Magic-Raptors Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Nov 17 2012 10:29PM

The return of point guard Jameer Nelson gave the Orlando Magic a much-needed offensive boost.

The Toronto Raptors need to do something to fix their defensive woes.

Orlando looks to build off its first victory in nearly two weeks on Sunday when the host Raptors try to get back on track before hitting the road again.

Out since injuring his groin and hamstring in the season opener, Nelson returned Friday to score 13 points and hand out 10 assists in a 110-106 victory at Detroit.

The Magic (3-5) averaged 79.8 points on 40.8 percent shooting while losing their previous five contests.

"This is so big for us," Nelson told the Magic's official website after the team opened its three-game trip. "It's tough to win any NBA game, but on the road it's even tougher. They made some runs and we got tougher and stopped them. So this is really big for us."

Orlando received some bad news this week when it learned that Hedo Turkoglu could be out past December after suffering a broken left hand in the opener, but the team has been getting a nice scoring punch from J.J. Redick.

Inserted into the starting lineup three games ago by rookie coach Jacque Vaughn, Redick is scoring a career-best 15.8 points per game - second on the team to Arron Afflalo (16.5) - after hitting three 3-pointers and finishing with a team-best 23 on Friday.

"He's a guy when he shoots I think it's going in every single time," Vaughn said of Redick, who averaged 15.3 points as Orlando won all three matchups with Toronto for its first season sweep in this series since 1996-97.

The Magic could make plenty of shots, and win for the sixth time in seven visits to Toronto, if the Raptors (2-7) can't clamp down defensively. They are yielding 101.3 points per game.

"Until we get a rhythm defensively and take pride in our defense, stopping with our man-to-man and not have to play zone for such a long period of time, that's when we're going to be ok," coach Dwane Casey said after Saturday's 107-89 loss at Boston.

Toronto will have to keep running its offense through backup point guard Jose Calderon as starter Kyle Lowry will likely be out another week or two with a bruised bone in his right foot. He's missed the last five games.

The Raptors, who open a three-game trip Tuesday against Philadelphia, are also going to need DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani to help pick up the slack with Landry Fields (right elbow) and rookie swingman Alan Anderson (torn plantar fascia) out.

DeRozan is scoring a team-best 20.0 points per game, but he's scored 10 or fewer three times after finishing with 10 against the Celtics.

Bargnani's inconsistency still has Casey wondering what type of numbers the former No. 1 draft pick is going to put up on a nightly basis. The Italian big man is averaging 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in the last three games after totaling 48 points and 14 rebounds in the previous two.

"I don't care if a guy's a rah-rah guy or jump-up-and-down guy, as long as he's putting the ball in the hole or rebounding or playing defense," Casey said.

Magic forward Glen Davis posted his fourth double-double of the season Friday with 17 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, while teammate Nikola Vucevic recorded his fifth - and third straight - with 11 points and 13 boards.

DeRozan scores 20 as Raptors beat Magic 97-86

By IAN HARRISON
Posted Nov 18 2012 5:21PM

TORONTO (AP) Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn is already getting tired of delivering the same postgame message: slow starts are making life miserable for the Magic.

DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points, Amir Johnson had 14 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors beat the slumping Magic 97-86 on Sunday.

Orlando has trailed after the first quarter in seven games this season. Sunday was no exception, with the Raptors racing out to a 32-22 lead.

"There's no other way we're going to win if we're not prepared," Vaughn said. "If we're not ready to play at the start of the game and committed at the start of the game, not waiting till halftime and what happens after, then we won't have a chance."

The Magic are 2-5 when trailing after the first quarter.

"We have to set the tempo at the beginning of the game," said Glen Davis, who led the Magic with 16 points and 12 rebounds. "It takes us a while to get into the game. I don't know why we have to be down to get it going, but we've got to find it."

Andrea Bargnani had 17 points, Linas Kleiza scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth and Jose Calderon had a season-high 18 assists for the Raptors, who had lost six of their previous seven home meetings with Orlando.

"Jose is a leader," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "I cannot say enough about how much I respect his game, his leadership and his heart."

E'Twuan Moore scored 16 points and Arron Afflalo had 15. Nikola Vucevic had 12 and six rebounds, ending his streak of three straight double-doubles.

Orlando snapped a five-game losing streak and picked up its first road victory of the season by beating Detroit on Friday, but failed to collect back-to-back wins for the first time since beating Denver and Phoenix in the first two games of the season.

"We had to play comeback basketball again," Vaughn said. "I was disappointed that we had to be fighting back into the game for a lead."

J.J. Redick, who led the Magic with a season-high 23 points Friday, did not play Sunday because of an illness, further depleting a Magic team that is already without long-term absentees Al Harrington (right knee) and Hedo Turkoglu (broken left hand). DeQuan Jones took Redick's place in the starting lineup.

"It affects us with scoring, ball movement and leadership," Vaughn said of Redick's absence. Redick will be evaluated before Monday's game at Atlanta.

After being outscored 28-18 in the third quarter, surrendering an eight-point lead in the process, the Raptors regained control in the fourth, with back-to-back 3-pointers by Kleiza and Johnson turning a one-point deficit into a 79-74 lead with 6:55 left to play.

"That took a lot of air out of us, especially the one Johnson made," Davis said. "Guys hit shots like that, what can you do? That's not on the scouting report."

For Johnson, the 3 was his first of the season, and only his second attempt.

"Jose is probably the only one who would pass me the ball on the 3-point line," Johnson said. "I didn't hesitate. I just caught it and shot the ball. All summer long I've been working on that shot."

Toronto pulled away from there, with Johnson scoring a turnaround hook shot and making a pair of free throws, Bargnani hitting consecutive jumpers and Calderon finding DeRozan for a powerful alley-oop dunk with 4:00 remaining that gave the Raptors an 89-78 lead.

DeRozan scored 11 points in the first and the Raptors used a 10-2 run and four 3-pointers to open a 32-22 lead, their biggest lead after one quarter this season.

The Magic got eight points and five rebounds from Davis in the second, but Orlando trailed 49-41 at the half.

Afflalo scored four points as Orlando opened the third with an 8-2 run, cutting it to 51-49. A driving layup by Nelson with 1:13 left gave the Magic a 67-66 lead, their first since scoring the game's opening basket. Nelson scored six points in the third, all of them in the final 1:49, as the Magic took a 69-67 lead into the fourth.

NOTES: The Raptors announced that former C Jamaal Magloire has accepted a role as development consultant and community ambassador. The Toronto-born Magloire was cut during training camp, ending his 12-year NBA career. ... Toronto begins a three-game road trip at Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Raptors are 1-4 away from home this season. ... Calderon had 17 assists in a triple-overtime loss to Utah on Nov. 12. His career-high is 19, set twice. ... Buffalo Bills players Jairus Byrd and Kyle Williams attended the game.

Notebook: Raptors 97, Magic 86

Duane Watson, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Nov 18, 2012 4:18 PM - Updated Sun Nov 18, 2012 4:18 PM

THE FACTS: The Toronto Raptors (3-7) won their second home game of the season, defeating the Orlando Magic (3-6) 97-86 at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday afternoon. DeMar DeRozan's 20 points and nine rebounds led the Raptors, while Andrea Bargnani added 17 points and Jose Calderon had a game-high 18 assists.

The Magic got back in the game outscoring the Raptors 28-18 in the third quarter making it 69-67, and reclaiming a lead they had not seen since the first quarter after being down as much as 13. But the Raptors' 13-2 run with 2:49 left in the fourth quarter put them ahead by 14 giving them the lead for good. Calderon and Amir Johnson connected often in the fourth with the guard doling out 10 assists in the quarter and Johnson scoring 14 of his 15 points off the bench.

The Magic were led by Glen Davis' double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds and E'Twaun Moore's 16 points off the bench. Arron Afflalo added 15 points. Both teams were missing key players in the line-up as the Raptors were without Kyle Lowry, (right foot) Landry Fields (right elbow) and Alan Anderson (left foot) and the Magic missed Hedo Turkoglu (left hand), J.J. Redick (illness) and Al Harrington (right knee).

QUOTABLE: "It's my job, I'm supposed to be the energizer when I come in, I'm supposed to give the team a lift. Sometimes it's not consistent, but when I come in, I try to give our team a boost." -- Raptors forward Amir Johnson on his play in the fourth quarter.

THE STAT: The Raptors bench rose to the occasion with a short line-up outscoring the Magic 34-28, yet more importantly outscored the Magic bench 24-9 in the final decisive quarter.

TURNING POINT: The Raptors jumped out in this game early leading by 13 in the first quarter, but the Magic came back to reclaim the lead by the end of the third. The Raptors 13-2 run with 2:49 left in the fourth quarter put them ahead by 14 giving them the lead for good.

HOT: Calderon played an immaculate first half, shooting 3-for-3 from the field, going 2-for-2 from behind the arc with five assists. His play filling in for injured starting point guard Lowry has been a steadying influence during his absence.

NOT: On the other side of the ball, Nelson shot 0-for-5 with four assists and two turnovers in the first half. Nelson looked rusty in his second game back returning from a groin and hamstring injury that sidelined him since the season opener.

GOOD MOVE: Raptors coach Dwane Casey gave Johnson extended minutes in the second half, providing a defensive adjustment on Magic forward Davis, while also scoring 14 points in a decisive fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: Orlando forward Andrew Nicholson became the latest Toronto-born player appearing in an NBA game at Air Canada Centre, following Jamaal Magloire, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. Toronto guard Calderon and Magic guard Nelson are the longest serving point guards in the Eastern Conference. Calderon was an undrafted free agent in 2005 and playing in his eighth season. Nelson, in his ninth season with Orlando was selected 20th overall by the Magic in 2004.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors; Tuesday @ Philadelphia, Wednesday @ Charlotte, Friday @ Detroit. For the Magic; Monday @ Atlanta, Wednesday vs. Detroit and Friday vs. Cleveland.

• Magic: Harrington, Turkoglu
• Raptors: Anderson, Fields, Lowry

• Magic: --
• Raptors: Johnson

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #38 Michael Smith, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 18702
• Duration: 2:05