The Orlando Magic used strong rebounding and superior 3-point shooting to claim a 44-42 halftime lead over the Indiana Pacers Monday night.
Despite playing without star center Dwight Howard, the Magic outrebounded the taller Pacers 25-20 in the first half. The extra effort on the boards and hustle plays helped create opportunities for the Magic and erase some of the team’s early mistakes.
Indiana raced out to an early 11-point advantage, but the Magic rallied to overcome a double digit deficit for the second consecutive game. Orlando reclaimed momentum near the end of the first quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Game 2 of the series is being broadcast on Fox Sports Florida and NBATV.
Orlando leads the playoff series 1-0.
Indiana used strong ball movement and exploited the Magic's early tepid 3-point shooting to go on an 8-0 run and pad its double digit lead.
Indiana power forward David West, who has been one of the bigger matchup headaches for the Magic, leads his team with 10 points. Shooting guard Paul George chipped in another eight points.
Magic power forward Glen Davis, who has been forced to take over Howard’s role inside, battled for a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds. Fellow power forward Ryan Anderson added eight points and eight rebounds apiece.
While both big men worked the boards, Anderson helped spark Orlando’s first quarter comeback with timely outside shots.
The Magic have hit 6-of-17 attempts from 3-point range. While it isn't Orlando's best long-range shooting effort of the season, it was far better than Indiana's 0-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
“Just fighting and battling, that’s what we’ve been doing all series so far,†Anderson told Fox Sports Florida at halftime when asked about his team’s performance during the first half. “It’s all we can really do. We really just need to play harder than them and battle and keep getting offensive rebounds.â€Â
The Magic seemed poised to take a more commanding lead in the second quarter, but the team had trouble taking care of the ball and turnovers helped spark an 8-3 Indiana run.
Orlando shooting forward Hedo Turkoglu is playing in his third game since having surgery to repair a broken bone in his face. He is clearly still adjusting to wearing a face mask and told teammates on the sideline he had trouble seeing the basketball when it was dribbled or passed below his waist.
The mask hasn't had a negative impact on Turkoglu's shooting. He scored eight points during the first half.
Orlando shooting guard Jason Richardson jammed one of his fingers while trying to drive past Indiana’s Danny Granger during the first half. Richardson was evaluated by Magic medical staff and started the third quarter for the Magic.
Check back for more updates soon.
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