That Magic touch
Rashard Lewis was due for a breakout game. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Orlando Magic.
Lewis, Orlando’s big off-season acquisition, scored a career playoff-high 33 points and the Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 111-86 on Wednesday night in Orlando, Fla., to gain a little momentum in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Detroit still leads the series 2-1, though they suffered a tough injury. All-Star guard Chauncey Billups strained his right hamstring early in the first quarter and didn’t return. The Pistons were hopeful he could play in Game 4 Saturday in Orlando, but will re-evaluate him again today.
Lewis was shooting 36 percent from the field in the first two games of the series, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range. He shot 11 of 15 Wednesday, 5 of 6 from behind the arc, and scored 12 of Orlando’s last 14 points as the Magic took a 54-42 halftime lead.
“I made my first couple and really felt like I was going to have it going tonight,” said Lewis, who came to the Magic from Seattle. “I know my 3 ball hasn’t been falling this whole series.
“Detroit’s obviously been a team that’s been beating us the past couple of years,” Lewis said. “The main focus is we don’t want to dig ourselves too deep of a hole. We want to try to win our home games, take the series back to Detroit 2-2.”
Richard Hamilton scored 24 points for Detroit and Tayshaun Prince had 22, while Rasheed Wallace scored 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. With Billups out, rookie Rodney Stuckey from Eastern Washington stepped up big for the Pistons. He scored 19 points – nine in the second quarter – but he didn’t bring the same floor presence as Billups, Detroit’s steady leader and clutch 3-point threat. Billups was averaging 17.5 points in the postseason and had 28 against the Magic in Game 2.
“I’m concerned because (Billups is) our quarterback; he runs our team,” coach Flip Saunders said. “You saw our first two games. He’s been a huge part of why we’ve been successful. That matchup has been huge for us.”
The Pistons lost Billups just 4 minutes into the game when he drove to the basket and got tangled up with Jameer Nelson.
Dwight Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, and Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu both scored 18.
The Magic had lost nine straight playoff games to the Pistons.
Around the league
A trial that likely will determine whether the SuperSonics play in Seattle or Oklahoma City next season will begin June 16 as scheduled. … Billy Knight, saying it’s time to take a break, will resign as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks in July, despite leading the team to its first playoff appearance in nine years. … Rick Carlisle, the only candidate the Dallas Mavericks have interviewed since firing Avery Johnson last week, is still on the verge of becoming the next coach. … Gilbert Arenas insists he won’t return to the Washington Wizards if forward Antawn Jamison isn’t re-signed. … Atlanta forward Marvin Williams was suspended one game without pay for committing a flagrant foul, penalty two in the Hawks’ Game 7 playoff loss in Boston. … The Indiana Pacers promoted David Morway to general manager. … New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson was charged with assault Wednesday for grabbing another man by the throat in a Minneapolis club earlier this year. … Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony was ticketed for speeding Saturday, three weeks after he was cited on a charge of driving under the influence.