Tag: Orlando Magic

Nets’ Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain) available Wednesday at Magic

The Brooklyn Nets announced Wednesday morning that forward Cam Johnson is available for the matchup at the Orlando Magic.

The Brooklyn Nets still have a chance of sneaking their way into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, but they have to start winning some of their tougher games. With the Orlando Magic waiting for Brooklyn on Wednesday, the Nets have a tough test ahead of them, but they get back one of their better players for the matchup.

The Nets announced Wednesday morning that forward Cam Johnson, who has missed the past three games because of a right ankle sprain, is available for Wednesday’s game at the Magic. When Brooklyn released its initial injury report on Tuesday, Johnson was listed as probable so he was likely to come back for the pivotal game at Orlando.

Brooklyn has won just one of the three games that Johnson missed with his ankle issue and the lone victory was a 120-101 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Granted, the Nets did not have Lonnie Walker IV for Saturday’s 110-99 loss at the Charlotte Hornets and were without super-scoring guard Cam Thomas for a 118-112 loss at the Detroit Pistons on Mar. 7.

Johnson, 28, is averaging 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 45.3% from the field and 39.6% from three-point land. In the three games prior to Johnson’s injury, he was averaging 23.3 points per game and 50.0% from behind the three-point line.

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Former Arkansas standouts Anthony Black, Nick Smith Jr. swap jerseys after NBA meeting

Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. swapped jerseys with each other on Tuesday after their second meeting in the NBA.

Former Arkansas standouts Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. swapped jerseys with each other on Tuesday after their second meeting in the NBA this season.

Black and the Orlando Magic emerged victorious over Smith and the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Black was one of six Magic players who finished in double figures, producing 10 points and five rebounds in the 101-89 win. Smith didn’t play.

The Magic improved to 2-0 against the Hornets this season with the win after taking the first meeting on Nov. 26 in Orlando. The division foes will play two more times: March 19 and April 5.

Of course, the two rookies were teammates last season at Arkansas and helped the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. They declared for the NBA draft after strong freshman campaigns and were both selected in the first round.

Black, the sixth pick, is averaging five points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 40% shooting from 3-point range in 56 appearances with the Magic. He ranks seventh in starts (31) and is second in defensive rating (108.4) among rookies with at least 30 appearances.

Smith was the 27th pick by the Hornets and is averaging 6.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 45.1% shooting from 3-point range. He leads the rookie class in 3-point percentage and is among 13 first-year players to make at least 50 3s (51).

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Former Vols’ NBA results for March 3

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

Four former Vols competed in the NBA on Sunday.

Philadelphia defeated Dallas, 120-116, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers. He totaled 28 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 35 minutes. Harris converted 11-of-19 field goal attempts, 3-of-6 three-point attempts and 3-of-4 free throw attempts.

Toronto defeated Charlotte, 111-106, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Grant Williams started at center for the Hornets. He recorded 18 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 40 minutes.

Boston defeated Golden State, 140-88, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Jaden Springer recorded two points, two rebounds and one assist for the Celtics in 12 minutes.

Orlando defeated Detroit, 113-91, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.

Admiral Schofield played three minutes and recorded one rebound for the Magic.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley explains how Jett Howard has grown in G League

Magic rookie Jett Howard ranks 21st in the G League in 3s and has produced four 30-point games.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jamahl Mosley has described the G League as a vital piece of the development plan for Jett Howard, and the Orlando Magic coach can see it paying off for the rookie.

Howard has logged only 13 appearances with the Magic and has spent much of the season in the G League with Osceola. The team has opted to keep him there to log extended minutes with playing time at a premium with the parent club.

The 11th pick is averaging 19.8 points, four rebounds and 2.8 assists on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range in 23 games with Osceola. He ranks 21st in the G League in 3s (84) and has produced four 30-point games, including a season-high 34 points on Nov. 22.

Mosley explained how Howard has grown in the G League.

I think the game has slowed down for him. Coach Dylan (Murphy) has done a tremendous job of putting him in positions to be successful. (He is) handling the basketball more and not just being predicated on being a shooter.

Orlando recalled Howard on Thursday, with Osceola off until Sunday. With 14 regular-season games remaining, Howard will likely return to Osceola and finish out the season in the G League as Orlando prioritizes playing time for its veterans in its playoff push.

The opportunity to log real game experience with Osceola has been very valuable for Howard. He can work on different elements of his game to take the next step in his development and eventually be prepared to contribute nightly.

“We know he is able to make shots, but having the ball in his hands and becoming a decision-maker, I think that’s what we’ve asked all of these guys to do, not just have one specific role,” Mosley said. “When that ball is in your hands, you become the playmaker and the decision-maker, and as we increase basketball IQ, that’s what this group is turning out to do.”

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NBA fans were split on whether Paolo Banchero traveled on his game-winning shot against the Pistons

It sure LOOKS like Paolo Banchero might have traveled on this cool game-winner.

Paolo Banchero looks the part of a future NBA superstar. And after his heroics at the expense of the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, it’s hard to argue against this possibility for the first-time All-Star.

There’s just one problem: the NBA world seems to believe Banchero traveled on his awesome game-winning shot. Let’s unpack this.

In the final few seconds, the court is cleared for Banchero to make a move one-on-one on Detroit’s Jalen Duren. When Banchero tries to get space on the baseline, it almost looks as if he’s jumping to the left without dribbling. That, by definition, would be a travel and automatic turnover.

Of course, Banchero’s move only likely looks illegal in the heat of the moment. As explained below, Banchero is allowed to make a full gather move to the left as he hasn’t actually established his pivot foot.

That would mean no travel, a clean play, and a big win for a Magic team fighting to solidify itself in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. (Orlando will probably need more shooting to do it.)

NBA fans were a little more skeptical and mixed on what went into Banchero’s awesome game-winning sequence.

Former Vols’ NBA results for Feb. 22

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

Three former Vols competed in the NBA Thursday, while one was inactive.

New York defeated Philadelphia, 110-96, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers. He totaled seven points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes.

Harris converted 3-of-9 field goal attempts and 1-for-3 three point attempts.

Boston defeated Chicago, 129-112, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Julian Phillips totaled nine points, two rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes for the Bulls. He converted 4-of-5 field goal attempts and 1-of-1 three-point attempts.

Jaden Springer played two minutes for the Celtics.

Orlando defeated Cleveland, 116-109, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Admiral Schofield was inactive for the Magic.

Celtics projected to draw challenging opponent in first round of 2024 NBA Playoffs

We aren’t crazy about facing a team Boston has struggled with as much as they have with this team.

With the 2024 stretch run finally upon us, we can make some statements about how we think the NBA standings and first round playoff matchups might look by the time the 2024 postseason gets here. And it is not exactly a hot take to suggest that the Boston Celtics will still be in first place in the Eastern Conference standings by then, given their current stranglehold on the top spot.

To that end, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz projects the Celtics to end up in that spot at the end of the regular season, and to face a feisty Orlando Magic ball club in the first round as a result.

“Boston remains elite on both sides of the ball, traded for Xavier Tillman Sr. at the deadline for extra center insurance, and possesses one of the easiest schedules in all of basketball moving forward,” writes Swartz.

“Getting the No. 1 seed should be a big deal as well,” he adds. “Never in the Jayson Tatum era has Boston finished with the best record in the conference, not even in 2021-22 when it advanced to the NBA Finals (51-31, second to the Miami Heat).

We aren’t crazy about facing a team Boston has struggled with as much as they have with Orlando. But the Celtics ought to make quick work of them, so long as they come with their best game just the same.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Mac McClung goes back-to-back to win trophy

Mac McClung defeated Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year.

Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung defeated Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year in Indianapolis, Indiana.

McClung and Brown advanced to the final round after out-dunking Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York Knicks rookie Jacob Toppin. He was awarded a perfect score of 50 by the judges in his second dunk of the final round to defeat Brown.

The defending champion brought out Shaquille O’Neal for his last dunk. McClung presented O’Neal with one of his high school jerseys, which fit the Hall of Famer perfectly, and then jumped over him, slamming the ball through the rim.

The competition featured several notable dunks and tributes. Jaquez paid homage to his Mexican heritage on one dunk, with an assist from the LED court, and Toppin wore the same shoes his brother, Obi, wore when he won the contest in 2022.

Brown honored former Kentucky guard Terrence Clarke, who died in a car accident in April 2021. The All-Star has honored Clarke in the past and donned his No. 5 Brewster Academy jersey with his first dunk of the final round.

The evening featured plenty of reaction from the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. The panel of judges, which featured Gary Payton and Dominique Wilkins, took some heat for seemingly grading too low on some dunks, which was noted by Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith on TNT.

Despite some low moments from the judges, the event produced several highlight-worthy jams that provided plenty of entertainment. Here are all of the dunk attempts from the four contestants.

Victor Wembanyama offers high praise for Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero

Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes he is a bit underrated.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes the reigning Rookie of the Year is underrated: Victor Wembanyama.

The top pick of the San Antonio Spurs gave Banchero praise on Friday after competing in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend. Though the two players didn’t face each other in the exhibition, they have already played twice in the regular season.

The Magic took both meetings against the Spurs; Banchero played a key role in each victory. Wembanyama was asked about Banchero and was happy to talk about the No. 1 pick in 2022.

I’m surprised nobody asked me (about him) before. I’m kind of happy someone finally did because I think he is one of the most underrated players and No. 1 picks in the past years. I don’t even understand why. But he is someone that I think has a bright future.

Banchero became the ninth Magic player to be named an All-Star. He joined Shaquille O’Neal as the only two players in franchise history to be named Rookie of the Year and then an All-Star in the following season. He is the youngest All-Star and one of four first-time selections this year.

He is averaging a career-high 23 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 36.5% shooting from 3-point range. He is 21st in the league in scoring and has produced nine 30-point games, the most by a Magic player since Nikola Vucevic (9) in the 2020-21 season.

Banchero had the opportunity to team up with Wembanyama on Saturday in the Skills Challenge in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a bit surprised to learn that Wembanyama believes he is underrated, though doesn’t necessarily concern himself too much with that premise.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t (believe I was underrated), but it is what it is,” Banchero said. “I still went No. 1, Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much. As a competitor and player, you do feel slighted in a way sometimes, but I don’t let it get to my head too much. I try to just go out there and put on a show every night.”

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NBA Skills Challenge 2024: Pacers win title, defeating 1st Picks, All-Stars

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Pacers, which featured Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, took the relay and passing challenges for 200 points. They were taken to the tiebreaker round after Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey and Trae Young won the shooting portion for the All-Stars.

After each finished with 200 points, the Pacers and All-Stars attempted halfcourt shots to settle the tie. The Pacers beat the All-Stars’ mark when Haliburton drained the shot with 20.5 seconds left to spare.

The Pacers and All-Stars emerged as the top two groups in the event, as Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama struggled in the first two challenges for 1st Picks. Edwards even shot left-handed in the relay event, which didn’t sit well with Reggie Miller on the broadcast.

The home team had its fans behind them and easily had the biggest ovation of the three groups. Haliburton even paid homage to Miller by recreating his infamous choking celebration after knocking down the halfcourt shot to beat the All-Stars.

The Skills Challenge tipped off the festivities on Saturday night and continued a busy weekend as the league celebrated its stars with the annual showcase.

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