No Magic for Orlando Against Cavaliers
Sure, Orlando misses Shaquille O’Neal.
On Wednesday night, the Magic also missed Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson and most of its second-half shots in a record-tying offensive performance in an 84-57 loss to Cleveland in Orlando, Fla.
The Magic made only one field goal in the fourth quarter, and its 57 points tied the 1955 Milwaukee Hawks and last season’s Philadelphia 76ers for fewest points scored since the advent of the NBA’s 24-second clock.
“It’s all relative when you take their three top scorers away, but we knew we had to take advantage of the situation,” said Cleveland Coach Mike Fratello, whose team didn’t capitalize on the Magic being short-handed during an 86-82 loss to Orlando last week.
“It’s hard to make up the points those guys score,” Fratello said. “You just can’t manufacture 40, 50, 60 points. That’s hard. Where do you find those?”
Nowhere, as it turned out.
Coach Brian Hill said he had no idea the Magic was on the verge of setting a record when Darrell Armstrong made a free throw awarded when Cleveland’s Carl Thomas drew a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk with 33.7 seconds to play.
“I gave it no thought,” Hill said. “It’s really no big deal. If we tied it, we tied it. If we had broken it, it’s still a loss.”
The loss was the Magic’s fifth in nine games at Orlando Arena, surpassing its total from all of last season when it began the year with 33 consecutive home-court victories and finished 37-4.
Next, the Magic plays its first game against its former star, O’Neal, on Friday night at the Forum.
Houston 94, Boston 89--The Rockets got 16 points, five blocked shots and seven rebounds from Hakeem Olajuwon, who played 40 minutes in Houston after sitting out Monday’s game because of a second episode of irregular heartbeat in two weeks.
That game was a loss to Toronto, only the second this season for the Rockets.
Charles Barkley had 27 rebounds to go with 19 points.
Miami 101, Dallas 79--Tim Hardaway’s 33 points and the Heat’s outside shooting in Miami helped it extend a franchise-record winning streak to nine games.
The Heat tied a team record by making 15 three-point shots, and its 35 three-point tries broke the team record.
New York 109, New Jersey 102--Patrick Ewing, who had scored only 12 points in a loss to Miami on Tuesday, came back with 30 in the victory at East Rutherford, N.J.
Detroit 100, Atlanta 90--Terry Mills had 14 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter for the Pistons, who won at Auburn Hills, Mich., and are the only team in the NBA not to have given up 100 points in a game.
San Antonio 113, Philadelphia 103--Playing in his 1,000th NBA game, Dominique Wilkins scored 24 points in San Antonio for the Spurs, who had not won since eating the Lakers on Nov. 13, an eight-game losing streak.
Avery Johnson also scored 24 points for San Antonio, including 18 in the fourth quarter and seven in the last 1:06.
Phoenix 118, Golden State 87--A.C. Green and Michael Finley scored 21 points apiece and the Suns, who have struggled with their shooting, shot 52% at Phoenix in winning for the second time this season.
Earlier Wednesday, the Suns picked up swingman Darrin Hancock and a second-round draft choice from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for forward Chucky Brown.
Indiana 127, Vancouver 80--Reggie Miller scored 31 of his 36 points in the first half for the Pacers, who won in Vancouver against a Grizzly team that was without three starters.
Miller’s 31 points was the most scored in a half against Vancouver in the franchise’s 100-game history. He scored 15 points in a 20-4 run in the first quarter that broke open the game.
The Grizzlies were without center Bryant Reeves, point guard Greg Anthony and guard Blue Edwards because of injuries.