows, the people following the team all season have not been able to figure it out. But one thing is for sure, they have found their identity in this postseason.

-Bernard Fernandez of the Philadelphia Daily News fishes for some controversy in this already highly contested series.

-Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer also wonders aloud about Stan Van Gundy's decision to go after Thaddeus Young at the end of Game Four and whether it is a slight to the second-year player.

-David Thorpe of Scouts, Inc. breaks down the adjustments and X-factors for tonight's Game Five. Like most of the games this series, he calls for a Magic victory.

-Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (Insider only) comments on the 3-point shooting oddity of this series.

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