Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors, Game 2

Above: Magic point guard Jameer Nelson. In Game 2 he played just over 30 minutes, with 12 of his 18 points coming from downtown.

It was a nail-biter by the end but the Magic came out on top Tuesday night. 104-103. Dwight with another awesome game (29 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks) and the team still keeping up a high standard of play. Having 2 games up on the Raptors is a big advantage that shouldn't be downplayed (in NBA Playoff history teams that lead a series 2-0 are 191-13).

Game 3 will take place in Toronto tonight, and it'll be tough, but with the Magic's great road record this season (2nd best in the Conference behind the Boston Celtics) they've got a very good opportunity to nab that third straight victory. Continuing success in this series will surely be based on maintaining a vigorous defense (especially in guarding All-Star Chris Bosh), mercilessly snatching rebounds, and keeping cool, level heads.

As for my own personal doubts, I'm a little anxious about the team's self-confidence and endurance, being that Dwight Howard's Magic hasn't yet won an NBA playoff series. D12 has had two fantastic games, but I'd like to see even more contribution from the rest of the squad. On Tuesday, Rashard Lewis came away with 18 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists. Hedo Turkoglu's stat sheet read 12-9-5. These aren't bad numbers, at all, and they don't even tell the whole story. It's difficult for me to appraise the situation, not being able to watch the games, but it seems as though everyone's making a strong effort. Obviously, it'll take more than that to win this series and even more still if we're going to have a good shot against our opponent in round 2 (probably playoff vets Detroit). We're lucky in that we've got a good number of long-range shooters (Hedo and Rashard, "Mogans") who, when allowed to find openings, can wreak serious havoc from three-point land, but it's not something we can rely upon to win games.

Sleepless night. Not really sure how much more of this living situation I can handle. Guess I'm just going to have to deal with it. Here's hoping that the Magic will keep this up and running so I'll have something to distract myself from this ultramodern dung heap.

"Sensibly Talking Endlessly"

Just re-wrote a long book review from scratch (pretty much at the request of the PopMatters book editor). Not so fun, but I think I had some good ideas. Hopefully it’ll go through this time. I’m happy to see that they’ve got standards, anyway.

Watching the Magic game. We’re up by ten with five left in the half, though you can never tell with the dreaded GameCast. I find it difficult to understand why basketball hasn’t taken more of a hold here in the UK. It has almost everywhere else (probably not the Middle East, though). It’s fast-paced, driven by individual heroics as much as team discipline and coordination, and the games are like a capitalist’s wet-dream (beers, hotdogs, t-shirts, hats, beers). It’s beyond me why it hasn’t caught on…Oh no, our lead is cut to four with four still on the clock. Oh, now we’re up five. See what I mean? Best sport ever. Rock on Jim Naismith, great job.

Will update when the game’s over. Shit, we’re only up by three.

…

"Waiting for a Superman" - Orlando Magic / NBA Playoffs '08

This past Sunday marked the beginning of the Orlando Magic’s Conference quarterfinal series in the NBA Playoffs. In their first post-season victory since the mid-90s—and their first playoff win with the colossal presence that is Dwight Howard—the Magic routed the Toronto Raptors 114-100. Of course, it’s hardly a monumental achievement, but at least the opening gambit has come off the way we all hoped it would.

What the 2007-2008 season has proved to many uncertain fans (as the increasing electricity in the air at Amway Arena will attest) is that the Magic is getting closer and closer to assembling the kind of team that’s capable of becoming a serious title-contender in the near future. We need to trim the fat (there will surely be casualties in the coming off-season) and work out the kinks, but there’s definitely a sense that this thing is moving forward in the direction we want it to. How big it will eventually turn out to be is, of course, completely speculative at this point.

At any rate, Game 2 goes down in Orlando tomorrow, and I’m extremely anxious to find out if there’s more to this initial strong showing than just dumb luck. In all honesty, it’s unlikely that we’ll go through to the NBA Finals this time around, but nothing’s impossible. It’s a young team, but it doesn’t lack experienced players (Hedo Turkgolu, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans). Anyways, I’m looking forward to a good, long playoff run this year—and yes, I’m extremely upset and disappointed that I won’t be able to see any of the games this year. Anyone want to buy me about a dozen international roundtrip flights?

P.S. I still can't get over this:

Gypsy Jack

"I was born just after the Snowstorm of ‘87
Hit this town way back when
My name’s Gypsy Jack
They call me that 'cause I got dark skin and black hair
They call me that 'cause folks ain't never seen a foreigner in these parts and I guess I'm ‘bout the closest thing
Anyways
I signs my name “Gypsy Jack”
One time down by the old shoehorn
Got my leg stuck in the railroad track
Lord, had me a hell of a time tryin' to get my leg out
Pretty soon I start sweatin', you know?
Lord, had me a hell of a time
Tryin’ to pull that leg out from that track
I swear to God almighty, I hear that train coming
And I thought I’s gonna break down and cry
Heat o' the sun
Nobody ‘round
Things was lookin' pretty gloomy there for a minute or two
Anyways
I’m prying with my fingers
They’re all covered in dirt by now
Bleedin' a little too
Just a-trying to maybe lift whatever it is has got me stuck
How’d it happen?
Couldn’t tell you
But I sure had me a hell of a time tryin' to pull that Goddamn (beg pardon) leg out of there
Finally, I get free
Sweatin' like crazy you know?
I stumble down into the ditch and that train passes me by
Loud as anything
Jesus, I thinks
Could’ve been me dead in a minute there
Boy howdy.
Sure had me a hell of a time."

-As told to Peter Crickners at T-----, date unknown.

"Shivers" - The Boys Next Door

Nick Cave's first band, The Birthday Party, was originally called The Boys Next Door. Their first album was called Door, Door and it came out in 1979. "Shivers" is the only track I've heard from it. The lyrics are pretty great, I think, and it's inspiring to see that Cave was so good even at this early stage. This was almost thirty years ago--he was just twenty at the time--and you can hear a distinct difference in his voice. He's definitely crooning on this one, and one of the best moments is when he goes pretty flat on the line "My heart is really on it's knees." It's still really great though, and thinking about it now, I'm reminded of listening to "Lay Lady Lay" for the first time and not really believing it was Bob Dylan singing.





"She makes me feel so ugly
My heart is really on it's knees
But I keep a poker face so well
That even mother couldn't tell

But my baby's so vain
She is almost a mirror
And the sound of her name
Sends a perennial shiver down my spine."

SPY-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YINE!