OK, ya’ll I know that was ugly, but it’s just one game. Trust me, it was just one game.
We just had a really bad shooting night and it happened to come at the worst time in the NBA Finals. I think we hit like 23 shots as a team and Kobe had 16 all by himself for L.A. We’ve never had a shooting night that bad all season, so I don’t expect that to happen again to us.
Ya’ll know how we bounce back, so I fully expect us to learn from this over these next two days and come out ready on Sunday. We came back when Philly hit a couple of shots on us, we came back from Big Baby’s shot in Orlando and Bron’s 3-pointer at the buzzer. We can get this turned around too and I know we will.
The thing that upset me most was that the Lakers played harder than we did. They beat us to loose balls, they outrebounded us and outworked us. That just can’t happen. Rarely have we ever said a team outworked us, but that was the case.
L.A. did a good job digging down on me and trapping me to get the ball out of my hands. And when I did get some looks at the rim, they fouled me and put me on the free throw line. So we have to make some adjustments.
I think we need to run more and try to get some easy baskets in transition. When we run, the defense can’t set up and that’s when we’re at our best.
My guys will bounce back from this, and so will I. We know we’re a better team than we showed last night and we’ll play much better in Game 2.
Remember ya’ll, it’s just one game. It’s going to be a long series – believe that.
One last thing…I’m going to be posting videos from my NBA Finals experience throughout the series. I want you fans to be there with me along the way. We’re in this together.
– DWIGHT
Fans: Be sure to check out Dwight on Twitter and Facebook.
Tags: 2009 NBA Finals, 2009 NBA Playoffs, Dwight Howard Blog, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
C’mon Big D,..were all pulling for you guys,…..shake it off and slam the door on these dudes……
YOU WILL DO IT!!!! I got the faith!
TRANQUILO EVERYBODY THE BOYS HAD A BAD SHOOTING NIGHT. THEY ARE THE BEST OF THE EAST AND THEY WILL COME OUT ON TOP AGAIN…. THE LAKERS WORK SO HARD TO BEAT THE MAGIC AND THEY WON BY 25 POINTS….WOW! IS THAT THE BEST THAT THEY CAN DO….BRING ON GAME 2 AND TO THE MAGIC PLAYERS REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN WHILE YOU PLAY, IF YOU GET ANGRY YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES AND WHILE IS PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL IT STILL A GAME….. SO HAVE FUN AND GOOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAGIC!
Don’t know what happened yesterday Dwight, but I have faith in this Magic. Show us how bad you want the championship, show the world that yesterday was a bad case of stage fright. Come on Superman! Dunk on Bynum and Gasol! Don’t let them push you around, get tough! We know you guys can win in LA. I’m sure you read the LA Times article “Finals should be short and tweet, with a Lakers’ sweep” Come on Dwight, make them eat their words!
We are behind you 100% Dwight!! You have already exceeded our expectations so you don’t need to feel any pressure from the fans, the city or the organization. LA has a mountain of pressure to deliver a title. So play with confidence and passion. God bless.
Dwight, it is very admirable of you to put this out to your fans. That shows character. I was disappointed at last night’s game. I am an avid fan of the Magic. But the way my boys played last night was unrecognizable. Definitely not the Magic I know. You have to dig deep and want it bad enough. Kobe definitely wants it… the Lakers want the win so bad you could see it lastnight. They had fire in their eyes. I want to see that from the Magic!!! You guys have made it too far to just GIVE IT AWAY now!! Man, I wanted to be your coach so bad last night it’s not even funny. This was an off-game. Your hearts weren’t it. But I still believe in Magic and I KNOW that you will do what you’re SUPPOSED TO DO for yourselves and your fans. I’ll be following you guys closely. Play the game with PRIDE!
Keep the Joy of the Game D! God is setting this thing up. It’s a set-up, I tell ya. Key word there is “UP”. Christ went down and got UP, rose again with Victory and he still Dominates today and 4EVER MORE. Dominate D!
You are more than Conquerors!
The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength!
Keep the game under-control!
Patience (in the paint) is a Virtue!
Hebrews 6:10-12 NIV
“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Mark 11:24 NIV
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
All Things Work Together For The Good – Even Game 1:-)
LaJoi P.
We don’t give up if the Magic doesn’t give up on us. We’re in this together!! I’m so sad that I won’t be able to go see the game cause theres like no more tickets left. =( This series will be a long tough one, hang in there and show what we’re about in Game 2!!!
Floor burns win championships!
THAT’S RIGHT WE KNOW THIS ISN’T OVER.. ONE GAME DOWN AND NEXT TIME WE WILL COME HARDER. WE’RE STILL BEHIND YOU GUYS ALL THE WAY. I GOT INTO A LOT OF ARGUMENTS WITH PEOPLE DUE TO YOR LOOSE STYLE OF BALL PLAYING, BUT I SAY IF IT WORKS FOR YOU, DO IT. DON’T GO CHANGE IT UP IN THE “FINALS” BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE YOU MORE AGGRESSIVE. YOU CAN BE JUST AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THAT SMILE YOU HAVE, IT SHOWS YOU LOVE THE GAME. BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WITH A SMILE.. LETS GO MAGIC!!! WILL BE LISTENING SUNDAY FROM THE SUMMER JAM CONCERT.
Dwight, nobody could’ve said it better….we are ALL behind you guys 100 percent all the way..let’s go we can do this…..MAGIC IN 6!!!
good luck and i will see you guys on tv Sunday
I beleive in the whole team…you guys are the best and you just said it “it just one game”. Like you told and ESPN reporter God will be the difference, he will be with all of you because you have put your faith in him…The whole city is behind you guys and you will do wonderful!!! We cant wait to have you home…GO MAGIC!!!!
Thanks for staying positive! We can do all things through Christ! We still believe in you! Go Magic!
Okay so that was tough to watch but I have no doubt that you guys will turn it around in game 2…The magics always protect home court and that is not about to change now…
Dwight, you’re still the MVP to us loyal fans! Win, lose or tie…I’m a magic fan till the day I die
Well..putting Hedo at the point is what hurt previous opponents maybe go back to that more…
Blue – N -White Ignite! Burn LA to the ground.
Dwight they just kept hacking you over and over and wouldnt stop. That has to be annoying. You need to go up and power in some dunks and take a few lakers with you. You (the team) also need to hack Kobe (like they do to you) when he goes to the hoop.
Jameer came back and played a few solid minutes but he was in the game entirely too long. He just came back, you cant play him more than 10 to 12 minutes a game. Bringing the ball up the court every play is hard tiring work. You cant expect him to do all that after just rehabbing and everything. I know he can shoot better than our other 2 PGs but he needs his legs to do that. One solution might be to have Hedo bring the ball up the court with Jameer on the floor then run the offense. That way Jameer might have his legs for some shots. Otherwise 5-7 minute spurts, one in the first half, one in the second half is about the best you can get out of Jameer. That way you get his all out prime play then he can go rest and do it again in the 2nd half.
Another bright spot (sorta) was JJs D on Kobe. He was able to agitate him albeit at the end of the game when it was nearly over. I would give him a chance to guard Kobe. At very least he can make him work and use up some fouls on him so our primary guys dont get into foul trouble (Lee and Pietrus). Who knows, he might have some success on him. JJ guarded Allen very effectively.
Also need EVERYONE to focus on rebounding the ball. This includes Lee, Rashard, and Hedo. They can rebound, box out and hustle to loose balls as much as anyone else out there. Gotta get em going on the boards to help you out.
Come on Dwight get some hustle plays and get going!! You can win this thing! Its right there in your grasps. Have to finish it! Lets go baby!!! Lets bring it home to Orlando!!!!! Do us proud Dwight! We all love you man!!
Yo D-12
I know you guys wont have another night like that. Thats the first thing I looked at and was really pleased with the fact that you guys actually shot more than the lakers if you combine 2’s, 3’s and Free throws attempted you guys totalled out at 129 and the lakers had 116. If I hear one commentator saying it was Laker D I swear I will laugh. Yall had the looks just an off night. NO SWEAT I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN BOUNCE BACK!!!! O Magic all the way!
yo dwight, your right, its just one game. you guys can win the series. i got confidence in yall.
GO MAGIC,
AP
YOU GOT THIS… MAGIC TAKEN OVER BABY! YESTERDAY AINT HAPPEN.. ITS ALL ABOUT SUNDAY.
I GOT FAITH SHUN!
AND A BEt.. SO DONT LET A NIGGA DOWN.. LOL
WE LOVE YOU, DWIGHT! You’ll do much better next game. I’ll always love my Magic!
So about the game last night . . . Well we know that it wasn’t our best game! But you are right it was only 1 game we have a lot more to prove ourselves! I could not agree with you any more about what you said the Lakers played much harder las night went up for more rebounds and all last night. But that is okay because we have Game 2 it is ours! We know what we did wrong and know what we need change to change or do for Game 2. I agree with what one of the previous commenters said the Lakers played so hard and were only able to beat us by 25! We still believe in you guys and know that you can do it and still bring the championship home! Just play with a lot more intensity and tell the team to get agressive! So still believing in you and the Magic and I know that you guys can do it!
So until Game 2 . . .
I LOVE YOU DWIGHT!!!! i REALLY DO
BUT THE FIRED I SAW IN YOUR EYES IN GAME 6 WITH CAVS WASNT IN YOUR EYES LAST NIGHT AND ITS TIME TO GET BACK TO IT…REMEMBER “DOMINATED” AND THATS WHAT GUYS HAVE TO DO
PEOPLE ALREADY TALKING THIS IS GONNA BE A SWEPT SERIES AND IM NOT HAVING IT…SO LET GET IT 4 MORE TO GO!
LETS GO MAGIC…KEEP GOD FIRST AND HE WILL HANDLE THE REST…
No worries D-12; if yall woulda gave up after tough losses in the previous series we would not be in the finals…work hard, full 48; defense wins!
Hey man~c’mon~
YOU GOT THIS~! ok~?!
Geez~just dunk over that 30 year-old baby~
YEAH~~ORLANDO~~
You can do it. I know, use your matchup advantage man. Don’t let kobe touch the ball many times. I noticed too, that maybe 13 or 14 shots that orlando magic did were all in and outs, its just unfortunate.
Hey Dwight, yesterday night I have a dream… I saw you in your Superman suit dunking over Lebron and Kobe while Jack Nicholson was taking a picture… I really beleive that you guys are going to have an excellent game this Sunday and beat the Lakers 3 times here at home. I’m putting some drinks in my fridge to celebrate our victory this coming Sunday and our championship on June 14 at the Anway Arena. GOOOOOOOOOO Magic!!!!!!!!!!
hey dwight, be aware that phil jackson is 42-0 when his team wins the first game of the series so you must work very hard and make that 42-1 for him. you put the 1 in the celtics undefeated record of 32-0 when leading a series 3-2. i know you guys can pull it off and win the series. they are just numbers and i am just saying.
by the way, some guy at ESPN is saying that the “God is on your side” thingy is crap. prove them wrong and stand of the Christian faith! let His strength be in you dwight!
let’s go MAGIC!!!
Ok Dwight, game one was ugly, but it wasn’t that ugly. It’s not like you guys got blown out. Losing by 25 isn’t that bad, it’s not good but it’s not that bad. Remember we came back on the Cavs after being down 23, so keep your head up. Game 1 was just a bad game, it’s over. Game 2 will be much better I’m sure. This is our trophy Dwight, LET’S GET IT!!!!!!!!
Hey Dwight – you guys were on FIRE for the first 12 mins. then…something disconnected. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!!! I am looking forward to Sunday – it’s a brand new day, new game, same GREAT TEAM in our Magic!!! I know you boys will get that ball in the basket ALL NIGHT LONG!!!
I believe it D-12, let’s go!!
Will the real Superman please stand up? Let’s go Magic!
All the fans are with you Dwight..
Destroy ‘em like you destroyed LeBron James in game 6 all on your own.
Show us that magic touch of yours again like in game 6.
Show us what means to be SUPERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your name’s Chinese pronunciation sounds like “spark” in China.
So we call us ‘Spark fans’
As a spark fan,I trust you and orlando.
We are waiting for your magic!
When I was watching the game, I was like this isn’t the same team I saw last week that was shooting 3’s left and right! I could really see the change, but I know that things will get better for Game 2 and I look forward to seeing the big change…GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS!
you said it, that was UGLY. Again, with the confidence every one knows you all have the talent. trust me i do, its the confidence! don’t give up! be strong. i loved how Nelson was awesome, he tried to encourage you guys, i think that the coach should do that a little more, tell you guys you’re doing a good job when you are.
Sorry dwight i need this to go to stan k very important .Hey stan van gundy. I know you may be in a tough situation right now but i have some good advice that may change your mind on where you stand in these finals! first and most important its not over or they would nt even play the next game. SO with that in mind keeep in mind the miami heat came back from 2 0 a couple years ago. In my eyes it is the same exact situation. You got dwight miami had shaq you got rashard miami had dwayne you got turk. miami had posey. you got petres miami had haslem. PLus i think the lakers look a whole lot like the mavs did. THey rely on one player kobe just like the mavs did with drik. They also got a few back ups i think look really similar mavs had howard lakers got odem mavs had diop lakers got bynam. mavs had terry lakers got fisher. I mean if you take a good look at this series this year it look all to similar to the one between the lakers and the mavs. So with that in mind i think you should take the same exact approah the heat took while down 2 to 0 first of all everybody is gonna say go to dwight, i think thats bad advice. the heat went straight to wade to take them to the promise land. I think you should just rely soley on lewis he is the man he needs the ball in big play situations like some high pick and rolls get him in some one on ones cause he can shoot over anybody. then when the doubles come give it to shaq i mean hoeard because they are the same person man trust me. dont put howard in over his head early. give the ball the lewis right away show the lakers he is your man then hit it up to howard. Secondly you have to let kobe what he is gonna do and get what he will get. Trust me you want him to go to his shot to carry them when he shoot 35 or more shots the lakers are beatable so with that in mind double pau! do not let pau get in any rethem at all that his air from him and if kobe is gonna steal the show and the game he is gonna ether way. so keep turk or pet on him and thats it no double he will see he has open shots and thats a good thing. once everybody on the lakers sees kobe is taking over they wont play as hard cause they want to watch him play so let him play let him shoot let him dominates. Lebron avceraged 40 and u guys still won. so now we got the game plan but what is the back up. Ill tel you your backup has to be your threes shoot more make more and keep the tempo high. you already proved your not gonna make key stops late in the game or overtime so defense goes out the window you gotta get a big lead an early be careful though if you win this next game too much the lakers will get pissed and win the next two so go up big then keep it somewhat close tel the end. Trust me go back to game video of that miami dallas series and you will win stan. oh ya if their is a last second shot never go to a rookie thats why they are called rookies they have no experience. go to a vet and tel the rookie to sit on the bench k. keep your head up
they was all on u last night my nerves was bad because the refs kept pacifiying the lakers. but i jus know that the next game uall are goin put in overtime and dwight with ur handsome self show them u superman and do ur thing and god bless!!!
Hey Dwight I am a girl that loves Basketball
And I love my Magic team, please you guys have to stop turning over the ball so many times, You guys where just giving the ball away, Look at the tape and see how many times you turned over the ball, I DON’T KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU GET ON HERE but we are all pulling for our home team , if you guys don’t Win this for yourselves win it for the hundred little kids that wants to be like you guys and the kids that you guys mentor all the time. Look at the tape and learn from your mistakes………….Lexy