Albeit Dwight Howard and company entered the Eastern Conference Semifinals as favorites to make it to the next round, the extremely poor performance of the Atlanta Hawks in the series opener was still somewhat surprising. Thus, the Orlando Magic will be looking for their second straight when they host Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Arena on Friday at midnight GMT.

Unlike the Hawks, the Magic have hardly anything to complain about, after all, the franchise from Southern Florida pulled off an impressive 4-0 sweep versus the Charlotte Bobcats in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals before rallying to a 114-71 home win versus Atlanta in the second round. Most importantly, Stan van Gundy's squad was able to excel at the defensive end of the floor, holding their opponents to just 85 points per game in the postseason. Likewise, point guard Jameer Nelson has been spectacular, averaging no less than 23.8 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest.

In contrast, it took Atlanta no less than seven games to get past the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round while struggling offensively throughout the series. That said, franchise cornerstone Joe Johnson still carried the team, putting up 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds a night. Likewise, Jamal Crawford and Al Horford also put solid numbers and were among the better players of coach Mike Woodson's squad. However, there appears to be no doubt that the Magic will enter their second home game versus the Hawks as undisputed favorites to come away with another win. After all, Orlando is not only the superior team as far as individual talent is concerned but has also proven to be the better defensive team.

You can watch all games of the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic right here on www.watchlivenba.com, the home of NBA live streaming.

Posted: 31th Jan 2010

Without any doubts, Orlando’s off-season acquisitions did not pan out as the franchise had hoped prior to this year’s NBA campaign. Trying to get back on track, the Orlando Magic will host Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Arena on Sunday at midnight GMT.

Unlike the Magic, the Hawks’ front-office is thrilled with the performance of coach Mike Woodson’s squad so far. Posting an excellent 29-14 record, Atlanta rallied to the third place in the Eastern Conference and is still in the race for the first overall seed. In the first four months of action, the Hawks showcased exciting up-tempo basketball and benefited from the athleticism of Josh Smith and company. Likewise, Atlanta pulled off solid defensive performances and managed to keep their opponents to just 97 points per contest. Offensively, All-Star Joe Johnson led the team putting up 21.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

In contrast, Orlando was hoping to make the next step towards a championship ring when the franchise from Southern Florida acquired Vince Carter and Brandon Bass in July. However, things did not go as planned and the Magic find themselves stuck at the fourth place in the Eastern Conference and a lot of issues to deal with. Firstly, Dwight Howard might still be an All-Star and a very good center, yet he failed to further develop his game and still has significant shortcomings offensively. Moreover, Vince Carter added some scoring but limited his game to even more jump-shooting than earlier in his career. Thus, the Magic lack scoring in the paint and a slasher to the hoop, instead Orlando continues to rely heavily on their shooting from beyond the arc. That said, Stan van Gundy’s squad is certainly capable of making a run before the post-season, but right now, the team is on a fairly level playing field with the Hawks. Therefore, fans around the league can expect a close game when the game between Atlanta and Orlando gets underway on Sunday night.

You can watch all games of the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic right here on www.watchlivenba.com, the home of NBA live streaming.