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Magic skin Bobcats to sweep playoffs
Source: Agencies |
April 28, 2010, Wednesday
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THE Orlando Magic completed their first best-of-seven postseason sweep, dispatching the Charlotte Bobcats with a series-ending 99-90 victory on Monday.
Vince Carter dug himself out of a recent scoring slump with 21 points, while Jameer Nelson tallied 18 to help the Magic become the first team to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Magic will now face either Milwaukee and Atlanta, whose series is locked at 2-2 following the Bucks' 111-104 win on Monday.
"That was a very difficult series," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "We struggled to score points and get shots. They had a great game plan in the series and both teams played extremely hard. I was proud of our intensity and resolve."
Thomas had 21 points and nine rebounds for postseason debutantes Charlotte.
The Bobcats led by two at halftime before the defending Eastern Conference champions took control in the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run sparked by Magic reserve Mickael Pietrus that opened an 87-76 lead.
Pietrus made two three-pointers during the run and had 10 of his 13 points in the fourth. Carter also managed his first three-pointer of the series in the same period, having entered the game 0-for-12 from distance.
Foul troubles
Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard's postseason foul troubles continued when he was sent off in the final quarter with just six points and 13 rebounds.
In other playoffs action, the Phoenix Suns took a 3-2 series lead after an emphatic 107-88 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Channing Frye and Jared Dudley broke out of their series-long shooting slumps with 20 and 19 points, respectively, as the Suns overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat Portland.
Phoenix can advance to the second round by beating the Blazers in Portland tomorrow night.
Amare Stoudemire scored 19, and Steve Nash had 14 points and 10 assists for Phoenix.
Andre Miller scored 21, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless had 17 apiece for the Trail Blazers.
In Milwaukee, Carlos Delfino scored 22 points with six 3-pointers and the Bucks pulled off their second straight playoff surprise, beating the Atlanta Hawks 111-104 to level the first-round series.
Brandon Jennings scored 23 points and John Salmons added 22 for the Bucks, who survived a fourth-quarter surge led by Atlanta stars Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Now the Hawks head home for Game 5, desperately needing a win to stave off a surprising challenge by a team missing its best player, injured center Andrew Bogut.
Johnson scored 29 points, reserve Jamal Crawford had 21, and Smith had 20 points and nine rebounds.
Vince Carter dug himself out of a recent scoring slump with 21 points, while Jameer Nelson tallied 18 to help the Magic become the first team to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Magic will now face either Milwaukee and Atlanta, whose series is locked at 2-2 following the Bucks' 111-104 win on Monday.
"That was a very difficult series," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "We struggled to score points and get shots. They had a great game plan in the series and both teams played extremely hard. I was proud of our intensity and resolve."
Thomas had 21 points and nine rebounds for postseason debutantes Charlotte.
The Bobcats led by two at halftime before the defending Eastern Conference champions took control in the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run sparked by Magic reserve Mickael Pietrus that opened an 87-76 lead.
Pietrus made two three-pointers during the run and had 10 of his 13 points in the fourth. Carter also managed his first three-pointer of the series in the same period, having entered the game 0-for-12 from distance.
Foul troubles
Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard's postseason foul troubles continued when he was sent off in the final quarter with just six points and 13 rebounds.
In other playoffs action, the Phoenix Suns took a 3-2 series lead after an emphatic 107-88 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Channing Frye and Jared Dudley broke out of their series-long shooting slumps with 20 and 19 points, respectively, as the Suns overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat Portland.
Phoenix can advance to the second round by beating the Blazers in Portland tomorrow night.
Amare Stoudemire scored 19, and Steve Nash had 14 points and 10 assists for Phoenix.
Andre Miller scored 21, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless had 17 apiece for the Trail Blazers.
In Milwaukee, Carlos Delfino scored 22 points with six 3-pointers and the Bucks pulled off their second straight playoff surprise, beating the Atlanta Hawks 111-104 to level the first-round series.
Brandon Jennings scored 23 points and John Salmons added 22 for the Bucks, who survived a fourth-quarter surge led by Atlanta stars Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Now the Hawks head home for Game 5, desperately needing a win to stave off a surprising challenge by a team missing its best player, injured center Andrew Bogut.
Johnson scored 29 points, reserve Jamal Crawford had 21, and Smith had 20 points and nine rebounds.
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