The Magic headed out west last week looking to remove any doubts any of us may have had about them and what they could accomplish this year. I’m on board now! They came out last night in a game that could’ve easily been dropped with Howard out and the boys lagging from the tough trip that it was. Jameer Nelson wasn’t about to let that happen though. Nelson stepped up a dropped 32 points on the Warriors, which matched a career high, as he dropped bombs from the arc in the fourth quarter in finishing off Golden State. Nelson has been out of his mind lately and there’s nothing prettier than that high arching shot of his going through when he’s on. The way he shoots really lends to prolonged slumps during a long season, but when it’s on it’s sooooo pretty. Turkoglu was driving the lane like a wild animal and Marcin Gortat stepped up with a 16/13 effort in Howard’s absence. We have come to expect this type of play from Turk, but Nelson and Gortat have shown tremendous strides in their game and the mental toughness they both displayed on this road trip really impressed me. Turk shot like crap again, but has really showed he’s capable of running this offense when he’s needed. It’s good to see him taking on such a leadership role with this team and we shouldn’t freak out about his shots not falling because we know they will. Rashard Lewis is staying consistent right now as he contributed 21/8/5 and Courtney Lee also sparked things with 16 off the bench. Lee has been tremendous off the bench since he’s been given an opportunity and I see no reason that won’t continue. The final last night was 109-98 and the Magic finished up their road trip 4-1 with their only loss being a 1 point loss to the Suns on a final shot by Grant Hill. Outstanding trip to say the least. Speaking of Grant Hill, there are rumors circulating that the Magic are interested in re-acquiring the enigmatic Hill from the Suns for JJ Reddick (hat tip to Third Quarter Collapse for that one). I would be extremely disappointed with this move. Not that I would miss JJ Reddick, but why bring back a guy that essentially flattened this franchise for years with injuries and average play. Hill is not a player that we need here anymore and hopefully the higher ups recognize that as well. No Grant Hill! Anyway, it was a great trip and the Magic now sit at 19-6 and are 3.5 games up on Atlanta in the Southeast. We can’t rest easy now though, tough games are coming with San Antonio, the Lakers, Golden State and New Orleans at home. We really need for Howard to be back Thursday when Tim Duncan and the Spurs come to town, let’s hope he’s ready to go then.
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