Saturday, March 5, 2011
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) - Orlando forward Brian Happel may have given Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder some bulletin board material. While speaking to the media after the team's walk-through, Happel called Durant over-rated. "He's a great scorer, and that's fine. But what else can he do? He's bigger than me, he should be able to get rebounds - I still outrebound him. I can also outscore him. Everyone talks about what a pure scorer he is. I can score the ball just as well, but I also help make my teammates better."
Happel didn't stop there. He also went off on Durant and other NBA stars complaining about the referees too much. "And, I don't whine about not getting every single call. He's not alone either. A lot of stars cry and complain. Maybe you should stop worrying so much about the refs and control what you can - how you play the game. You're not going to get every call, nor should you. Get over it!"
| Happel vs. Durant Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Brian Happel | 27 | 41.9 | 38.6 | 13.6 | 5.1 | 2.0 | .688 | .461 | .949 |
| Kevin Durant | 39 | 38.6 | 26.5 | 10.2 | 1.3 | 2.5 | .504 | .333 | .934 |
The frustration has been boiling for Happel, as teams continue to gun for him and his Magic teammates. "You should hear some of the crap that comes out of their mouths on the court. It's sad, really, the jealousy that exists. Instead of talking so much, I let the scoreboard and my stat lines do the talking." Orlando has won 10 straight games coming in to Sunday night's matchup in Oklahoma City. The Thunder, meanwhile, have been struggling, playing .500 basketball over their last 10 games. Oklahoma City, and Durantula, certainly have some extra motivation. "I'm not sure what set him off, but he ought to take a look in the mirror. I'm crying and complaining? Sounds like what he's doing to me," said Durant after practice Saturday afternoon. Whatever the case may be, things are certainly heating up in the dead of winter!
SMALL FORWARDS PAYING "BIG" DIVIDENDS
By Joe Smith
NBA.com
Two of the best small forwards in the game are about to square off in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant and Brian Happel are taking smaller market teams and turning them into big-time marketing possibilities. Orlando was already on the map when Happel got there 2+ seasons ago. But what Durant has done for the Thunder, especially after moving from Seattle, is nothing short of amazing. Oklahoma City... a basketball town? That's football country. At least, it was. So, that got me thinking (scary thought for all you hoops fans, I'm sure). Who are the biggest contributors among small forwards in the NBA today?
| Paul Pierce Stats | |||||||||
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Career | 1085 | 36.5 | 21.6 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 2.8 | .445 | .374 | .809 |
Paul Pierce did not make the list of my top five. But, he HAS to at least be mentioned. He is still among the elite at this position, despite his 35-year-old legs. He has been the face of the Boston franchise his entire 15 year career. And, his numbers aren't too bad, either. There's been a definite decline, mind you. But, a large part of that is due to the fact that since 2008, he's been a part of the "Big 3" - and then the "Big 4" when Rajon Rondo started to become a star. He doesn't need to score as much, so he doesn't. But, 21.6 points per game over his career is pretty good, as is the more than 23,000 points he's scored over the course of his entire career. Now, here are my top 5 "Big Time" small fowards:
5. RUDY GAY, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
It took a year for Rudy Gay to adapt to the 82 game season in the NBA, but once he did, he took off. Gay went from averaging 10.8 points per game his rookie year to 20.1 points his second season, and he's been pretty consistent ever since. For his career, he's averaging 18.3 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game, both respectable numbers. The fact that he's stayed in Memphis his whole career, now into his 7th season, helps in terms of his importance attached to the Grizzlies. There has also been a sharp rise over the last couple of seasons as Memphis relies on Gay more and more as the team leader. He's up to 24 points per game now and 8.5 rebounds per contest. His defense is also much improved, as he is among the leaders in thefts at this position.
4. CARMELO ANTHONY, NEW YORK KNICKS
It's impossible to keep Carmelo Anthony of this list. He is one of the best pure scorers in the game, as evidenced by his 24.3 points per game for his career. He came out of Syracuse his rookie season and was able to put the ball in the hoop right away, and it's never really slowed down. "Melo" wasn't able to win a championship in Denver, but his move to the Knicks certainly gives a jolt to his marketability in this league. His defense is his one weak point, and there really aren't any signs of that improving any time soon. But, he has been working on other aspects of his game, significantly raising his rebounds from around 6.5 a game up to 8.1 per game this season. He's also cut way back on his turnovers, from 3.3 a contest down to 2.2. Taking care of the basketball is leading to more opportunities, both for him and his teammates.
3. BRIAN HAPPEL, ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando swingman Brian Happel has certainly worked some "magic" over his short career in the NBA. At the ripe old age of 22, he's already won an NBA Championship, been named NBA Finals MVP and won the regular season MVP. In his third season out of Syracuse (I know, 2 S.U. guys on this list, something must be wrong with this picture), Happel is already averaging 28 points per game. He's a double-double machine, averaging 12.8 rebounds for his career so far. He's always been able to shoot the ball, though a lot of that has to do with his ability to get to the rim. His outside shot is solid, to the point where he's shooting nearly 50% from behind the arc this season. Happel is even finding his teammates more often. Despite averaging a ridiculous 38.6 points per game this year, he's also handing out 5 assists a game. His defense is also much improved, as he typically shuts down the other team's best player. The scary thing: he still has plenty of life in those legs and could be dominating for years to come.
2. KEVIN DURANT, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Kevin Durant is easily the best pure scorer in the game today, and he could hold that title as all-time best scorer by the time all is said and done. Durant puts the ball in the basket, it's as simple as that. He can shoot from outside, break you down with the dribble and get to the rim with his athleticism. He's averaging 27 points per game over his 6 year career, all with Oklahoma City. Once again, Portland Trail Blazers fans can only shake their heads, as the team passed up on Durant in the 2007 draft to pick Greg Oden. How's that working out so far? The thing about Durant is he's really working on other aspects of his game as well. His rebounding has improved tremendously. He was only averaging 4.3 boards a game his rookie year. Now, it's 10+. Like "Melo", "Durantula" is also cutting down on his turnovers, and that's only helping his team out, as the Thunder are off to a fantastic start this year.
1. LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT
Love him or hate him, it's hard not to put LeBron in the number one spot. He is so dominant in just about every aspect of the game. He's got speed, athleticism and power. He scores, rebounds, finds open teammates and plays solid defense. He couldn't do it in Cleveland, but after making "The Decision," to take his talents to South Beach, LeBron won that elusive NBA Championship. At the age of 28, he already has more than 20,400 points and has a legitimate shot to challenge Kareem's record, as long as he stays healthy. Whether he is as good as Michael Jordan, he is certainly as dominant a figure in the NBA today as Jordan was in his time.
| Jan 11, 2013 - CHI at CHA | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Chicago Bulls (22-14) | 33 | 23 | 37 | 22 | 115 |
| Charlotte Bobcats (13-27) | 35 | 17 | 30 | 27 | 109 |
Charlotte, NC (AP) - Derrick Rose scored 40 points and handed 11 assists and Carlos Boozer added 21 points, as the Bulls held on for a road victory against the Bobcats.
| Jan 11, 2013 - DET at PHI | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Detroit Pistons (17-18) | 26 | 34 | 20 | 28 | 108 |
| Philadelphia 76ers (13-25) | 29 | 29 | 21 | 28 | 107 |
Philadelphia, PA (AP) - Evan Turner scored 29 points but missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it for Philadelphia. Jrue Holiday added 20 points, and Bobby Lindsey notched a double-double (18 points, 10 reboudns) in the loss. Michael Beasley scored a career-high 43 points and Rodney Stuckey added 34 on 14-16 shooting for the Pistons.
| Jan 11, 2013 - SAS at OKC | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| San Antonio Spurs (20-18) | 28 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 107 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder (23-16) | 36 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 98 |
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) - Four Spurs starters scored at least 20 points, as San Antonio got a tough road win against Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City squad. Durant collected a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, also adding 3 steals and 3 blocks. Russell Westbrook scored 24 in the loss at home.
| Jan 11, 2013 - PHO at DEN | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Phoenix Suns (9-27) | 20 | 23 | 29 | 27 | 99 |
| Denver Nuggets (20-17) | 21 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 80 |
Denver, CO (AP) - Kenneth Willis had a great all-around game with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists while leading his Suns to a shocking upset over Denver. Zach Randolph added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Phoenix. J.R. Smith led the Nuggets offense with 23 points. The Suns outscored the Nuggets 56-42 in the second half.
| Jan 11, 2013 - TOR at MIN | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Toronto Raptors (22-16) | 24 | 27 | 31 | 25 | 107 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves (16-23) | 30 | 31 | 21 | 28 | 110 |
Minneapolis, MN (AP) - Kevin Love got plenty of love from Timberwolves fans after hitting a three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to lift Minnesota to a surprise victory over Toronto. Love finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Thaddeus Young and Cory Brewer each scored more than 20 points. Five Raptors scored in double-figures, led by Leandro Barbosa's 25 points.
| Jan 11, 2013 - CLE at LAC | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (19-19) | 26 | 25 | 23 | 35 | 109 |
| Los Angeles Clippers (25-14) | 22 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 78 |
Los Angeles, CA - Cleveland explodes in the second half, outscoring the Clippers 58-36 to pick up the easy road win, knocking L.A. out of first place in the Western Conference. Anthony Randolph scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Cleveland. Daniel Jenkins was L.A.'s lead scorer with 15. Blake Griffin only scored 10 points in 23 minutes.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel was flying high against the Lakers all night long
Orlando, FL (AP) - The Magic and Lakers renewed old acquaintances at the Amway Center in Orlando, and while Los Angeles managed to keep it close, the Magic still held on for a 91-81 victory. It was really a back and forth game for most of the contest, and the Lakers only trailed by three points at halftime. But, that third quarter was the big difference, once again. The Magic outscored L.A. 27-17 that quarter, led by Brian Happel's 15 points, to take a 13 point lead into the final period. Between that, and the fact that the Magic held Kobe Bryant down to one of his lowest point totals of the season (11 points on 5-27 shooting) added up to a victory over their hated rivals. "I really gotta give credit to the coaching staff on this one," said Happel in the post game press conference, "They sat down with us and mapped out exactly what we needed to do, and me and my teammates worked hard to make it happen."
| Marquee Matchup | ||
| Player | Stats | |
| Kobe Bryant | 11 points, 5-27 FG, 8 TO | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 39 points, 12 Reb., 9 Ast., 16-27 FG | |
There was a bit of controversy between Bryant and Happel after the game. When asked if this performance and last year's loss in the NBA Finals to Happel's team indicated a changing of the guard, Bryant responded, "Really? He hasn't done sh*t yet. Come talk to me when he wins a few more rings. Just because he can score some points doesn't mean he's the greatest in this league, not by a long shot. Next time we meet, we get a chance to go one-on-one, we'll see who's the last one standing." Happel was unphased by Bryant's comments, though, "That's what happens when you lose. You get frustrated. You lash out. He can say what he wants, but I'm just going to keep on doing my thing."
Bryant and Artest may disagree, but Happel certainly likes his team's chances, celebrating after another nice dunk
Happel certainly outperformed Bryant in this one. He was just one assist shy of a triple-double, scoring 39 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and handing out 9 dimes. However, it wasn't all positive. Happel did turn the ball over three times, and missed on all 5 three-point attempts. It was a mixed bag from the supporting cast. Dwight Howard played well, scoring 18 points on 8-14 shooting. He also grabbed 8 boards and swatted 3 shots. Andray Blatch was also solid on the low blocks, picking up 15 points and 8 rebounds. But, Stephen Jackson just can't get his shooting going, making just 3-13 shots. And Gilbert Arenas only had 2 points and 4 assists in 33 minutes.
| Orlando Magic January 2013 Schedule | ||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | ||
| Jan 1 | vs Memphis | Won, 107-83 | ||
| Jan 5 | at Philadelphia | Won, 108-78 | ||
| Jan 7 | vs New York | Won, 116-92 | ||
| Jan 8 | at Atlanta | Won, 97-83 | ||
| Jan 11 | vs Los Angeles Lakers | Won, 91-81 | ||
| Jan 13 | at Oklahoma City | |||
| Jan 15 | vs Boston | |||
| Jan 17 | vs Utah | |||
| Jan 19 | at Chicago | |||
| Jan 21 | vs Phoenix | |||
| Jan 22 | vs New Jersey | |||
| Jan 24 | at Toronto | |||
| Jan 25 | vs Denver | |||
| Jan 28 | at Portland | |||
| Jan 29 | at New Orleans | |||
| Jan 31 | at Houston | |||
As for the Lakers, Alonzo Gee was the leader on offense, scoring 21 points on 9-19 shooting, including 2-3 from long distance. Pau Gasol anchored the middle, scoring 19 points and drawing a lot of fouls, as he went 9-10 from the charity stripe. However, Bryant struggled severely, going just 5-27 from the floor (1-6 from 3-point range). Ron Artest was a monster on defense, getting 6 steals, but he disappeared offensively.
Happel getting ready to stuff another one down L.A.'s throat
| Team Stats - Career | |||||||||
| Team | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| vs LA Lakers | 5 | 43.0 | 30.0 | 11.6 | 4.0 | 2.4 | .660 | .000 | .880 |
Shooting may have lost the game, yet at the same time helped the Lakers stay within reach all game long against Orlando. Los Angeles connected on just 34% of its shots, while the Magic shot 46% for the game. However, L.A. was on fire from behind the three-point arc, going 8-18 (44%). Orlando was dreadful, making just 1-12 shots from downtown. The Magic did manage to outrebound the Lakers, though barely, with a 47-42 margin. Up next for Happel and his teammates, another tough matchup, this time on the road against Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.
| Jan 11, 2013 - LAL at ORL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Los Angeles Lakers (16-19) | 24 | 18 | 17 | 22 | 81 |
| Orlando Magic (30-6) | 27 | 18 | 27 | 19 | 91 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| K. Bryant | 44 | 5-27 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 11 | |
| A. Gee | 40 | 9-19 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | |
| R. Artest | 35 | 3-8 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| P. Gasol | 38 | 5-10 | 0-1 | 9-10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | |
| A. Bynum | 37 | 2-10 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| J. Kidd | 18 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 4-4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| S. Wilkes | 11 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| L. Ridnour | 7 | 2-3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| T. Meredith | 6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| R. Conley | 5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| L. Walton | 5 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| S. Blake (Coach's Decision) | -- DID NOT PLAY -- | ||||||||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 29-85 | 8-18 | 15-18 | 42 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 81 | ||
| Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Gilbert Arenas | 33 | 0-4 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Stephen Jackson | 34 | 3-13 | 1-5 | 1-2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Brian Happel | 45 | 16-27 | 0-5 | 7-7 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 39 |
| Andray Blatche | 36 | 7-13 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| Dwight Howard | 36 | 8-14 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| DeJuan Blair | 19 | 4-7 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Marcin Gortat | 13 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| John Salmons | 13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cory Coleman | 4 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wayne Washington | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Anderson | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 38-82 | 1-12 | 14-19 | 47 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 91 | |
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
RIVALRY RENEWED: MAGIC SET TO BATTLE LAKERS
Jeffrey James
ESPN.com
It's not to the level of Lakers/Celtics just yet - but the rivalry between Los Angeles and Orlando is getting there. One of the key ingrediants of any major rivalry in sports is a pair of star players, seemingly connected at the hips, always locked in battle. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Kobe Bryant and Brian Happel?? As the Lakers and Magic get ready to lock horns tomorrow night in Orlando, we're taking a closer look at 2 of the best players in the game right now, and whether the young gun Brian Happel can be mentioned in the same breath as Bryant, and if he may some day over take him as one of the best, if not the best player to ever play the game.
| Marquee Matchup | ||
| Player | Stats | |
| Kobe Bryant | 25.6 PPG, 2.1 SPG, 43.3% FG | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 38.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 69.2% FG | |
On the surface, it seems Happel is the better player right now. He's much younger than Kobe, still with plenty of upside to his career, and many believe Happel is still a few years off from reaching his peak. Bryant is on the down slope of his career, and while he's still performing at a tremendously high level, his best days are behind him. Taking that into account, and looking at each player's current stats this year, it seems advantage Happel, right? Come on now, you didn't really think it was that easy, or shallow, did you?
| Career Achievements | ||
| Player | Achievements | |
| Kobe Bryant | MVP: 1, NBA Champion: 5, Finals MVP: 2, All-Star: 14, 1st Team All-NBA: 10, Scoring Champion: 2, 1st Team All-Defense: 8 | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | MVP: 1, NBA Champion: 1, Finals MVP: 1, All-Star: 2, 1st Team All-NBA: 1, Scoring Champion: 1, Rebounding Champion: 1, Rookie of the Year | |
The bodies of work over their careers doesn't even compare. Happel has certainly reached some big accomplishments. Just look at the championships. Bryant has reached the top 5 times in his career, twice as the sole leader of the team (and without the services of Shaq). Happel has a ring - but again, that's "a" ring. He's simply too young to really compare to Kobe, at least when you want to talk about one of the all-time greatest players of the game.
Despite Happel sending Kobe and the Lakers home in the NBA Finals last year, Bryant has enough rings to fill up an entire hand
So, it's pretty well established that Bryant is far superior, obviously just because of doing everything he's done over an entire career. But, let's project outward a bit. Can Happel be as good, if not BETTER than Bryant? This is where it gets scary for how good Happel can be. Both entered the NBA with somewhat similar situations. Bryant joined the league right out of high school. Happel was one and done at Syracuse. So, you can argue that Happel benefited from one extra year of seasoning in college that Bryant didn't have. But, take a look at how the 2 stack up over their first three seasons:
| Happel Stats - Career | |||||||||
| Season | GP/GS | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| 2010-11 (ORL) | 72/59 | 38.6 | 19.6 | 10.1 | 3.9 | 2.7 | .525 | .154 | .890 |
| 2011-12 (ORL) | 80/80 | 42.8 | 32.5 | 15.1 | 3.5 | 1.8 | .640 | .482 | .962 |
| 2012-13 (ORL) | 26/26 | 41.8 | 38.6 | 13.6 | 4.9 | 1.9 | .692 | .488 | .946 |
| Kobe Bryant 1st 3 Years Stats | |||||||||
| Season | GP/GS | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| 1996-97 (LAL) | 71/6 | 15.5 | 7.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | .417 | .375 | .819 |
| 1997-98 (LAL) | 79/1 | 26.0 | 15.4 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 | .428 | .341 | .794 |
| 1998-99 (LAL) | 50/50 | 37.9 | 19.9 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 | .465 | .267 | .839 |
As you can see, Happel is dramatically ahead of Bryant in every statistical category through the first 3 years of their respective careers. Now, Brian has had the benefit of being able to start early on in his career with Orlando. The Magic bumped him into the starting position by November of his first season. Bryant didn't get a chance to start with the Lakers full-time until his third season. But, seeing that Happel is so far ahead, his final career numbers could be well past whatever Bryant is able to finish out with.
Some believe Happel is a slam dunk to have a better career than Kobe Bryant
Of course, there is a lot that needs to happen between now and then. Happel needs to stay healthy and out of trouble. He needs to continue performing at this level, or scary thought, better, as the years roll by. The name of the game is consistency. The potential is certainly there. Then again, all potential ever means - is that you haven't done anything yet. For now, sit back and enjoy one of the marquee matchups of the NBA today when Orlando welcomes Los Angeles to the Amway Center tomorrow night.
Happel used all kinds of methods to score, including a rebound tip-in and a steal leading to an easy dunk.
Atlanta, GA (AP) - It was a night for revenge - and history - as the Magic were able to pick up a 97-83 victory on the road against the Hawks. Orlando had lost both its previous games against its division foe earlier this season. Tonight, the Magic were finally able to get over the hump, though Atlanta didn't make it easy. The Hawks made 2 big runs against Orlando, 15-2 in the third quarter to cut the deficit from 23 down to 9 and 11-2 to trim the margin down to 6 in the fourth quarter. But, the Magic had an answer, in both cases going on mini-runs of their own to get the lead back up to double digits.
Happel made sure his 5,000th point was memorable, thanks to a break away reverse dunk
Meantime, it was a historic night for Orlando forward Brian Happel, as he reached the 5,000 point plateau for his career. And, he did it in style. Happel reached the "magic" milestone on a break away, reverse dunk with 8:50 to go in the third quarter. "Those things are for you guys to keep track of," said Happel after the game, "Sure, it's a nice accomplishment. But, it wouldn't have meant a whole lot if we had blown that big lead and lost. I didn't play well, there's plenty of room for improvement." Happel now sits at 9th all time in team history with 5,010 points for his young career. As if that wasn't enough, Happel was also a monster on the boards, grabbing 21 rebounds. His defense was also superb, as he collected 3 steals.
| Orlando Magic Career Points | |
| Player | Points |
| 1. Dwight Howard | 11,337 |
| 2. Nick Anderson | 10,650 |
| 3. Tracy McGrady | 8,298 |
| 4. Shaquille O'Neal | 8,019 |
| 5. Anfernee Hardaway | 7,018 |
| 6. Dennis Scott | 6,603 |
| 7. Hedo Turkoglu | 5,968 |
| 8. Darrell Armstrong | 5,898 |
| 9. BRIAN HAPPEL | 5,010 |
| 10. Scott Skiles | 4,966 |
With the exception of Gilbert Arenas, the Magic starters got the job done offensively all night long. Andray Blatche chipped in with 24 points on 11-19 shooting. Dwight Howard was his normal, beastly self, pouring in 14 points and grabbing 15 boards. Stepehn Jackson was also solid, putting down 13 points and collecting 8 rebounds. Arenas struggled, shooting just 1-7 from the field. However, he did have a team-high 6 assists.
Happel attacked the Hawks from the air, throwing down spectacular dunk after spectacular dunk.
The Hawks offense was generally lacking. Atlanta had 4 players score in double-figures, but the two high scorers were Josh Smith and Joe Johnson with 14 points apiece. Johnson also found his teammates good shots, collecting 11 assists. Jamal Crawford did not handle the ball well, turning it over 4 times. And, Al Horford had a disappointing night on the blocks, scoring just 8 points and picking up just 6 rebounds.
| NBA Standings - Updated: Jan 8, 2013 | ||||||||
| EAST PLAYOFF RACE | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. ORLANDO MAGIC | 29 | 6 | .829 | -- | 13-4 | 16-2 | 5-4 | 21-4 |
| 2. Miami Heat | 28 | 10 | .737 | 2.5 | 14-5 | 14-5 | 4-3 | 17-6 |
| 3. ATLANTA HAWKS | 23 | 11 | .676 | 5.5 | 12-6 | 11-5 | 5-2 | 16-6 |
| 4. Toronto Raptors | 22 | 14 | .611 | 7.5 | 14-4 | 8-10 | 3-4 | 11-11 |
| 5. Chicago Bulls | 21 | 14 | .600 | 8.0 | 11-5 | 10-9 | 2-3 | 10-8 |
| 6. Washington Wizards | 18 | 20 | .474 | 12.5 | 13-7 | 5-13 | 5-3 | 12-12 |
| 7. Boston Celtics | 17 | 19 | .472 | 12.5 | 11-6 | 6-13 | 8-2 | 13-11 |
| 7. Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 19 | .472 | 12.5 | 12-5 | 5-14 | 3-4 | 9-16 |
| 9. Detroit Pistons | 16 | 18 | .471 | 12.5 | 8-10 | 8-8 | 4-2 | 9-12 |
| 10. New York Knicks | 16 | 21 | .432 | 14.0 | 11-6 | 5-15 | 1-5 | 8-16 |
| 11. Milwaukee Bucks | 15 | 21 | .417 | 14.5 | 10-9 | 5-12 | 2-4 | 8-12 |
| 11. New Jersey Nets | 15 | 21 | .417 | 14.5 | 8-10 | 7-11 | 5-5 | 13-14 |
| 11. Indiana Pacers | 15 | 21 | .417 | 14.5 | 10-7 | 5-14 | 3-1 | 8-11 |
| 14. Philadelphia 76ers | 13 | 24 | .351 | 17.0 | 7-9 | 6-15 | 3-4 | 9-16 |
| 15. Charlotte Bobcats | 13 | 26 | .333 | 18.0 | 9-9 | 4-17 | 0-7 | 8-17 |
Shooting wasn't as dramatic a difference as it usually is for Orlando. The Magic shot just 47%, which most teams will certainly take. But for Orlando, that's actually an off night these days. Meantime, the Hawks connected on just 39% of their shots. Turnovers played a factor as well. Orlando was a little more sloppy, giving the ball away 13 times, to Atlanta's 11. The one bright spot for the Hawks: bench points. Atlanta's bench outscored the Magic by a 23-6 margin. However, rebounding was a bigger story, especially on the offensive end. Orlando was able to get a ton of second chance opportunities, thanks to 13 rebounds on the offensive glass. The Hawks, by comparison, only had 2.
Teams still haven't learned how deadly Happel is from behind the arc, here he nails a wide open look
Orlando has now won 9 games in a row, and will be looking for number 10 in a rematch of the NBA Finals at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. may be struggling so far at juts 15-18 on the year, but all eyes will be on the matchup between arguably the game's two best players in Kobe Bryant and Brian Happel.
| Marquee Matchup | ||
| Player | Stats | |
| Kobe Bryant | 25.6 PPG, 2.1 SPG, 43.3% FG | |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 38.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 69.2% FG | |
Happel is certainly leading Bryant in most offensive and defensive categories. However, Bryant's leadership and uncanny ability to will his team to victories may give his Lakers the advantage they need. Friday night's matchup at the Amway Center should be a good one.
| Jan 8, 2013 - ORL at ATL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Orlando Magic (29-6) | 28 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 97 |
| Atlanta Hawks (23-11) | 21 | 16 | 25 | 21 | 83 |
| Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Gilbert Arenas | 30 | 1-7 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Stephen Jackson | 37 | 6-13 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| Brian Happel | 46 | 17-30 | 1-2 | 3-4 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 38 |
| Andray Blatche | 34 | 11-19 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 24 |
| Dwight Howard | 37 | 6-18 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| DeJuan Blair | 15 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Marcin Gortat | 12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| John Salmons | 7 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cory Coleman | 6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Wayne Washington | 13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ryan Anderson | 2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 44-92 | 2-8 | 7-8 | 56 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 13 | 97 | |
| Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| J. Johnson | 39 | 6-20 | 1-7 | 1-2 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 14 | |
| Ja. Crawford | 25 | 4-14 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 12 | |
| M. Williams | 36 | 5-6 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | |
| J. Smith | 38 | 6-10 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14 | |
| A. Horford | 39 | 3-10 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| Z. Pachulia | 19 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| J. Teague | 17 | 2-6 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Jo. Crawford | 15 | 4-8 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| N. Ferguson | 10 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| B. Dailey | 7 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| S. Stribling | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| P. Ryan (injured) | -- DID NOT PLAY -- | ||||||||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 33-83 | 4-18 | 13-15 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 83 | ||
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel knocking down some shots just in the "knick" of time, beating the 1st and 2nd quarter buzzers and a shot clock
Orlando, FL (AP) - Gilbert Arenas makes his return to the lineup, and the Magic dispatch of yet another team, blowing out the Knicks 116-92. Orlando didn't waste any time getting to work against New York. The Magic jumped out to a 9 point advantage in the first quarter. And, Orlando caught fire in the second quarter, putting to bed any chances the Knicks may have had of coming back. The Magic made 12-18 shots from the field in the second frame, good for 66%, while New York could only manage to connect on 8-23 shots (34%). The result was a 56-37 halftime lead, and Orlando was well on its way to another easy victory. Gilbert Arenas started the game, after missing the last two games with back spasms, "It still hurts a lot, but I couldn't stand sitting on the sidelines," said Arenas after the game, "So, I basically just kept bugging Coach until he finally let me give it a go. It's hard, but it's better than watching." Arenas played well, dishing out 10 assists in 21 minutes of action.
| Happel Top 5 Scoring Games | ||
| Team / Game Date | Points | |
 | November 16 | 67 |
 | November 13 | 52 |
 | January 1 | 51 |
 | January 7 | 48 |
 | December 31 | 44 |
Magic forward Brian Happel had another big night, as he inches closer to a major milestone. Happel's 48 points against the Knicks has him 28 points away from 5,000 for his career. Happel also was a force on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds, and he also hit three bombs from behind the arc. Happel got plenty of help from his teammates, especially in the rebounding department. Dwight Howard and DeJuan Blair both tallied double-digits in that category (13 and 11, respectively). Stephen Jackson even added 8 boards from the shooting guard position. Howard also poured in 17 points on 7-10 shooting.
Happel was more than pumped to play the Knicks, scoring 48 points
For the Knicks, one of the few bright spots was the play of Amare Stoudemire. He scored 24 points on 11-24 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, and picked up 3 steals. Second year guard Garrett Freeman also played well, putting in 14 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. However, Freeman also turned the ball over 5 times and missed all 7 three-point attempts. Allen Iverson's age is really starting to show, as the small guard only managed 9 points.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel launched an all-out air assault on New York
Happel really took over in both the first and third quarters, scoring a combined 32 out of his 48 points in those 2 periods. In the third quarter alone, Happel scored 11 of Orlando's 14 points in a 3:02 span. As usual, the Magic had no problem putting the ball in the hoop, connecting on 55% of its field goal attempts. The Knicks weren't terrible, but weren't great either, shooting 43%. The big difference was from behind the three-point line. Orlando hit on nearly 50% of its long range attempts (6-13), while New York was just 4-21.
| Team Stats - Career | |||||||||
| Team | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Atlanta | 8 | 40.4 | 27.0 | 14.0 | 3.8 | 2.0 | .574 | .429 | .949 |
There's no rest for the weary. The Magic go back on the road for the second half of a back-to-back, taking on Atlanta. The Hawks are the one team Orlando seems to be struggling with so far, this year. The Magic lost both games, including a 92-90 defeat at home in November. Happel had 37 points and 11 rebounds in that one, but it wasn't enough. Then, last month, Atlanta beat up on Orlando, winning by 16, again at the Amway Center. Happel didn't play in that contest. The Magic will look to get into the win column against the Hawks tonight in Atlanta.
Happel once again showing he's always ready to make the big shot, here sticking a three ball to end the first quarter.
| Jan 7, 2013 - NYK at ORL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| New York Knicks (16-20) | 19 | 18 | 23 | 32 | 92 |
| Orlando Magic (28-6) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 116 |
| New York Knicks | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| R. Turiaf | 27 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| A. Iverson | 25 | 4-8 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| D. Gallinari | 37 | 6-19 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| A. Stoudemire | 38 | 11-14 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| G. Freeman | 36 | 5-19 | 0-7 | 4-7 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 14 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| W. Chandler | 25 | 3-9 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| K. Azubuike | 16 | 3-5 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| T. Douglas | 12 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| E. Curry | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M. Clark | 9 | 2-5 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| T. Mozgov | 6 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| P. Chapman | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 40-91 | 4-21 | 8-12 | 31 | 24 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 92 | |
| Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Gilbert Arenas | 21 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Stephen Jackson | 33 | 5-15 | 2-7 | 0-0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Brian Happel | 42 | 21-27 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 48 |
| Andray Blatche | 30 | 6-13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Dwight Howard | 33 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 3-5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| DeJuan Blair | 21 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Marcin Gortat | 16 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| John Salmons | 12 | 4-6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 9 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Cory Coleman | 8 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wayne Washington | 17 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Ryan Anderson | 3 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 52-94 | 6-13 | 6-8 | 57 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 116 | |
Sunday, February 27, 2011
| Jan 5, 2013 - BOS at CLE | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Boston Celtics (16-19) | 19 | 22 | 35 | 26 | 102 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (16-19) | 18 | 20 | 33 | 33 | 104 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - MIL at NYK | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Milwaukee Bucks (15-19) | 26 | 20 | 23 | 31 | 100 |
| New York Knicks (16-19) | 26 | 12 | 16 | 33 | 87 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - CHI at WAS | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Chicago Bulls (20-13) | 25 | 20 | 19 | 30 | 94 |
| Washington Wizards (17-19) | 32 | 19 | 29 | 19 | 99 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - ATL at OKC | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Atlanta Hawks (23-10) | 26 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 91 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder (22-14) | 23 | 27 | 15 | 25 | 90 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - SAC at MEM | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Sacramento Kings (10-25) | 28 | 27 | 17 | 21 | 93 |
| Memphis Grizzlies (20-16) | 18 | 38 | 31 | 25 | 112 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - CHA at UTA | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Charlotte Bobcats (12-26) | 34 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 94 |
| Utah Jazz (12-24) | 30 | 18 | 36 | 20 | 104 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - SAS at NJN | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| San Antonio Spurs (18-17) | 23 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 76 |
| New Jersey Nets (14-20) | 28 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 70 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - MIN at DAL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Minnesota Timberwolves (15-21) | 19 | 28 | 18 | 29 | 94 |
| Dallas Mavericks (12-23) | 27 | 10 | 12 | 27 | 76 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - DEN at GSW | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Denver Nuggets (18-16) | 33 | 27 | 19 | 19 | 98 |
| Golden State Warriors (23-12) | 36 | 24 | 34 | 34 | 128 |
| Jan 5, 2013 - LAC at PHO | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Los Angeles Clippers (24-12) | 18 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 83 |
| Phoenix Suns (8-25) | 23 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 93 |
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel had ice water in his veins, hitting 2 shots to beat the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter buzzers
Philadelphia, PA (AP) - The City of Brotherly Love proved to be very friendly for the Magic. Orlando went on the road and dominated Philadelphia in every way, shape and form to win 108-78. The Magic got off to a tough start in the first half, only shooting 40% from the field. But, the Sixers were even worse offensively, shooting just 34% and scoring only 32 points. That gave Orlando a 14 point advantage going into the third quarter. And, once again, that's where the Magic simply put things out of reach. Orlando went on a 21-8 run over a 6:31 span, capped by a Dwight Howard basket and a foul with 4:18 left in the quarter. That put the Magic up by 21, and it never really got any closer than that.
| LEAGUE LEADERS - Updated: Jan 5, 2013 | ||
| Player | Field Goal % | |
 | BRIAN HAPPEL | .694 |
 | Patrick Patterson | .570 |
 | Josh Smith | .560 |
 | Carl Landry | .557 |
 | Jason Thompson | .552 |
Orlando Forward Brian Happel was terrific, especially shooting the basketball. Happel poured in 38 points, connecting on an amazing 17-21 shots, including both three-point attempts. He's easily the top shooter in the game right now. "It helps when your teammates are always looking for you," said Happel about his spectacular shooting, "They're finding me open shots, and when you're getting easy layups and dunks and wide open jumpers, it's easy to have a high percentage. So, I have to give my teammates a lot of credit for that." Happel also pulled down 15 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
Happel got out on the fast break early and often for some spectacular dunks
Happel got plenty of help from his teammates. Dwight Howard was outstanding anchoring the center position. He scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. He also shot 9-16 from the field, including all 3 of his free throws. Andray Blatche was solid on the low blocks as well, adding 15 points and standing his ground on defense with 3 steals and 3 blocks. Stephen Jackson showed signs of getting out of his slump, as well, scoring 17 points on 8-17 shooting. However, he struggled from long distance, hitting just 1-6 behind the arc.
| Season vs Philadelphia Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Game | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A |
| November 2 HOME | 44 | 41 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 18-22 | 2-2 | 3-4 |
| November 23 HOME | 43 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16-21 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| January 5 AWAY | 41 | 38 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17-21 | 2-2 | 3-3 |
| AVERAGES | 42.7 | 37.7 | 14.7 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .797 | 1.000 | .857 |
For Philadelphia, Bobby Lindsey led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He was the best player on the court. Evan Turner also played well, scoring 16 points, pulling down 5 boards and handing out 3 assists. Andre Iguodola scored 15 points but struggled from the field, making just 5-16 shots. Overall, Philly shot just 40% from the field and made only 2-13 three-point attempts.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel was "PHlying" high in Philly, slamming down the Sixers
Once again, Orlando shot the ball well, hitting 52% from the floor. But, it was the second half that really turned this one into a laugher. The Magic shot 66% in the final 2 quarters. The 76ers were able to get to the foul line more often, but the deficit was too big for that to make any difference. Orlando outrebounded the Sixers by a margin of 50-37, and the Magic also used the glass to get more second chance points. Orlando had 13 offensive rebounds, compared to Philadelphia's 7.
Defense was a big key, especially in the second half. Here, Happel swats away what would have been an Iguodola layup
Up next for the Magic: a potentially tough week. Orlando welcomes the New York Knicks to the Amway Center on Monday, and then must travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks in the second of a back-to-back. After that, it's a couple days off, before Kobe Bryant and the Lakers invade Orlando.
| Jan 5, 2013 - ORL at PHI | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Orlando Magic (27-6) | 26 | 20 | 31 | 31 | 108 |
| Philadelphia 76ers (12-23) | 19 | 13 | 24 | 22 | 78 |
| Orlando Magic | |||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| Wayne Washington | 19 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stephen Jackson | 32 | 8-17 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | |
| Brian Happel | 41 | 17-21 | 2-2 | 3-3 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 38 | |
| Andray Blatche | 33 | 7-16 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | |
| Dwight Howard | 37 | 9-16 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| DeJuan Blair | 20 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Marcin Gortat | 16 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| John Salmons | 17 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| Mack Bledsoe | 10 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cory Coleman | 14 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ryan Anderson | 5 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gilbert Arenas (injured) | -- DID NOT PLAY -- | ||||||||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 48-92 | 4-16 | 8-9 | 50 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 108 | ||
| Philadelphia 76ers | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| J. Holiday | 38 | 5-11 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| E. Turner | 40 | 7-19 | 1-8 | 1-2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| A. Iguodala | 39 | 5-16 | 0-1 | 5-7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| B. Lindsey | 37 | 7-16 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| G. Bonner | 33 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| L. Williams | 18 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 3-3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| M. Speights | 12 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| S. Hawes | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E. Brand | 6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M. Dunleavy | 6 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F. Stallworth | 4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| T. Lloyd | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 32-79 | 2-13 | 12-17 | 37 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 78 | |
Saturday, February 26, 2011
December Record: 11-4
Overall Record: 25-6
| Orlando Magic December 2012 Schedule | ||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | ||
| Dec 1 | at Boston | Won, 103-86 | ||
| Dec 3 | vs Minnesota | Won, 111-89 | ||
| Dec 5 | at Phoenix | Won, 98-85 | ||
| Dec 7 | at Los Angeles Clippers | Lost, 101-83 | ||
| Dec 8 | at Los Angeles Lakers | Won, 106-104 | ||
| Dec 10 | vs Toronto | Won, 101-99 | ||
| Dec 14 | vs Los Angeles Clippers | Lost, 103-89 | ||
| Dec 16 | at New York | Won, 93-76 | ||
| Dec 18 | vs Miami | Lost, 82-81 | ||
| Dec 20 | vs Atlanta | Lost, 107-91 | ||
| Dec 22 | vs Milwaukee | Won, 96-72 | ||
| Dec 26 | at San Antonio | Won, 97-77 | ||
| Dec 27 | at Dallas | Won, 116-72 | ||
| Dec 29 | vs Detroit | Won, 92-69 | ||
| Dec 31 | at Detroit | Won, 115-88 | ||
| NBA Standings - Updated: Jan 1, 2013 | ||||||||
| ATLANTIC | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Toronto Raptors | 19 | 14 | .576 | -- | 12-4 | 7-10 | 3-4 | 10-11 |
| 2. New York Knicks | 16 | 18 | .471 | 3.5 | 11-4 | 5-14 | 1-5 | 8-13 |
| 3. Boston Celtics | 15 | 17 | .469 | 3.5 | 10-6 | 5-11 | 6-2 | 11-9 |
| 4. New Jersey Nets | 13 | 18 | .419 | 5.0 | 7-8 | 6-10 | 5-3 | 12-12 |
| 5. Philadelphia 76ers | 12 | 21 | .364 | 7.0 | 6-8 | 6-13 | 3-4 | 8-14 |
| CENTRAL | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Chicago Bulls | 19 | 12 | .613 | -- | 11-4 | 8-8 | 2-3 | 8-6 |
| 2. Detroit Pistons | 15 | 16 | .484 | 4.0 | 7-10 | 8-6 | 4-2 | 9-10 |
| 3. Indiana Pacers | 14 | 19 | .424 | 6.0 | 9-7 | 5-12 | 3-1 | 7-11 |
| 3. Cleveland Cavaliers | 14 | 19 | .424 | 6.0 | 10-5 | 4-14 | 3-4 | 8-16 |
| 5. Milwaukee Bucks | 13 | 19 | .406 | 6.5 | 9-8 | 4-11 | 2-4 | 6-10 |
| SOUTHEAST | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. ORLANDO MAGIC | 26 | 6 | .813 | -- | 12-4 | 14-2 | 4-4 | 18-4 |
| 2. Miami Heat | 27 | 8 | .771 | 0.5 | 14-4 | 13-4 | 4-2 | 16-4 |
| 3. Atlanta Hawks | 21 | 10 | .677 | 4.5 | 11-5 | 10-5 | 4-1 | 15-5 |
| 4. Washington Wizards | 15 | 19 | .441 | 12.0 | 10-7 | 5-12 | 5-3 | 11-12 |
| 5. Charlotte Bobcats | 11 | 24 | .314 | 16.5 | 8-9 | 3-15 | 0-7 | 7-17 |
| NORTHWEST | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Oklahoma City Thunder | 22 | 12 | .647 | -- | 12-3 | 10-9 | 5-1 | 15-6 |
| 2. Portland Trail Blazers | 19 | 16 | .543 | 3.5 | 11-8 | 8-8 | 3-4 | 9-11 |
| 3. Denver Nuggets | 17 | 15 | .531 | 4.0 | 11-6 | 6-9 | 4-2 | 10-10 |
| 4. Minnesota Timberwolves | 13 | 20 | .394 | 8.5 | 7-7 | 6-13 | 2-6 | 8-14 |
| 5. Utah Jazz | 10 | 24 | .294 | 12.0 | 4-14 | 6-10 | 3-4 | 7-15 |
| PACIFIC | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Golden State Warriors | 22 | 11 | .667 | -- | 10-5 | 12-6 | 6-1 | 14-4 |
| 1. Los Angeles Clippers | 22 | 11 | .667 | -- | 12-7 | 10-4 | 4-3 | 16-9 |
| 3. Los Angeles Lakers | 13 | 17 | .433 | 7.5 | 7-11 | 6-6 | 4-3 | 9-10 |
| 4. Sacramento Kings | 10 | 23 | .303 | 12.0 | 5-9 | 5-14 | 1-4 | 7-14 |
| 5. Phoenix Suns | 7 | 24 | .226 | 14.0 | 2-13 | 5-11 | 1-5 | 4-17 |
| SOUTHWEST | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Houston Rockets | 22 | 10 | .688 | -- | 15-4 | 7-6 | 6-1 | 15-4 |
| 2. New Orleans Hornets | 18 | 15 | .545 | 4.5 | 10-5 | 8-10 | 3-2 | 12-9 |
| 3. Memphis Grizzlies | 18 | 16 | .529 | 5.0 | 9-8 | 9-8 | 4-2 | 11-8 |
| 4. San Antonio Spurs | 17 | 16 | .515 | 5.5 | 12-9 | 5-7 | 1-6 | 12-11 |
| 5. Dallas Mavericks | 11 | 21 | .344 | 11.0 | 5-10 | 6-11 | 1-4 | 6-13 |
| NBA League Leaders - Updated: Jan 1, 2013 | |||||
| Points Per Game | PPG | Rebounds Per Game | RPG | ||
 | 1. Derrick Rose | 30.5 | | 1. Dwight Howard | 11.5 |
| 2. Monta Ellis | 27.2 | 2. Al Horford | 11.4 | ||
| 3. Dwayne Wade | 26.5 | 3. Pau Gasol | 11.3 | ||
| 4. Kevin Durant | 26.2 | 4. David Lee | 11.2 | ||
| 5. Aaron Brooks | 26.1 | 5. Tim Duncan | 10.9 | ||
| Assists Per Game | APG | Steals Per Game | SPG | ||
| 1. Rajon Rondo | 9.4 |  | 1. Eric Gordon | 2.6 |
| 2. John Wall | 8.6 | 2. Jesse Delk | 2.4 | ||
| 3. Stephen Curry | 8.5 | 3. Ronnie Brewer | 2.4 | ||
| 4. Deron Williams | 8.3 | 4. Josh Smith | 2.3 | ||
| 5. Darren Collison | 8.0 | 5. Rajon Rondo | 2.3 | ||
| Blocks Per Game | BPG | Field Goal Percentage | FG% | ||
| 1. Josh Smith | 2.2 | | 1. BRIAN HAPPEL | .690 |
| 2. Andrew Bogut | 2.1 | 2. Patrick Patterson | .582 | ||
| 3. Derrick Favors | 2.1 | 3. Jason Thompson | .563 | ||
| 4. Andrea Bargnani | 2.0 | 4. Carl Landry | .561 | ||
| 5. Brook Lopez | 1.9 | 5. Josh Smith | .556 | ||
| 3-Point Percentage | 3PT% | Free Throw Percentage | FT% | ||
 | 1. James Anderson | .510 |  | 1. Gordon Hayward | .964 |
| 2. Jrue Holida | .500 | 2. Paul George | .963 | ||
| 3. Ty Lawson | .470 | 3. Luke Babbitt | .959 | ||
| 4. Paul Pierce | .463 | 4. Chauncey Billups | .952 | ||
| 5. BRIAN HAPPEL | .461 | 5. BRIAN HAPPEL | .952 | ||
| Orlando Magic - Player Averages Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FPG |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 23 | 41.6 | 38.3 | 13.2 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Andray Blatche | 32 | 33.3 | 14.7 | 7.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| Gilbert Arenas | 24 | 33.0 | 13.8 | 3.4 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Stephen Jackson | 32 | 34.9 | 13.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Dwight Howard | 32 | 34.9 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| DeJuan Blair | 32 | 20.1 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 |
| Ryan Anderson | 32 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| John Salmons | 32 | 13.7 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Wayne Washington | 32 | 12.4 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Marcin Gortat | 32 | 15.3 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 32 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Cory Coleman | 32 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| TOTALS | 32 | 101.1 | 50.6 | 22.4 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 10.3 | 14.3 | |
| Orlando Magic - Shooting Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3PT% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
| BRIAN HAPPEL | 383 | 555 | .690 | 35 | 76 | .461 | 79 | 83 | .952 |
| Andray Blatche | 202 | 410 | .493 | 1 | 10 | .100 | 66 | 80 | .825 |
| Gilbert Arenas | 130 | 327 | .398 | 36 | 116 | .310 | 36 | 49 | .735 |
| Stephen Jackson | 174 | 442 | .394 | 31 | 135 | .230 | 51 | 71 | .718 |
| Dwight Howard | 168 | 335 | .501 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 75 | 127 | .591 |
| DeJuan Blair | 65 | 133 | .489 | 1 | 8 | .125 | 24 | 50 | .480 |
| Ryan Anderson | 36 | 80 | .450 | 20 | 46 | .435 | 26 | 28 | .929 |
| John Salmons | 41 | 111 | .369 | 13 | 33 | .394 | 17 | 24 | .708 |
| Wayne Washington | 45 | 118 | .381 | 0 | 13 | .000 | 16 | 19 | .842 |
| Marcin Gortat | 35 | 67 | .522 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 23 | 37 | .622 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 27 | 77 | .351 | 7 | 28 | .250 | 12 | 18 | .667 |
| Cory Coleman | 19 | 54 | .352 | 1 | 8 | .125 | 15 | 20 | .750 |
| TOTALS | 1400 | 2935 | .477 | 145 | 474 | .306 | 440 | 606 | .726 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - CLE at MIL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (14-19) | 18 | 16 | 18 | 24 | 76 |
| Milwaukee Bucks (13-19) | 22 | 14 | 24 | 25 | 85 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - NYK at OKC | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| New York Knicks (16-18) | 25 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 83 |
| Oklahoma Cith Thunder (22-12) | 29 | 25 | 18 | 30 | 102 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - LAL at DEN | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Los Angeles Lakers (13-17) | 22 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 101 |
| Denver Nuggets (17-15) | 13 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 94 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - NOR at UTA | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| New Orleans Hornets (18-15) | 31 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 105 |
| Utah Jazz (10-24) | 24 | 22 | 34 | 30 | 110 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - SAC at MIA | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Sacramento Kings (10-23) | 23 | 17 | 28 | 25 | 93 |
| Miami Heat (27-8) | 37 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 96 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - POR at SAS | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Portland Trail Blazers (19-16) | 25 | 22 | 30 | 30 | 107 |
| San Antonio Spurs (17-16) | 30 | 30 | 28 | 33 | 120 |
| Jan 1, 2013 - HOU at CHI | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Houston Rockets (22-10) | 23 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 80 |
| Chicago Bulls (19-12) | 24 | 33 | 31 | 20 | 108 |
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel dunking on defenders and defending dunkers
Orlando, FL (AP) - The Magic start 2013 the same way they ended 2012 - with another dominating victory. Orlando welcomed Memphis to the Amway Center - but didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat, destroying the Grizzlies 107-83. The Magic used strong shooting, especially in the second half, to turn this one into another blowout win. Orlando shot 55% from the field in the second half, outscoring Memphis 58-43. Meantime, the Magic held the Grizzlies to just 34% shooting from the field for the entire game.
Happel had plenty to celebrate, scoring 51 points in another blowout win for Orlando
Orlando forward Brian Happel just proved to be too much for Memphis. Happel poured in 51 points on 22-29 shooting from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and played excellent defense, swatting away three shots. Afterwards, Happel talked about how he just tries to let the game come to him, "See, I'm a go with the flow kind of guy. I'm not really one to be constantly impressing my will on the rest of the team. I'll do it if it's needed, but this is a team game. It's not just about me."
| Happel Month Averages - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FPG |
| December 2012 | 6 | 41.3 | 37.0 | 16.3 | 6.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Happel Shooting Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3PT% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
| December 2012 | 100 | 157 | .637 | 13 | 24 | .542 | 9 | 9 | 1.000 |
And, Happel's teammates proved it's not just about him. Andray Blatche was red hot most of the game. He shot 10-16 from the field, scoring 21 points and collecting 8 rebounds. Dwight Howard was a force on the glass as well, grabbing 9 rebounds and blocking three shots while scoring 11 points. Marcin Gortat played well off the bench, grabbing 7 boards in just 15 minutes.
When Happel gets room like this on the break, it's show time!
As for the Grizzlies, there just wasn't a lot of consistency. Rudy Gay scored 19 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and picked up 4 steals. But, he shot 7-22 from the field, including just 1-6 from long distance. It was the same for Xavier Henry, who got some decent stats (13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists), but couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, going just 4-14 from the field. O.J. Mayo was a bright spot, scoring 17 points while hitting 3-5 three-point attempts. Jordan Farmar also ran the point well, dishing out 7 assists and pouring in 14 points. But, it wasn't nearly enough.
| NBA Standings - Updated: Jan 1, 2013 | ||||||||
| SOUTHEAST | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. ORLANDO MAGIC | 26 | 6 | .813 | --- | 12-4 | 14-2 | 4-4 | 18-4 |
| 2. Miami Heat | 27 | 8 | .771 | 0.5 | 14-4 | 13-4 | 4-2 | 16-4 |
| 3. Atlanta Hawks | 21 | 10 | .677 | 4.5 | 11-5 | 10-5 | 4-1 | 15-5 |
| 4. Washington Wizards | 15 | 19 | .441 | 12.0 | 10-7 | 5-12 | 5-3 | 11-12 |
| 5. Charlotte Bobcats | 11 | 24 | .314 | 16.5 | 8-9 | 3-15 | 0-7 | 7-17 |
| SOUTHWEST | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF |
| 1. Houston Rockets | 22 | 10 | .688 | --- | 15-4 | 7-6 | 6-1 | 15-4 |
| 2. New Orleans Hornets | 18 | 15 | .545 | 4.5 | 10-5 | 8-10 | 3-2 | 12-9 |
| 3. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES | 18 | 16 | .529 | 5.0 | 9-8 | 9-8 | 4-2 | 11-8 |
| 4. San Antonio Spurs | 17 | 16 | .515 | 5.5 | 12-9 | 5-7 | 1-6 | 12-11 |
| 5. Dallas Mavericks | 11 | 21 | .344 | 11.0 | 5-10 | 6-11 | 1-4 | 6-13 |
Rebounding was a big story in this game, as well. The Magic soundly outrebounded Memphis by a 58-37 margin. Orlando also got a lot of second chance opportunities, collecting 14 offensive rebounds, compared to just 4 for Memphis. Defense was also key, as the Magic blocked 8 shots, not letting the Grizzlies get any serious offense established in the paint. That forced Memphis to shoot more jumpers, which contributed to the 34% shooting from the field. After playing back-to-back games on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Orlando now gets a few days off before they have to travel to Philadelphia.
| Jan 1, 2013 - MEM at ORL | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Memphis Grizzlies (18-16) | 17 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 83 |
| Orlando Magic (26-6) | 25 | 24 | 30 | 28 | 107 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| J. Farmar | 28 | 5-13 | 3-8 | 1-1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| O.J. Mayo | 35 | 6-13 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| R. Gay | 43 | 7-22 | 1-6 | 4-4 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| D. Arthur | 11 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| M. Gasol | 36 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| X. Henry | 27 | 4-14 | 1-4 | 4-5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| A. Varejao | 25 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| S. Young | 13 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Cooper | 11 | 1-6 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| D. Carroll | 7 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| A. Law | 6 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| T. Allen | 4 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 30-87 | 8-25 | 15-17 | 37 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 83 | |
| Orlando Magic | |||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| Wayne Washington | 20 | 3-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| Stephen Jackson | 30 | 2-8 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| Brian Happel | 41 | 22-29 | 2-5 | 5-5 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 51 | |
| Andray Blatche | 32 | 10-16 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | |
| Dwight Howard | 34 | 4-11 | 0-0 | 3-6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS | |
| DeJuan Blair | 21 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Marcin Gortat | 15 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| John Salmons | 17 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mack Bledsoe | 13 | 1-6 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cory Coleman | 15 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Ryan Anderson | 7 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Gilbert Arenas (injured) | -- DID NOT PLAY -- | ||||||||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 46-90 | 4-14 | 11-15 | 58 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 107 | ||
Thursday, February 24, 2011
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Defense and dunks break Detroit's back
Detroit, MI (AP) - Somebody must've made Orlando's Brian Happel mad. The Magic swingman torched Detroit in just about every way imaginable, notching a triple-double while leading his squad to an easy 115-88 blowout over the Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills. This one was close at first. In fact, Detroit was holding the lead with about 4:30 to play in the first quarter. But, Orlando went on a 16-3 run to finish out the quarter, capped by a Happel steal and breakaway dunk with 15 seconds left to put the Magic up by 7 points. It never got any closer. "Such a great all-around game for the team tonight," said Happel after the game, "It's so rewarding to see what this team can do when we're all on the same page."
No matter what Detroit did, there was no "reversing" Happel's domination
There was one significant down side for the team after the game. The Magic found out they'll likely be without the services of point guard Gilbert Arenas for quite some time, again. Arenas hurt himself in the second quarter after a strong drive to the basket. Orlando's trainer, Keon Weise, said Arenas suffered a lower back strain and could be out a few weeks.
| Pos | Player | Injury Note |
| PG | Gilbert Arenas | Lower Back Strain; Out 2-4 weeks |
| Orlando Magic Stats - 2012-13 | |||||||||
| Player | W-L | PCT | PPG | RPG | APG | TOPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Without Arenas | 6-1 | .857 | 98.9 | 48.4 | 22.0 | 10.9 | .496 | .267 | .719 |
Even when the team had to play without Arenas earlier in the season, Orlando fared just fine, and that was in large part because of the dominance of Brian Happel. During last night's game, he put on what may be arguably the best game he's played in the NBA. Happel collected a triple-double, pouring in 44 points, grabbing 25 rebounds and handing out 12 assists. "He was just in a zone," said Magic Center Dwight Howard, "When he gets going like that, it's almost hard to not stop and watch. When he decided he wanted to score, he scored. When he wanted to get us involved, he was finding us open and setting us up for great shots around the basket."
| Triple-Doubles And Near Misses | ||||
| Team / Game Date | Points | Rebounds | Assists | |
| December 31 | 44 | 25 | 12 |
| November 6 | 32 | 10 | 11 |
 | November 19 | 41 | 13 | 8 |
 | October 30 | 34 | 9 | 12 |
There wasn't much scoring otherwise from Orlando, but there didn't need to be. Dwight Howard contributed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also swatted 4 shots. Andray Blatche also played well, scoring 14 points on 6-11 shooting from the field. Someone who is ready to see the calendar change over to 2013 is Stephen Jackson, who is having a hard time shooting out of his slump. He hit only 4-13, including a terrible 1-9 from long range tonight against Detroit. Jackson is shooting just 30% from the field and an almost unimaginable 3-36 from behind the arc (8%) in his last 7 games. "I'll find a way out of it. For now, I've got to look for other ways to contribute until I get the stroke back," said Jackson.
Happel turning great defense into instant offense, here picking up one of 3 steals, this one eventually leading to a layup by Andray Blatche
As for the Pistons, there were a couple of bright spots. Rodney Stuckey played very well at the point, scoring 18 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and handing out 7 dimes. Greg Monroe was also very solid, putting together a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards. He also was a force on defense, blocking 5 shots. Detroit also caught a bit of the injury bug, with both Paul George and Richard Hamilton getting hurt in the first quarter.
| Pos | Player | Injury Note |
| SG | Richard Hamilton | Separated Shoulder; Out 1-2 weeks |
| SF | Paul George | Strained Abdomen; Out 1-2 weeks |
Happel picking up his 10th assist for the triple-double. Happel had a double-double with 4:37 left in the 1st half, and was 1 assist shy of a triple-double by halftime.
Once again, Orlando managed to shoot the ball well, while holding the other team to a bad field goal percentage. The Magic connected on 50% of their shots, while the Pistons could only muster 39% offensively. Orlando also found the open man better, picking up 31 assists, compared to Detroit's 17. Rebounding was also a signficant point of difference, as the Magic outrebounded the Pistons by a 54-44 margin. The one area Detroit can be happy about is its bench play, with the Pistons outscoring Orlando 43-28. The Magic celebrated their victory, and a new year, on a plane back to Orlando. The Magic host Memphis on New Year's Day. After that, Orlando gets 3 days off.
| Dec 31, 2012 - ORL at DET | |||||
| TEAM | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Orlando Magic (25-6) | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 115 |
| Detroit Pistons (15-16) | 22 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 88 |
| Orlando Magic | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Gilbert Arenas | 13 | 5-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Stephen Jackson | 30 | 4-13 | 1-9 | 0-0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Brian Happel | 44 | 19-30 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 44 |
| Andray Blatche | 32 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| Dwight Howard | 37 | 5-12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| DeJuan Blair | 22 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Marcin Gortat | 13 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| John Salmons | 14 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Mack Bledsoe | 8 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cory Coleman | 5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Wayne Washington | 21 | 3-8 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Ryan Anderson | 7 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 51-102 | 5-18 | 8-8 | 54 | 31 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 115 | |
| Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| R. Stuckey | 43 | 8-23 | 0-1 | 2-5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| R. Hamilton | 5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P. George | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M. Beasley | 43 | 7-16 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| G. Monroe | 41 | 6-14 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 13 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| J. Maxiell | 27 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| A. Thornton | 19 | 6-12 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| C. Parks | 17 | 3-11 | 1-4 | 2-4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| R. Balkman | 17 | 2-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| J. Dorsey | 12 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A. Daye | 11 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| M. Yi | 9 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 38-97 | 2-10 | 10-20 | 44 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 88 | |
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The NBA's Best Under 25
By Joe Smith
NBA.com
We're about to ring in a new year, and that means all kinds of lists. Best of this. Worst of that. Well, I can't resist! I've got my own list for all you NBA nuts out there, and it's faaaantastic! There's been quite an infusion of talent into the NBA over the last few years. So, I'm taking a look at how they stack up against each other. Today, we're considering the Top 5 Players Under 25. These players aren't just stars of the future. The future is NOW for these guys. First, a look at those who are worth a mention, but didn't quite make the top five.
HONORABLE MENTION:
| Best of the Rest - Young Guns Stats | |||||||||
| Player | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Brook Lopez (24yo) | 348 | 17.2 | 9.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.9 | .510 | .000 | .825 |
| Kevin Love (24yo) | 337 | 14.0 | 10.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | .456 | .328 | .789 |
| Russell Westbrook (24yo) | 361 | 17.4 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 1.4 | 0.2 | .431 | .241 | .808 |
| Jonny Flynn (23) | 277 | 17.8 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | .456 | .343 | .817 |
| Bobby Lindsey (24) | 114 | 18.0 | 9.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | .473 | .500 | .708 |
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for - a countdown of the top 5 players under 25 years old.
5. STEPHEN CURRY - 24 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - GOLDEN STATE
A lot of people thought Curry was way too undersized to be able to perform at a level similar to what he did at Davidson. But, he's proved a lot of people wrong. Curry continues to get better every year with Golden State. He had a solid rookie season with 17.5 points per game, 5.9 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game. Those numbers have gone up every season, to the point where he is now averaging 22 points, 8.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He is in the top 10 so far in 2012 in assists and thefts. And, there isn't a more pure shooter among his age bracket.
4. JOHN WALL - 22 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - WASHINGTON
John Wall was EXPECTED to be a star when he left Kentucky to enter the NBA Draft early. And, he certainly hasn't disappointed. Wall is a dynamic, explosive talent who continues to get better every season. He is averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 assists per game for his career. But, the numbers have gone up in each of his 2+ seasons in the NBA. He is now averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 assists per game, both in the top five in the league.
He's a force on defense in terms of stealing the ball. And, he is becoming a big time leader for such a young age. The one criticism with Wall is the turnovers. Those numbers have gone up every year as well, so taking care of the ball is one area he'll need to focus on. If he can get some real talent around him in Washington, watch out!
3. BRIAN HAPPEL - 21 YEARS OLD - SMALL FORWARD - ORLANDO
Brian Happel may be the biggest surprise on this list. He had a good college career at Syracuse University and managed to get drafted late in the first round by Orlando. But, not even the Magic knew just what they were getting. Happel started off without much fanfare. But now, he is clearly one of the best, if not THE best players in the game today. It's been quite the meteoric rise - kind of like his dunks nowadays. NBA Champion? Check. NBA Finals MVP? Check. Regular season MVP? Check. All at the ripe old age of 20 - and in just his second year in the league! He led the league in scoring and rebounding last year, and he's in position to do the same this year. So far over his career: 27.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. He is the best shooter in the game - 61% FG, 46% 3-pointers, 92% FT. He can beat you off the dribble. Happel moves without the ball like nobody else. He's relentless on the glass. He makes his teammates better. The only reason why he's not number one on this list - it's only his third year in the league. The next 2 guys have a bigger body of work.
2. DERRICK ROSE - 24 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - CHICAGO
Derrick Rose may be the most athletic of this bunch. Again, many people ASSUMED Rose would become a good player. But, he is quickly becoming the BEST in the league. Rose can take over a game at any time. But, while he can put the ball in the hoop with the best of them, he also finds a way to get his teammates involved. In his 5th year in the league, Rose is averaging 24 points and nearly 7 assists per game.
Rose is an outstanding shooter that can nail the jumper from anywhere on the court, but he can also break down the defense and get to the basket for easy layups and dunks. His foul shooting is also significantly improved. Rose's coming out party came a few years ago in the playoffs against Boston. Since then, Derrick has been associated with dominance. The only question is, can he lead the Bulls to a title and cement himself in both franchise and league history?
1. KEVIN DURANT - 24 YEARS OLD - SMALL FORWARD - OKLAHOMA CITY
This was really a no-brainer. Happel may beg to differ, but considering the longer body of work, Kevin Durant is both the better player and better pure scorer. Durantula is a nightmare to guard. He can stick jumpers in your face. He can get to the basket with ease. He can pretty much do what he wants on the floor when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Durant led the league in scoring twice (2009-10 and 2010-11) and is consistently putting up 25+ points per game.
His rebounding is also vastly improved. Durant went from 4.3 rebounds per game in his rookie year to 11.1 rebounds per contest last season, and he's again averaging a double-double every night out. Durant's shooting has also gotten measurably better - now shooting better than 50% over the last year and a half. One of the biggest criticisms is his lack of getting teammates involved. This is one reason Happel may overtake Durant as the best player in the NBA. Durant does not do a good job finding teammates, averaging just about 2 assists a game for his career. Like Rose, the question is whether Durant can lead a team to an NBA title. He may have to leave Oklahoma City to do that.
Orlando, FL (AP) - Back from his injury, and back on top. Magic forward Brian Happel was named the Eastern Conference's Player of the Week for December 23-29th. Happel had spent much of the past three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a twisted ankle against Minnesota on December 3. That gave some other guys in the East a chance at some hardware, namely John Wall, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. But, once Happel was back on the court, it didn't take him long to get back to his old tricks and dominating performances.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Happel's 1st game back against San Antonio was a strong one: 40 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast
Happel led his Magic to three blowout victories, two of them on the road. He averaged 32 points, 16.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for the week. Happel also shot 61% from the field and blocked four shots in the three games. "I was just ready to get back on the court," Happel said after practice yesterday, "Sure, it's nice to be recognized like that. But, you know the most important stat? Orlando went 3-0 last week. I don't care if I score 80 points or no points, as long as we win and I can contribute, that's all that I care about."
| Happel's Games 12/23-12/29 | |||||||||
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | FT |
| 12/26 at San Antonio | 43 | 40 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 19-29 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| 12/27 at Dallas | 42 | 31 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14-24 | 1-3 | 2-2 |
| 12/29 vs Detroit | 40 | 25 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12-21 | 1-5 | 0-0 |
Curry lit up opponents last week, leading Golden State to 3 victories
Warriors Poing Guard Stephen Curry was named the Western Conference's Player of the Week. Curry was on fire, averaging 31 points per game and 7 assists per game. The fourth year point man out of Davidson also shot lights out, connecting on 54% of his shots from the field, including 38% from long distance.
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