Magic roll in debut with 120-106 win over 76ers

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ, Associated Press Writer Oct 28, 10:43 pm EDT

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—The Orlando Magic didn’t spend much time hoisting their Eastern Conference championship banner.

They didn’t take long to adjust to a revamped roster, either.

Dwight Howard(notes) had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Vince Carter(notes) scored 15 points and the new-look Magic rolled to a 120-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

“You look around,” Carter said, “this is like heaven.”

Ryan Anderson(notes) added 16 points, and Jason Williams(notes) had 15 points to highlight a deep Magic bench. Orlando went ahead by 23 points at the half, scored 100 through three quarters and showed no signs of a finals hangover after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers on the same floor in June.

Still, some spotty defense had Magic coach Stan Van Gundy mocking the success his team enjoyed offensively.

“Nobody has ever gone 82-0,” Van Gundy said.

Marreese Speights(notes) had 26 points, and Elton Brand(notes) added eight points in his first regular-season game since missing most of 2008-09 with a right shoulder injury for Philadelphia.

“This is a heck of a team we played tonight,” new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said. “They got away from us a little bit in the first half with some layups in the open floor, but the 3s destroyed us.”

The Magic didn’t spend much time embracing last season’s success.

The Eastern Conference championship banner was already hanging from the rafters before the game. A video montage of their playoff run only lasted about three minutes, and Van Gundy—in his usual play-the-game-already attitude—was stretched out in his chair on the bench during opening night introductions.

A perfect preseason behind them, the Magic showed signs that those exhibition wins weren’t a fluke. They went down by five points early in the first quarter before showing why so many have them picked to again contend with Boston and Cleveland for a conference title.

Carter took a near halfcourt alley-oop pass from Matt Barnes(notes) and finished left-handed, his mother in the fourth row among the throngs in the arena brought to their feet in celebration for the hometown kid.

Carter, a Daytona Beach native who has made his home in Orlando for years, followed that with a 3-pointer to highlight a furious Magic push that put them ahead by 23 points at the half. The Magic eventually led by as many as 31 points.

“With all the surrounding talent that we have, it really cuts down on the starters’ minutes and keeps us fresh,” Carter said.

Orlando was still missing a key piece.

The Magic are without Rashard Lewis(notes) for the first 10 games after the All-Star forward was suspended by the league for testing positive for an elevated level of testosterone. Lewis posted a link on his Twitter page to a video of him exercising on a stationary bike at his home about two hours before tipoff.

“We have nine more games to play without him,” Howard said. “Hopefully we can get better before then.”

Philadelphia didn’t show quite the same energy.

Having Brand back didn’t help much, and although Louis Williams(notes) had 18 points, his reign as the full-time point guard was shaky. The Sixers were sloppy and resembled little of the team that took the Magic to six games in the first round of the playoffs last season.

The only real fight Philadelphia showed all night was when Speights went face-to-face with Howard after the big men got tangled up underneath the rim in the second quarter. Howard was called for a technical foul on the play.

The Sixers never got so close again.

“He is very strong and athletic,” Speights said. “That is a good learning experience for me. I learned a lot from this game.”

Notes: Most of the Magic players said during the morning shootaround that they watched the Lakers’ championship ring ceremony Tuesday night. Howard said it was difficult to observe but joked that “the rings are very pretty.” Van Gundy said seeing Los Angeles get its rings brought back a lot of bad memories from the finals. “You sort of relive the whole thing,” Van Gundy said. “Not pleasant.” … Tiger Woods, a central Florida resident, sat courtside but didn’t return to his seat for the second half with the Magic leading big.

Updated Oct 28, 10:43 pm EDT
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110 Comments

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  1. Steven
    110. Posted by Steven Fri Oct 30 10:03pm EDT

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    i agree with derrick r
  2. Derrick R
    109. Posted by Derrick R Fri Oct 30 10:26am EDT

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    I AGREE W/ ANTHONY.
    The ONLY reason why the MAgic went to the finals last year was because of their unconventional line up. And that line up ran an offense that was so unpredictable,fast, and bombed 3-point shots. There was just no answer for that kind of an offense.
    But knowing Stan Van Gundy, as Shaq would describe him. Master Choker. He put Jameer Nelson back into a well orchestrated line up in the Finals, and we all know what happened. And if that was not enough, he now got rid of Hedo and Alston. Sure they got Vince. But the guy performs pretty bad in the post season. Their line up right now can easily be matched up. Please don't interpret the highlights that Vince is giving you guys this early as a sign of better things ahead. Just wait for the playoffs. There you will see how this guy will perform on pressure. And say good bye to the kind of comebacks the Magic did last year. Without their run-and-gun 3 point shooters like Hedo and Rafer, it will be a tough post season for the Orlando Magic.
  3. Derrick R
    108. Posted by Derrick R Fri Oct 30 10:26am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I AGREE W/ ANTHONY.
    The ONLY reason why the MAgic went to the finals last year was because of their unconventional line up. And that line up ran an offense that was so unpredictable,fast, and bombed 3-point shots. There was just no answer for that kind of an offense.
    But knowing Stan Van Gundy, as Shaq would describe him. Master Choker. He put Jameer Nelson back into a well orchestrated line up in the Finals, and we all know what happened. And if that was not enough, he now got rid of Hedo and Alston. Sure they got Vince. But the guy performs pretty bad in the post season. Their line up right now can easily be matched up. Please don't interpret the highlights that Vince is giving you guys this early as a sign of better things ahead. Just wait for the playoffs. There you will see how this guy will perform on pressure. And say good bye to the kind of comebacks the Magic did last year. Without their run-and-gun 3 point shooters like Hedo and Rafer, it will be a tough post season for the Orlando Magic.
  4. Derrick R
    107. Posted by Derrick R Fri Oct 30 10:26am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I AGREE W/ ANTHONY.
    The ONLY reason why the MAgic went to the finals last year was because of their unconventional line up. And that line up ran an offense that was so unpredictable,fast, and bombed 3-point shots. There was just no answer for that kind of an offense.
    But knowing Stan Van Gundy, as Shaq would describe him. Master Choker. He put Jameer Nelson back into a well orchestrated line up in the Finals, and we all know what happened. And if that was not enough, he now got rid of Hedo and Alston. Sure they got Vince. But the guy performs pretty bad in the post season. Their line up right now can easily be matched up. Please don't interpret the highlights that Vince is giving you guys this early as a sign of better things ahead. Just wait for the playoffs. There you will see how this guy will perform on pressure. And say good bye to the kind of comebacks the Magic did last year. Without their run-and-gun 3 point shooters like Hedo and Rafer, it will be a tough post season for the Orlando Magic,
  5. Derrick R
    106. Posted by Derrick R Fri Oct 30 10:25am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I AGREE W/ ANTHONY.
    The ONLY reason why the MAgic went to the finals last year was because of their unconventional line up. And that line up ran an offense that was so unpredictable,fast, and bombed 3-point shots. There was just no answer for that kind of an offense.
    But knowing Stan Van Gundy, as Shaq would describe him. Master Choker. He put Jameer Nelson back into a well orchestrated line up in the Finals, and we all know what happened. And if that was not enough, he now got rid of Hedo and Alston. Sure they got Vince. But the guy performs pretty bad in the post season. Their line up right now can easily be matched up. Please don't interpret the highlights that Vince is giving you guys this early as a sign of better things ahead. Just wait for the playoffs. There you will see how this guy will perform on pressure. And say good bye to the kind of comebacks the Magic did last year. Without their run-and-gun 3 point shooters like Hedo and Rafer, it will be a tough post season for the Orlando Magic,
  6. Derrick R
    105. Posted by Derrick R Fri Oct 30 10:25am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I AGREE W/ ANTHONY.
    The ONLY reason why the MAgic went to the finals last year was because of their unconventional line up. And that line up ran an offense that was so unpredictable,fast, and bombed 3-point shots. There was just no answer for that kind of an offense.
    But knowing Stan Van Gundy, as Shaq would describe him. Master Choker. He put Jameer Nelson back into a well orchestrated line up in the Finals, and we all know what happened. And if that was not enough, he now got rid of Hedo and Alston. Sure they got Vince. But the guy performs pretty bad in the post season. Their line up right now can easily be matched up. Please don't interpret the highlights that Vince is giving you guys this early as a sign of better things ahead. Just wait for the playoffs. There you will see how this guy will perform on pressure. And say good bye to the kind of comebacks the Magic did last year. Without their run-and-gun 3 point shooters like Hedo and Rafer, it will be a tough post season for the Orlando Magic,
  7. <i>aerdoganjobs</i>
    104. Posted by aerdoganjobs Fri Oct 30 10:14am EDT

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    #54 funny you mention Hedo being your 4th best player when he was your leading scorer in the finals against the lakers.
    Howard and Nelson didn't deliver in the finals. We forgive Nelson for he was injured, but what about Howard? People say he's the next Shaq, but he has no post moves other than whirling away from the basket and shooting fade away jumphooks, and he can't even make the simplest of passes. He looks more like the next Mutombo when he tries the fadeaway jump hook, it's a very difficult shot even for the best shooters so why Orlando staff teaches him that kind of stupid plays instead of very easy to make bankshots ala Duncan is beyond me...
    Bottom line, be respectful of your ex-players who contributed much more than expected, don't forget that Orlando can only go where Howards carries, Hedo VC are mere details...
  8. tony s
    103. Posted by tony s Fri Oct 30 10:05am EDT

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    Dwight can't even be original, Shaq has been Superman for 17 years & dumb Dwight decides that will be his name. You've got The Truth, Flash, Superman etc. but the big DUMB one steels someone else's name. Anyways, expect the Celtics to crush the Magic. Then the Magics Stupidman can blame the coach again, only because he is to Dumb to realize that he has no game.
  9. bvm44
    102. Posted by bvm44 Fri Oct 30 9:23am EDT

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    Bottom line is this I don't think no one out there can predict the future in basketball. But lets look at the talent that is on the team as a whole and stop judging them. If nelson doesn't perform then are you going to blame the loss of a game on him? No that can't be. He is one player who is a pretty good one by the way. And then you have the big man who is still looking for his game. Which will come maybe this year. Lets just say this they will make the playoffs and then If they are healthy I believe they will be in the finals because they are young and the other 2 powerhouse teams in the east are aging quickly.
  10. <i>supermanllaca</i>
    101. Posted by supermanllaca Thu Oct 29 10:17pm EDT

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    oralndo wins the division and theyll blow out boston and cleveland in both the second and third round cause even theyre bench is deep
  11. Anthony
    100. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 8:11pm EDT

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    The reason the unconventional lineup worked well was because when playing the Magic you had to defend two 6'10" players who could shoot the 3, put the ball on the floor, and make plays passing the ball. Now you are delegated to 1 player who can do those things. Matching up with a 6'6" Vince Carter is alot easier than matching up with a 6'10" Hedo who plays the wing. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce can both defend on Vince, where as Hedo had a size mismatch over both of those players. Thats why the conventional lineup hurts Orlando. They dished off the one thing they had going for them, bigs who can shoot. Bass is a player who bangs around underneath, he doesn't have range, same goes for Gortat and Howard. Matt Barnes is a pretty good addition, but I thought the same thing when he joined the Suns, but it never panned out.
  12. Anthony
    99. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 8:06pm EDT

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    The Celtics didn't have KG in either of those games that Orlando won. Kinda funny that you bring up the regular season. When we did have KG we won by 19 and 10, when KG was injured the Magic won by 7 and 2. See if KG WOULD'VE been on the floor, we would've had a better chance at winning. Without KG, the Celtics just aren't the same team.
  13. Anthony
    98. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 8:01pm EDT

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    sorry but if people would actually do some research instead of talk out of their @sses things would go alot smoother. lol
  14. Magician44
    97. Posted by Magician44 Thu Oct 29 8:00pm EDT

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    I can't understand people... last year Orlando wasn't supposed to go anywhere cause they had an unconventional lineup, and lived or died by the three. Boston was supposed to defeat the Magic, cause of the unconventional lineup, Cleveland was supposed to beat Orlando cause of the unconventional lineup, some even went as far as to say Philadelphia could beat the Magic in a 7 game series. Now, this year, apparently it is that because the Magic have a more conventional lineup the other teams will have an easier time playing against them.

    I'm sure that when Rashard comes back from his suspension, SVG will be able to use the "unconventional lineup" if he needs to. This year, the new additions to the team are meant to give Orlando the size it needs if they meet the Lakers again in the finals... but also to better deal with a Boston team that has KG back and Sheed. And yeah, Boston didn't have KG for the series against the Magic, but Orlando was missing Nelson... not the same, I know, but just saying the Magic were not at full force either... oh, and in the regular season the series was a split, so the advantage to Boston isn't as huge as Celts fans would like to believe.
  15. Steven
    96. Posted by Steven Thu Oct 29 7:49pm EDT

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    too much information anthony.
  16. Anthony
    95. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 7:41pm EDT

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    On the other hand Hedo has appeared in 75 games per season. Hes only appeared in 99 less games than Vince Carter, yet Carter has been in the league for 3 more seasons. The stats are stacked against you my friend. Last four seasons? pssssh
  17. Anthony
    94. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 7:37pm EDT

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    Over Vince Carters career he averages only 64 games a season. Thats almost 20 less than a full season. On top of that hes only played a full season twice. So me saying that Vince has a storied past of frailness is right on the money. I love how you only brought up the past 4 seasons. Don't be so naive fella.
  18. Anthony
    93. Posted by Anthony Thu Oct 29 7:33pm EDT

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    to comment number 48 and comment number 63.. did I say the last 4 seasons? I don't think so. Take a look at Vince Carters career, which isn't 4 seasons. The guy has some history of being fragile. Also a win is a win my friend. Orlando would've had a 3-1 lead, who cares? A win is a win, a loss is a loss. Quit thinking about what might have been and live with what happened. The Lakers dismantled a Magic team that wasn't ready to win a championship. They traded for Vince Carter and got rid of Hedo. Sure Carter can score, but Hedo was a better fit with his outside shooting ability and size. Rashard Lewis and Hedo gave alot of teams fits because of their size and shooting ability. Now they have a conventional lineup where most 2-guards will easily match up with VC. Read my whole post before you start nagging. Did I say the last four seasons? No. I said history, career. And as for VC being an upgrade. Maybe on a different team, but Hedo was a perfect fit for the Magic. Keep thinking the Magic are soooooo good. Now the Celtics will be able to match up perfectly with the Magic. And we win in every position but center. But hey Perkins has shown more than once that he can handle Howard. Although Howard may be a beast under the basket, he isn't a beast on offense. No jump shot, poor free throw shooter. He's actually kinda like Lebron, you don't want him shooting unless its a dunk. Have fun Magic and be thankful we didn't have KG last year.
  19. Steven
    92. Posted by Steven Thu Oct 29 7:21pm EDT

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    yangclis you are not funny quit doing that ok.
  20. Deano Sauve
    91. Posted by Deano Sauve Thu Oct 29 6:55pm EDT

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    Who cares, it's the N.B.A. It sucks!
  21. Steven
    90. Posted by Steven Thu Oct 29 6:42pm EDT

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    i wasn't number 55 mark s and by the way why does this article bleep all the bad words they are so sensitive.
  22. Mark S
    89. Posted by Mark S Thu Oct 29 4:39pm EDT

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    #55 Steven, You're such a dip-@#$% for trying to know it all but still don't know anything. Go Orlando!
  23. Avid Mitsu
    88. Posted by Avid Mitsu Thu Oct 29 4:33pm EDT

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    I am a Magic fan and its way too early in the season to predict anything..BUT the Magic have a squad this year. They got more talent this year than last years time and experience too. Otis Smith did a great job picking up players to fill spots and created a very deep team. Anyone saying the Magic are just hype or lost talent are ignorant morons.
  24. TrMiles
    87. Posted by TrMiles Thu Oct 29 4:20pm EDT

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    The Magic should trade Nelson if they want to win this year.... he is the reason they lost last year,
    No one else will say it but, the Magic had learned how to play in your face basketball, and when he
    returned they went back to their old way of playing and lost, by slowing down for him....!

    Tim of Cocoa,Fl
  25. Dan
    86. Posted by Dan Thu Oct 29 4:20pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Screw yourselves haha still got the ZERO right in the championship department you noobs!
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Top Performers

 Top Performers
 Philadelphia
M. Speights Marreese Speights
10-11,  26 Pts
5 Rebs, 0 Assists
 Orlando
D. Howard Dwight Howard
9-11,  21 Pts
15 Rebs, 2 Assists

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