The Atlanta Hawks are getting destroyed on the offensive glass, losing the battle for the defensive boards and still manage to be hanging right in there with the Orlando Magic. The series that defies all statistical logic continues to baffle in the Magic Kingdom.
Dwight Howard posted 20 of his 24 points in the second quarter and grabbed 11 boards in the first 24 minutes to lead the Magic to a 48-42 edge at the break at the Amway Center on Tuesday.
Jameer Nelson has 10 points for an Orlando team that continues to struggle from the 3-point line. The usually good perimeter Magic team is a very ungood 0-for-6 from behind the 3-point line through two quarters.
Jamal Crawford netted 13 points off the bench and Josh Smith has 11 for Atlanta, which has fewer total rebounds (15) than Orlando has offensive rebounds (16). The Magic also grabbed 16 boards on the defensive glass.
That domination has allowed Orlando to hang with a Hawks team that had connected on five 3-pointers.
Game 2 is looking just as bizzare as Game 1.
The Hawks went to the hack-a-Dwight strategy in the second quarter and Howard went to the line and scored. The Hawks lead by as many as 10 in the frame before Orlando got going, ultimately taking a six point edge into the break.
Atlanta did it all without Al Horford, who has been stuck to the bench after picking up his second foul 2:10 into the first quarter.