11/05/24
May 29, 2010
Orlando Magic lose, Boston moves on to NBA Finals: Orlando had geared up for a return to the title round, acquiring Vince Carter and 4 other players last summer. But after another 59-win season and 2 playoff series sweeps, they never recovered from stunning home losses to the Celtics in Games 1 and 2. Carter's homecoming did not go as planned. Unlike Paul Pierce, he was never a force in the series, the eight-time all-star looking ordinary at times. He scored just four of his 17 points in the second half and limped off the floor with about three minutes left, with the Magic trailing 92-76.
posted by tommytrump to basketball at 11:51 AM - 5 comments
David Stern must have been embarrassed by the Game 5 debacle, since the refereeing in Game 6 was much more even handed. When the players are allowed to play - within the rules, I might add - the players, and not the officials will decide the outcome. There's one thing about "the old guys" that many seem not to understand. They play basic team defense, and they have personnel who were able to play one-on-one against Orlando. This meant that Magic shooters were not being left wide open but were forced to hurry. This carried over so that even when they were wide open, they often hurried their shots. When Orlando missed their shots, it allowed Boston to run their transition offense, which led to easier shot attempts.
I'll admit I was biting my nails a bit, but when Nate Robinson played so effectively, things looked a lot brighter.
posted by Howard_T at 02:01 PM on May 29, 2010
[Carter] scored just four of his 17 points in the second half and limped off the floor with about three minutes left, with the Magic trailing 92-76.
Ah, yes. That's the Vince Carter I remember from the Raptors. Things aren't going well? Time to get "injured" and leave the game.
posted by grum@work at 03:47 PM on May 29, 2010
For those of us who are fans of New England athletics, the Celtics have been a very pleasant surprise during the playoffs.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:13 AM on May 30, 2010
It'd be interesting to know more about the refs in Game 6 versus Game 5, given Tim Donaghy's take.
posted by yerfatma at 07:40 PM on May 30, 2010
Looks like the oldguys still can dish it out!!!