Magic vs Knicks: What Didn't Work

Although the final score looked as if Orlando did everything perfect, they were far from it on Saturday night. Here are a few things that the team must work on.

1. Low energy level- The Magic seemed to sleepwalk on the defensive end early on, and gave up plenty of wide open shots and easy layups to the Knicks.

2. Dwight Howard from the free throw line- Dwight made more free throws in the second half than the first, but he left plenty of points on the line. Howard hit just 6 of 12 shots from the charity stripe.

3. Three-point shooting- Orlando missed their fair share of outside shots, as they hit just 8 of 24 threes against the Knicks. Rashard Lewis led the Magic shooters, as he went 3 for 7.

4. Possible false sense of security- With defeating New York as easily and as handily as the Magic did, they now must guard against a false sense of security when they take on Toronto Tuesday evening. The Raptors are a legitimate playoff team, and they’re the same group that whipped Orlando a little over a week ago.

Even though the Magic cruised to an easy victory, it wasn’t a particularly entertaining game. Orlando had defensive lapses from time to time, and they didn’t seem to play with much intensity. Although the effort they showed was good enough for an easy blowout victory, it may not be enough against a team that plays hard, unlike New York.

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Charlie Bernstein is the Editor-in-Chief of MagicIllustrated.com, and a regular syndicated contributor to FoxSports.com, Sirius Radio, MySpace Sports and Sportsillustrated.com. Charlie is also a columnist for the New Smyrna Observer. Feel free to contact him -HERE- with questions or comments.


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