Eastern Conference Semifinals: Pistons vs. Magic, Game Two
by Ben Q Rock
on May 5, 2008 5:30 AM EDT
in 2007/2008 Previews
Orlando @ Detroit
| Eastern Conference Semifinals | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
@ |  |
| Pistons Lead Series, 1-0 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills | ||
| 7:00 PM | ||
| TNT | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Jameer Nelson | PG | Chauncey Billups |
| Maurice Evans | SG | Richard Hamilton |
| Hedo Turkoglu | SF | Tayshaun Prince |
| Rashard Lewis | PF | Jason Maxiell |
| Dwight Howard | C | Rasheed Wallace |
| Series Central | ||
If a playoff series doesn't really start until a home team loses a game, then I hope this Eastern Conference Semifinals series gets rolling tonight. The Magic got their hats handed to them in Game One, shooting 33% from the field in the second half en route to a 19-point defeat.
After the game, Matt Watson (and other members of the media) saw Rasheed Wallace and Dwight Howard engage in what he called "one of those handshake/man-hug/chest-bump thing that guys do." Wallace later explained to reporters that he gave Dwight some advice. Whatever it was, Dwight needed it: we stand no chance of winning this series if he continues to go for 12 points and 8 boards, as he did in Game One. Like I told Ryan in a HoopsAddict podcast (give it a listen), Dwight is our X-Factor in this series. He has to make the Pistons pay for single-covering him.
The game tonight is nationally televised on TNT, but it's still a 7:00 PM start. Post your pre-, in-, and post-game comments here.
Go Magic.
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Wow. Either none of the Magic fans here believe in our guys or we’ve got Pistons fans who’ve decided to spam the poll. I really hope it’s the latter.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 10:30 AM EDT 0 recs
Wow
Detroit has gotten in the fan’s heads as well it seems. I say Magic win a close one, a la a Turk bucket!
'Coach, Dwight is a nice guy. Dwight don't hit anybody. But Superman will knock the crap out of you.' - D12
by Eyriq the Red on
May 5, 2008 12:07 PM EDT
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The 1st game really was a fluke. You can’t put Maxiell alone on Dwight and not get punished. They are going to shoot better then 50% from the charity stripe. Thy are not going to run out of bounds on 2 consecutive plays again. This will be a different team.
The second half of that game was the worst I’ve seen them play all season. Tonight they are going to push the tempo and make their open 3’s. Magic win by single digits.
by magic fanatic on May 5, 2008 12:17 PM EDT 0 recs
Tonight's game
I believe the Magic will play a much better game than on Saturday… they can’t do any worse, can they? That being said, the Pistons are on a roll, having won four games in a row, each by a decisive margin. It will take almost a perfect game by the Magic to win in Auburn Hills tonight.
I voted for the Pistons in a close game… I hope the Magic can prove me wrong!
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 3:01 PM EDT 0 recs
Heeeeeeeey! Now I remember...
...why I can’t stand the Pistons!
’’There’s no sense in guys coming to my rescue,’’ Ratliff said Sunday. ’’I mean, that was Rashard Lewis . He’s a 3 man.’’What Ratliff said was relayed to Lewis and the small forward fired back.
’’You can have a lot of energy in five minutes a game,’’ Lewis said. ’’What’s he played? 15 games? Tell him to come out and guard me.’’
ROFL
‘He’s has a very strong upper body,’’ Maxiell said. ’’But if you get down low and take his legs out, he’s not that powerful.’‘Howard bristled at the suggestion that his lower body is weak.
’’That’s not true,’’ Howard said. ’’Trust me.’‘
Men. You’re all the same ;D
Like Howard, Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson took exception with Ratliff’s assessment. ’’Who? Who?’’ Nelson asked mockingly when Ratliff’s comments were repeated by reporters. ’’I’m getting sick and tired of people calling us soft.’‘
HAHAHA. Please kick their asses, guys. PLEASE.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 3:28 PM EDT 0 recs
And already Rashard’s three-point shooting is dead on arrival.
And four turnovers in 5 minutes. Come on, guys… You’re so much better than this. Than them!
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 7:20 PM EDT 0 recs
At the end of one quarter
We look pretty good so far, with 29 points on 17 shot attempts. If only we hadn’t committed those 5 turnovers. The Pistons haven’t committed any, and that’s the reason we aren’t winning.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:33 PM EDT 0 recs
That's odd:
The only two Magic players to get DNP-CDs in Game One (Foyle and Arroyo) are in to start the second quarter. Hmmmmm.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:36 PM EDT 0 recs
Van Gundy must be experimenting. I don’t know if this is the time. I guess he wants more shooting options out there? I dunno…
Also, I think Detroit has had one turnover. But still. Five.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 7:39 PM EDT
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Not a great move. Pistons start the quarter on a 9-2 run. Carlos Arroyo cannot stay in front of Rodney Stuckey, and Adonal Foyle is simply too much of an offensive liability. It’s not even that he has stone hands (which he does) but moreso that he doesn’t know when he’s open. Turk got him the ball and all he had to do was hook it in. But he wasn’t ready for it, fumbled it, recovered it, and missed the shot. Badly.
Maybe Stan should have stuck with Marcin Gortat.
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 7:42 PM EDT
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Yeah, he called a time-out pretty quickly, but not fast enough. I don’t know if I could watch this whole game without my head exploding.
Oh sweet lord, when did their lead balloon like that?! Oh Godddddddddddddddd D:
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 7:46 PM EDT
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Yet another timeout
A Tayshaun Prince dunk and an Arron Afflalo jumper gives the Pistons a game-high 11-point lead and causes Stan to call timeout less than a minute after he called this last one.
You’d think we’d know how to bust a zone defense by now.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:45 PM EDT 0 recs
Magic assist/turnover ratio...
is awful! 4 assists to 7 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Pistons have a superior 11/2 assist/turnover ratio
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 7:45 PM EDT 0 recs
What is it about the Pistons that just cause the Magic to play like Amateur Night? I just don’t understand what the hell is going on with them.
I need ice cream again. I’m gonna look like Jabba the Hut by the end of this series.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 7:47 PM EDT 0 recs
This is awful
5 minutes into the second quarter, and we have 2 points. 0-of-4 shooting, 4 turnovers. That’s it.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:48 PM EDT 0 recs
It’s shades of what happened during the 3rd quarter last game.
Now I know how my dad felt every time he watched a Dolphin game this year.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 7:49 PM EDT
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Maxiell gets his second personal
Good for him to leave the game. He leads the Pistons in individual plus/minus for this game.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:50 PM EDT 0 recs
Finally!
A field goal for the Magic on a Jameer Nelson three.
Doesn’t matter. Still trail by 14.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 7:50 PM EDT 0 recs
Dwight and Rashard
They have 4 of the 10 turnovers EACH!! WTF.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 7:51 PM EDT 0 recs
Also
Rashard is 1 of 7 from the field.
AWESOME.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 7:52 PM EDT
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Yeah
Dwight’s don’t surprise me. His hand hurts and he’s having trouble hanging onto the ball. It’s Lewis who’s killing us. That’s a ton of turnovers for anyone, but especially for him. He’s throwing awful entry passes.
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 7:53 PM EDT
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I hate to say it, but I agree. He’s having an awful night and is not helping at all. I get the feeling his +/- is gonna be about – 1 trillion.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 7:56 PM EDT
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Pistons shooting...
They’re shooting nearly 62% for the game so far.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 7:54 PM EDT 0 recs
Wallace and Prince...
are killing us with the 24 combined points.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 7:56 PM EDT 0 recs
We don’t have anyone who can guard them, apparently.
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 7:57 PM EDT
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Any ideas how to slow them in the second half?
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 7:58 PM EDT 0 recs
Force more turnovers, like Evans did just there with that great steal on Prince. They also have to keep the Pistons off the offensive glass.
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 8:02 PM EDT
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I'm no optimist
But look at it this way: we all went into the second half of game 1 optimistic b/c we were holding our own against them, our 3 point shooting was nonexistent, and yet we were only down by 1 point. Then our hopes and dreams were brutally crushed in the 3rd quarter when we proceeded to curl up in a ball and die.
Whereas now we’re going into halftime depressed and demoralized. NOW’S THE TIME TO STEP IT UP, MAGIC. Go with HP’s advice and slowing take over the lead. Creep up on them. The Pistons are old, they won’t hear you coming. The BAM! Strike when the time is right and take the game!
Please?
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:02 PM EDT 0 recs
Dang it, Rashard
Lewis is 1-of-7 (or is it 8?) now, but his shots haven’t missed by much. His threes just rattle in and out. What will it take to get them to stick??!
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:03 PM EDT 0 recs
Superglue
He’s 1 of 10 if you included 3 pointers. 1 of 7 from the field.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 8:04 PM EDT
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We all know that the Magic aren’t too good in coming back from second half deficits; the guys are gonna have to really step it up to have a chance.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:05 PM EDT 0 recs
Hedo
Has THREE personal fouls. WTF. Interesting how he was making some great offensive moves there in the first and then suddenly the refs start calling him for everything. Funny how that happens. /bitter
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:06 PM EDT 0 recs
Stat of the Night (so far)
Jameer Nelson leads the Magic with 5 rebounds.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:07 PM EDT 0 recs
I noticed that
I think at one point he also lost a rebound because he and Dwight were fighting to get a defensive one.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 8:08 PM EDT
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Correction
Sorry, he ALMOST lost a rebound, but he didn’t. It slipped out of his hands and headed towards the bench before he gained control.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 8:09 PM EDT
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An awful second quarter...
Magic were outscored by the Pistons 21-11, and shot a horrific 2 of 12 from the field.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:08 PM EDT 0 recs
Detroit plays good defense
Magic, second quarter tonight: 55.0 offensive rating (11 points on 20 possessions)
Magic, regular season: 111.3 offensive rating
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 8:14 PM EDT
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I kid because I love
I hate the Pistons with a passion of a thousand fiery suns.
Also, Rashard?
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:13 PM EDT 1 recs
Ouch
He had better come out banging because this can not stand.
'Coach, Dwight is a nice guy. Dwight don't hit anybody. But Superman will knock the crap out of you.' - D12
by Eyriq the Red on
May 5, 2008 8:15 PM EDT
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First half stats...
Magic shot just 13 of 29 from the field (44.8%) and 3 of 10 on threes. Pistons shot 21 of 40 (52.5%), 0 for 4 on threes. Pistons had a 13/5 AST/TO ratio while the Magic were a pitiful 5/11. Pistons also outrebounded the Magic 19 to 15. Magic are 11 of 15 shooting free throws, and the Pistons are 8 of 9.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:14 PM EDT 0 recs
Well
That was depressing. How do we turn it over so much and still only be down by 10? Good defense I think. Maybe they can make a game of this yet…
'Coach, Dwight is a nice guy. Dwight don't hit anybody. But Superman will knock the crap out of you.' - D12
by Eyriq the Red on May 5, 2008 8:14 PM EDT 0 recs
Maybe the Magic’s game plan in the first half was to give the Pistons a false sense of security, so now the Magic will be ready to pounce in the second half (gotta have some hope).
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:17 PM EDT 0 recs
Dwight has 4 shot attempts
And he’s made 3 of them. Now, they’ve tried to get him the ball, which is what they should do, but he keeps bobbling the ball away (and Lewis/Nelson keep throwing crappy entry passes.)
Maybe Hedo can get his driving game going, but it won’t be easy against the Pistons’ zone. We are in a tight spot, indeed
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:20 PM EDT 0 recs
I always try to find a silver lining in a dark cloud Ben LOL
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:20 PM EDT 0 recs
That old joke
“Well, apart from that, how was the play, Ms. Lincoln?”
by Ben Q Rock on
May 5, 2008 8:21 PM EDT
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We've got to stay positive!!
Have some inspiration. And funny photos:
I do!!
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:22 PM EDT 0 recs
Hedo only has 2 first half assists… I’d like to see him pass the ball more.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:27 PM EDT 0 recs
This is the best segment I've ever seen
Mike Fratello doing his Dwight Howard impression as Maxiell defends. If only Marv Albert were calling this game.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:28 PM EDT 0 recs
Jameer’a our leading scorer now with 14 with that three… maybe that’s a good sign.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:31 PM EDT 0 recs
Good news?
Wallance and McDyess have 3 fouls each.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:31 PM EDT 0 recs
THIS is more like it
Taking what the defense gives us. Not forcing the issue (except for that dumb Dwight turnover, which Lewis’ good transition defense negated).
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:32 PM EDT 0 recs
Our turnover/assist ratio is still blowing my mind.
Damn. Hedo has 3 fouls now too.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:33 PM EDT 0 recs
*facepalm*
There’s something wrong with my brain. I just said about 20 comments ago that Hedo had 3 fouls.
This series is gonna be the death of me.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 8:36 PM EDT
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Pistons have been called for 13 fouls, and the Magic 8 fouls.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:33 PM EDT 0 recs
That’s the way to hustle… great offensive rebound by Evans.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:36 PM EDT 0 recs
Within 3!!! Our assist/turnover ratio’s improved slightly: 8/12.
But Detroit’s is still 14/5.
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:38 PM EDT 0 recs
COME ON, RASHARD. I KNEW THAT FAILBOAT MACRO WOULD PISS YA OFF!
/caps
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:40 PM EDT 0 recs
Great defense by Dwight, and a good no-call by the refs.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:40 PM EDT 0 recs
Hey, Pistons
MAGIC BASKETBALL GOIN’ BACK DOWN THE FLOOR!!!
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:40 PM EDT 0 recs
So far in the playoffs…. as Nelson goes, so go the Magic!
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Sloppy play, Turk
But he had the right idea. Keep running. There was nobody in front of him.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:42 PM EDT 0 recs
7-of-7 from downtown in the quarter
Evans with the triple this time
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:42 PM EDT 0 recs
Geez,,, Arroyo comes in the game, and already a turnover.
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:44 PM EDT 0 recs
Okay, that sucked
Turk has to wake up. There’s no excuse for dropping that pass, even though Arroyo fired it a bit behind him.
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:45 PM EDT 0 recs
Why no Keyon? He’s much more defensively minded than Carlos is. :(
by TheGiantSquid on May 5, 2008 8:46 PM EDT 0 recs
Keyon...
only played 4 minutes in the first half
by Mike from Illinois on May 5, 2008 8:47 PM EDT 0 recs
Yeah. Keyon, though, played against Toronto in that 8 man rotation that was being used. I’m just curious why Stan decided to go with Carlos primarily in this game.
by TheGiantSquid on
May 5, 2008 8:48 PM EDT
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Wait, you're kidding
That gentleman with the gray hair, gray beard, and red Pistons shirt is Bob Seger??!
by Ben Q Rock on May 5, 2008 8:48 PM EDT 0 recs