ezzzp wrote:MagicStarwipe wrote:
The game was lost when Skiles sat EP for 7 minutes of the 2nd quarter and we went to our slow crappy motion offense. We couldn't break out of it from there.
Nah...
The game was tied at the end of the 1Q (29-29) EP played all of it. Skiles sat EP/Mario to begin the 2Q and they sat until the 5 minute mark - the score was (44-42).
In that 5 minute span to close out the half is when EP started to fall apart and Price began affecting hm - after missing a jump shot he thought he was fouled on, the following possession he gets the call but clanks both free throws badly...this is when Vuc visibly began to show frustration about not being able to stop Suns bigs. The score to close the half was (58-50).
Within the first two minutes of the second half:
• EP starts of the half by pounding the ball near the mid court line for most of the shot clock - with his defender standing a good 15 feet away, then screws up the screen and dumps the ball to Vuc who is forced to launch an off balance long two - that is partially blocked.
• Next possession he gets called for traveling after dribbling himself into the corner off an inbound pass
• He then bricked a long two with 20 seconds on the shot clock
• Next possession he makes a line drive kamikaze dive straight into 3 defenders - he missed badly
• He then stole mid court pass, but decided to go 1-1 vs Chandler (with a wide open Hezonja trailing him) and again missed badly
• He then makes lazy long pass over the mid court line that Price steals and takes for a dunk.
Skiles is forced to call a time out...the single digit lead has at this point ballooned to 17 within 2 minutes of the 2nd Half. The tempo and double digit lead was never lost by the Suns after that.
For the rest of the game Ronnie MF Price frustrates him and distorts the offense. I love EP, but he is not ready for a starting role if the Magic want to win games...which I guess doesn't really matter anymore.