The offensive juggernaut known as the Orlando Magic rolled into Toronto minus three starters. The 3-pointers were falling and even Dwight Howard was making his free throws.
The defense? Still stuck in customs.
The Magic have certainly proved that they are an incredibly deep, offensive team, topping the Raptors 125-116 with Vince Carter out with an ankle injury and Mickael Pietrus on a plane back to Orlando with flu-like symptoms and a high fever. But the defense continued to be a source of concern as the Magic improved to 3-0.
A win is a win and you can take that for whatever it's worth. And the Magic did still manage to outscore the Raptors with Carter and Pietrus not in uniform and only nine guys available. But Toronto is not exactly known for its defensive prowess.
Orlando jumped out early, gaining a 22-point lead at one point in the second quarter. JJ Redick and Ryan Anderson were letting the 3-pointers fly and everything seemed to be rolling, even as Toronto shot nearly 60 percent in the first half.
The Raptors closed to within 11 by the end of the first half and kept the game within striking range for much of the contest. They never could close much closer than six, but the threat of Toronto loomed large throughout.
The team is much-improved on offense because of the addition of Hedo Turkoglu (19 points), but moreso because of the improvement of Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani torched the Magic with 26 points on four-of-five 3-point shooting. Bargnani was having a field day working switched between Howard and Anderson or the slow rotation to the top of the key of either Anderson or Brandon Bass.
Orlando really had no answer for any pick and roll involving him as the team just hoped he would cool down.
Fortunately for the Magic, the Raptors had no answer for them on the defensive end. Jameer Nelson played like an All Star, leading the team with 30 points and five assists. He hit a bunch of big shots with the Raptors closing in and had the ball in his hands late in the game with the decision still up in the air. Nelson attacked the hoop tenaciously and had his first really good game of the year.
No talk of the offense would be complete without mention sir Jeremy Clay Redick. JJ had 27 points and hit five of his eight 3-point attempts to help Orlando build its lead in the first half and maintain it throughout the second. He did a good job with shot fakes and drawing fouls (six of seven from the line on the day) and even attacked the basket.
This was a breakout performance for Redick and by far his best in a Magic uniform. He outplayed Matt Barnes throughout the night and even made some big steals late.
To be fair, Barnes is still the better defender and his size was more of a nuisance to Turkoglu than Redick was. Barnes also had six steal to go along with 12 points and nine rebounds. He did a good job poking at the ball and got his hands dirty on defense to come up with a few nice steals.
But the defense is still bothersome and makes this win bittersweet. As I explained to a friend, Orlando did score 125 points, but what happens when Boston holds the team to 93. Can the Magic hold the Celtics to 92?
At this point the answer is no.
It just looks like the team is not on the same page defensively yet. At least not for a full game. There were a lot of unusual combinations out on the floor tonight, but it looked like everyone was playing a little too overagressive -- especially Howard showing on the pick and roll. Rotations were late and players were left open for threes or given pretty open lanes to attack the basket.
Howard was not quite the deterrant he usually was as he was often pulled away from the basket to defend Chris Bosh or Bargnani. Howard was also clearly frustrated with the Raptors' physical play on him throughout the contest. He finished with a struggling 24 points, but only on five of 13 shooting. Luckily he hit on 14 of his 16 free throw attempts. No clue where the Magic would have been without that performance.
Bosh took advantage of Howard's frustrations and Toronto's versatility with 35 points.
Toronto is certainly a pesky team for Orlando and it always has been in the Bosh era. Bosh gives the Magic a lot of matchup problems and the lack of depth from missing Carter and Pietrus definitely hurt as Orlando tried to hang onto the lead.
The defense is still very concerning, but a win is a win at this point of hte season and there is plenty of time to get everything on the right page. The offense is clicking and that is enough to keep Orlando more than afloat at this point.
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