Magic find groove against under-matched Timberwolves

Newsflash: With knee touching center court, Carl asked… Evelyn accepted… guess you had to be here.

With nothing but pride on the line, the Minnesota Timberwolves entered tonight’s game wanting R-E-S-P-E-C-T, hoping Aretha would grace the waves with more than a song in her heart.  Then again, there’s something to be said about a team winning 14 games out of 72 total (could that be 73?).  The Magic, on the other hand, have an agenda of their own.  After all, they’re looking at a solid second placement entering the playoffs.

With two teams drifting farther apart and tip off set and up for grabs, tonight’s outcome may not have a choice.

Timberwolves controlled the opening tap and kindly gave the ball back. A sparse crowd (unfair term as there was never a true or vocal crowd per se) sporting a sea of blue Magic t-shirts, pretended to worry by remaining silent.  Two quick missed shots, wait, make it three.  With Barnes receiving an assist from Howard and taking a 1-9 split for an uncontested lay-up, Orlando commanded a 2-0 lead.  In what has now become Orlando habit, the Magic defended generously in kind by imitating the ever-famous Grand Canyon Split.

Looking like a game of “running without moving,” this was going to be a long night (at least for the Timberwolves and perhaps for the audience).  With a classic beat on my mind, I’ll get back to reporting when something of note happens.

Halfway through the first, Magic 13, Timberwolves 17.  Don’t let the score fool you, this had all the makings of a game of pretend… and, with the exception of Howard’s steady play, was being played like one too.

First quarter concluded with the Magic down 27 to 29.  Trend analysis to bring the game into reality: if I were building a house, I could have picked up a few pallets of bricks from all the outside clunkers!  Yes, if not in the paint, plenty of bricks were flying.

Combined turnovers hit nine and though the shooting percentage was high, it was not due to spectacular shooting.  The real cause of easy inside baskets, lazy going through the motion defense.  By the end of the first, points in the paint numbers had the visiting team leading, Magic were 6 for 9 while the Timberwolves were an impressive 10 for 14. Outside shooting, on the other hand and because of hand-in-your-face aggression, was poor.

Going into the second, I may have seen Aretha, but it could have been a case of my zealous imagination. This quarter found shooting a bit easier (not better)—perhaps due to an even more complacent defensive strategy imposed by both teams.  Thus far, I now know why Minnesota has won only a handful of games… as for the Magic, it appears they mirror the intensity (or lack thereof) of opposing teams (not a good thing, maybe I need to call Van Gundy for a little one on one?).

Playing as if in slow motion, halftime found no place like home with the Magic up 59 to 54.  From my vantage point, the first 24 minutes showcased a lack of intensity, lack of defense, and a lack of audience participation.  On a high note, the Magic did shoot an impressive 59% with Dwight Howard owning the basket at will (could it be due to the Timberwolves lack of an opposing counter?).

Third quarter, by default, HAD to be more intense than the first half… then again, even I could be wrong (it does happen, but not often).  Though nothing spectacular of note took place, the Magic did play with just enough energy to control the game.  The only exception was in the hustle, shooting, and all around play from a rarely used asset by the name of Ryan Anderson.  Without a counter, Anderson performed with a high degree of passion, as if this game meant more than just another meaningless victory… and you know what, his character is a prime example of giving it your all (no matter the record or score).  Times like this I wonder why Van Gundy doesn’t play Anderson more.

Aretha, where are you?

Third quarter witnessed more bricks, even less defense, more turnovers, and less audience interaction. Hold it, think I saw Ms. Franklin sneak out of the arena.  Third quarter score: Magic 82, Timberwolves 73.

I may seem a bit harsh with this review and for those first timers watching a Magic game, you WILL understand why the harshness if you are able to attend the playoffs—it’s a whole new world, a whole new attitude, and a whole new game.  But that’s not until next month so, for now, let’s get back to the present.

How long is the fourth quarter? Twelve minutes.  How long is 12 minutes? For this game, a L-O-N-G time. While on this note, I don’t enjoy watching paint dray… get the hint?  With 12 minutes feeling like 2-1/2 hours, the Magic win 106-97 while the Timberwolves still search for on the court respect.

After the game, I had the pleasure to speak to one of the fans in the crowd.  Layne is an eight year old Atlantis Elementary student in Cocoa who made a stand and a challenge.  Superman, a word of warning as Layne made his intentions clear: “I want to challenge him (Dwight) to a one-on-one game. I don’t think I can beat him though I would like to try. This was my very first (Magic) game too.” Layne went on to tell me about a certain half-court one handed shot… Dwight, you best be on the lookout!  Oh, one more thing, Layne, thanks for coming to the game.

Sitting with pen in hand and paper longing for a story, I’ll see you Sunday,

dhuffman