| 26 April 2009
Orlando Magic 84 Philadelphia 76ers 81
I'm starting to wonder if the Magic would just rather go on vacation. They continue to build up leads and allow the Sixers to climb right back in to every game. This time it was to the tune of a 77-67 lead with 5:13 left to play in the fourth. The Sixers held the Magic to just four points over the next five minutes. The Magic seem to lose their aggression and just don't execute as well whenever they build a double-digit lead.
That isn't to say that the Sixers wanted it more. Philadelphia played poorly throughout the game. The only thing that kept them close was offensive rebounds and Orlando's poor free throw and three-point shooting. Their top three players were basically shut down by Orlando and missing shots. Philadelphia did get better performances from Lou Williams and Willie Green who combined for 22 points and 4 of 6 from three-point range.
Despite the Orlando's overall statistical dominance and Philadelphia's poor showing, it was yet another nail-biter. I can't say enough how perfect the execution was on the pick and roll between Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert that tied the game at 81. Dwight Howard showed hard on Iguodala on the pick (as he should considering Iguodala has been the go-to-guy at the end of games). Dalembert cut hard to the exact right spot. The pass from Iguodala was right on the spot. Dalembert isn't a guy that will normally beat you, and that is part of the reason the play worked so well.
On the other side of the coin, the Magic's last play was essentially Hedo Turkoglu dribbling for twelve seconds and pulling up for a somewhat contested three. What really made that play possible was the screen play that forced Iguodala to switch off Turkoglu. Thaddeus Young had to guard Turkoglu as a result. Young isn't nearly the defender that Iguodala is, and that gave Turkoglu the half-second of daylight he needed to make the shot.
Why the Magic Won This Game
What a difference it makes when your forwards score efficiently. Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis finally hit shots that they had missed in the first three games. They combined for 34 points on 14 of 26 from the floor. It seemed like the Magic were making a concerted effort to get Lewis and Turkoglu more open shots. If these two continue to hit shots, the Magic are sitting pretty.
Why the 76ers Lost This Game
The Sixers lost this game because of the poor play of their top three. Iguodala filled up the stat sheet with 11 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, but he just couldn't get his shot to fall. he finished with 13 points on 4-13 from the field, 1-6 from three and 4-6 from the line. Young and Andre Miller combined to shoot 12-35 and did little else but miss shots. The Sixers' top three also allowed their counterparts to outperform them offensively.
Heading into Game Five
The Magic seem to be back in the driver's seat. The series is basically a best of three with two of those games in Orlando. I'm sure Stan Van Gundy would love to see his forwards continue their hot shooting. If they can put together another game like this one, the Magic will win game five and have two games to move to the second round.
Prediction: Magic win going away
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