Bet on the NBA Playoffs: Magic Face Elimination At Hands Of Hawks
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
by Bodog Sportsbook
The Orlando Magic are on the brink of elimination. Trailing the Atlanta Hawks 3-1, they need a home victory on Tuesday to stay alive in the postseason. Bet on the NBA playoffs with Bodog Sportsbook.
The Hawks won 88-85 on Sunday, improving to 6-2 against the Magic this season. Atlanta has broken out an interesting strategy for the series—allow Dwight Howard to go absolutely wild, and focus on shutting down everyone else. The strategy has paid off. While Howard has been a monster, the Magic are averaging just 87.5 points per game in the series.
The biggest surprise, though, has been the sudden resurgence of Jamal Crawford. The former Sixth Man of the Year was a goat for most of Atlanta’s up-and-down regular season, averaging just 14.2 points per game (compared to 18.0 the year before). He’s been a new man in the playoffs, leading Atlanta with 24.0 points per game. Crawford scored 25 of Atlanta’s 29 bench points in Sunday’s victory.
The Magic, meanwhile, have to find some way to start making shots. While Atlanta’s defense has been admirable, Orlando has been tossing up bricks like nobody’s business. The Magic made more three-pointers than any team in the NBA this season, but they’re shooting just 21.8 percent in the series, including a 2-for-23 effort in Game 4.
Howard is about the only player carrying his weight. The big man is averaging a ridiculous 32.3 points, 17.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, though the Hawks have admittedly left him mostly to his own devices. As long as the rest of the Magic keep failing to make shots, the Hawks will be moving onto the next round whether Howard dominates or not.
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atlanta hawks - dwight howard - jamal crawford - nba playoffs - orlando magic
