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Orlando Magic Recap: Orlando Magic Show Fan Appreciation By Losing to New York Knicks 80-79

By Zach Palmer

Mar 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach James Borrego watches his team during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated Boston Celtics 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach James Borrego watches his team during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated Boston Celtics 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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How did the Magic show fan appreciation? Why, they simply came out didn’t play hard and lost to the worst team in the NBA.

38. 80. 27. Final. 79

In a season of ups and downs, the Magic seemed to be on the upswing recently.

The Magic had won three of four, barely falling to the Raptors last night. With the Magic surging and the Knicks remaining terrible one might have expected a great end to fan appreciation night.

A 20-point beatdown seemed possible — Orlando was favored by 11 points. A plethora of highlights was not out of the question either.

Unfortunately, none of this was to be. The Magic came out with no energy early and James Borrego did not help the team snap out of their funk.

Cole Aldrich abused Nikola Vucevic and Dewayne Dedmon in the first quarter to a tune of 14 points and seven rebounds. Dedmon tried to match up but just did not have the concentrated mass required to keep Aldrich out of the paint.

In the second quarter, the Magic and Knicks combined for the fewest points in NBA history with 15 points (Knicks 8, Magic 7). The seven points were the fewest points the Magic have ever scored in a quarter.

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    • Nikola Vucevic, on the other hand, plain and simply did not give a hoot. A night after getting torched by Jonas Valanciunas, Vucevic came out with the same lackluster effort that got him beat down the night before. Vucevic was slow to contest, or did not bother to contest at all for the majority of the night. He did not box out very much and watched rebounds go to the wayside.

    To top it all off, his mid-range jumper was not falling tonight either. WAIT, I ALMOST FORGOT, Vucevic also hit a lay-up with one second left, even though the Magic were down by three. So, in essence, Vucevic cost the Magic the game throughout the game and then put the nail in the coffin with his stat-padding rebound/lay-up.

    To follow up on Vucevic’s atrocities tonight Magic head coach James Borrego tried just about everything tonight, except for playing Kyle O’Quinn. With Dedmon and Vucevic struggling, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to dust off O’Quinn.

    Instead Borrego, opted to play Channing Frye. Frye was +3 for the game, and he helped spark the offense some. But he made his defensive mistakes too.

    So how was fan appreciation night?

    Instead of highlights, a fun win and good times, people were treated to the worst quarter in NBA history, a coach who would rather play a washed-up stretch 3-point shooter instead of a young, talented center, the sight of the franchise center getting abused by a guy that will be lucky to sniff an NBA court next year, and a loss to the worst Knicks team ever.

    FUN, RIGHT?

    Next: Reports: Tom Thibodeau looking into Magic job