1. An Improbable Victory: The Orlando Magic are the reigning Eastern Conference champions and currently have the league’s seventh best record. And there’s no secret to how they’re effective. In Dwight Howard, they have the league’s most physically imposing interior player — the league leader in both rebounding and shot-blocking. Offensively, Howard dominates in the paint, drawing attention from the Magic’s deep array of shooters, resulting in the NBA’s most prolific three-point attack. Defensively, Howard single-handedly controls the paint, allowing his teammates to play aggressively around the perimeter.
Tonight? Howard scored 27 points on 9-14 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. Meanwhile, the Magic were shooting 48% from three-point range at one point in the third quarter (13-27). And the Grizzlies had 20 turnovers, several of those turnovers coming on fastbreaks, of which the Grizzlies converted only five of 14 opportunities.
So how the hell did the Grizzlies win this game? I put this question to coach Lionel Hollins afterward, and he responded with words such as “grit,” “toughness,” and “perseverance.” That might sound like happy talk, but it’s hard to deny.
