Tag: Orlando Magic

Cavs and Magic fans were furious that Game 2 of the playoffs was blacked out locally

Fans had a hard time watching Monday’s Game 2 in Cleveland, which was relegated to NBA TV.

The NBA playoffs are here, and fans are excited to watch their teams try to compete for a championship.

But if you cheer for the Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic, that was a bit harder to do on Monday night. Unlike the other two postseason games on the slate, that game is only carried on NBA TV, which requires a League Pass subscription to watch.

To make matters worse for fans based out of Cleveland, Orlando or the surrounding areas, the game was also blacked out locally. It was only broadcast by the local Bally Sports networks, which is not included in the packages for YouTube TV and several other carriers.

As you can imagine, not being able to watch a playoff game locally was not particularly well received by fans of both teams, who took to social media to voice their frustrations.

Technical difficulties caused ESPN’s broadcast of Cavaliers – Magic to start without any commentary

Okay, this was pretty surreal.

If you tuned in to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic play in their first playoff series game on Saturday, you might’ve noticed something strange on the ESPN broadcast.

Right after the ball tipped off, the ESPN audio commentary feed cut out, leaving viewers with just a live broadcast of the game’s opening moments.

It was a bit surreal to just watch the two teams going back-and-forth playing hoops for a bit before ESPN broadcaster Beth Mowins chimed in after the first couple of minutes to explain to the folks at home there were some technical difficulties on their side of things.

While we’re more than glad the audio feed came back so that the broadcast crew could provide their commentary, it was just fascinating to watch NBA basketball without any sort of announcing or commentating going on and just hear the noises of the game and the cheering in the stands.

This does not happen often, so enjoy one of the mpre unique moments we’re going to get this NBA playoffs.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Jamahl Mosley praises Mark Daigneault for NBCA Coach of the Year award

Jamahl Mosley praises Mark Daigneault for NBCA Coach of the Year award.

After winning the NBCA’s Coach of the Year, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was prideful of the award. It was a sign of respect from his peers: The 30 NBA head coaches voted on the award.

Daigneault also will likely receive the wider known Coach of the Year award bestowed by the NBA. The 39-year-old helped the young Thunder become one of the best teams in the league. OKC finished as the youngest first seed in league history this season.

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley experienced similar success with his young squad. The Magic finished 47-35 and with the fifth seed.

Mosley, who signed an extension this season, will likely finish as a runner-up for the award. He offered Daigneault praise on the NBCA award.

“I think he’s done a phenomenal, phenomenal job down there with those guys,” Mosley said. “The way in which they play, the style that they play won. How they execute, how they’re detailed, how they’re prepared for every single game. He’s done such a fantastic job for them.”

Both the Thunder and Magic hope to make noise in the playoffs. They’ve been two of the best young squads in the league and have broken out this season.

Editor’s note: RookieWire’s Cody Taylor contributed to this article.

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Former Vols’ NBA results for April 9

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Tuesday.

Two former Vols competed in the NBA on Tuesday, while four did not play.

Philadelphia defeated Detroit, 120-102, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers. He totaled 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and one block in 28 minutes. Harris converted 6-of-13 field goal attempts and 3-of-4 free throw attempts.

Dallas defeated Charlotte, 130-104, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Williams started at center for the Hornets. He recorded 12 points, four assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes.

Milwaukee defeated Boston, 104-91, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jaden Springer did not play due to a coach’s decision for the Celtics.

Miami defeated Atlanta, 117-111 in double overtime, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Josh Richardson was inactive for the Heat.

Houston defeated Orlando, 118-106, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Admiral Schofield was inactive for the Magic.

New York defeated Chicago, 128-117, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Julian Phillips was inactive for the Bulls.

Billy Donovan discusses Bulls’ turnover problems in loss to Magic

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Orlando Magic, Billy Donovan spoke about their turnover problems.

The Chicago Bulls took on the Orlando Magic on Sunday in a game that was crucial to both of their places in the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic are in a battle with the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers for seeding in the East. Meanwhile, the Bulls are fighting to remain in the ninth seed above the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bulls and Hawks are all but locked into a matchup in the 9-10 game of the Play-In Tournament. However, it’s still unknown who will be the ninth seed and earn home-court advantage. And if the Bulls want to stay in that spot, they need to play better.

Chicago lost to the Magic by a score of 113-98, and after the game, head coach Billy Donovan spoke about their turnover issues. (H/t ESPN)

“We’re not going to win turning the ball over 21 times,” Donovan said. “Some of it was carelessness with the ball, but it was like everyone contributed to it. There was a wide range of turnovers.”

Chicago turned the ball over 21 times against Orlando, and the Magic scored 14 fastbreak points.

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DeMar DeRozan scolds Bulls’ play after tough loss to Magic

After the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Orlando Magic, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the team’s need to be better.

The Chicago Bulls have entered the point of the season where every game matters. As they fight for their spot in the Play-In Tournament, where they will almost certainly be playing the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 game, their play needs to be consistent. They can’t afford to be dropping easy games, and they need to stay competitive in the tough ones.

On Sunday night, the Bulls traveled to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic, who are also fighting for playoff seeding. The Bulls failed to pull through, as the Magic earned a 113-98 victory, improving their standing in the East playoff picture.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the team’s need to be better down the stretch of the season. (H/t ESPN)

“We are coming to a point where we can’t play those [erratic] games,” DeRozan said. “The reality is you don’t want the other side of it.”

DeRozan finished the game with 30 points, three rebounds, and five assists while shooting 13-of-22 from the field.

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Former Vols’ NBA results for April 7

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Sunday.

Three former Vols competed in the NBA on Sunday.

Oklahoma City defeated Charlotte, 121-118, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Williams totaled 19 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block for the Hornets in 38 minutes.

He converted 7-of-10 field goal attempts, 2-of-2 three-point attempts and 3-of-4 free throw attempts.

Orlando defeated Chicago, 113-98, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.

Admiral Schofield played one minute for the Magic and did not record any statistics, while Julian Phillips was in active for the Bulls.

Boston defeated Portland, 124-107, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Jaden Springer played one minute for the Celtics and recorded one steal.

Philadelphia defeated San Antonio, 133-126, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Tobias Harris did not play for the 76ers due to a knee injury.

Should the Chicago Bulls target Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac?

The Bulls could use some younger, more reliable frontcourt depth able to stop opposing offenses.

Should the Chicago Bulls target Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac? The Bulls could use some younger, more reliable frontcourt depth able to stop opposing offenses, and Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has a player in the NBA’s Eastern Conference in mind to do the job for the Bulls next season.

Pointing out just how bad Chicago’s offense can be this season compared to last, the B/R analyst suggests that “the Bulls should still be in the market for more stoppers, especially a hyperactive, all-purpose defender like … Isaac. He has played a big part in the ascension of Orlando’s defense, but given his lengthy injury history, you wonder whether the Magic want to keep relying on him going forward.”

“They desperately need more offense, too, so it feels like they might be one of the few teams actually interested in Zach LaVine,” adds Buckley.

He proposes that “if there is a blockbuster deal to be made between the teams, the Bulls would be wise to want Isaac included in it,” and for our part, we’d have to agree.

The Magic big man has not had the best injury luck in his career thus far, but with other parts coming back in such a deal, could be one of the better options to retool the roster in a hurry.

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Orlando Magic could go after D’Angelo Russell this summer

D’Angelo Russell may not be a member of the Lakers for long, and at least one other team will have interest in him this summer.

D’Angelo Russell has been playing at a high level for the Los Angeles Lakers for over two months. But as hot as his 3-point shooting has often been, his days with the team could be numbered.

He has a player option for next season that he could decline to become a free agent this offseason. While Russell has said he would love to remain with L.A. beyond this season, no one can be entirely confident about what the future will hold.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic said recently the Orlando Magic could be poised to make a run at Russell.

“Orlando’s the team,” Buha said. “Orlando is the team that talking to people with the Lakers, talking to people outside the Lakers, Orlando is the team that probably gives them the most concern in terms of a potential suitor.”

The Magic have been a surprise team from the start of the season. They missed the play-in tournament with a 34-48 record last year, but this year, second-year big man Paolo Banchero has emerged as an All-Star. As a result, they are fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Adding Russell to an emerging group could make the Magic a dark-horse team in the East while leaving L.A. with a void in the backcourt.

Former Vols’ NBA results for March 27

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Wednesday.

Two former Vols competed in the NBA on Wednesday, while two were inactive.

The Clippers defeated Philadelphia, 108-107, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers and totaled 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 38 minutes.

He converted 5-of-9 field goal attempts, 2-of-3 three-point attempts and 2-for-2 free throw attempts.

Charlotte defeated Cleveland, 118-111, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Williams recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes for the Hornets.

He converted 6-of-8 field goal attempts, 2-for-2 three-point attempts and 2-for-4 free throw attempts.

Golden State defeated Orlando, 101-93, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Admiral Schofield did not play for the Magic due to a coach’s decision.

Chicago defeated Indiana, 125-99, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Julian Phillips was inactive for the Bulls.