The Clippers are a team that's getting their players healthy, while the Magic just lost one of their All-Star starters for the season. But that didn't seem to matter to anyone on Wednesday, as Orlando blasted L.A. by a score of 125-96.
Zach Randolph is still coming off the bench, and Baron Davis and Marcus Camby are back in the starting lineup. None of the Clippers' three stars looked anything remotely like the names on the backs of their jerseys however, as they combined to score just 29 points. And sadly, that was almost as many as someone who was starting his first game of the season for the Magic.
Anthony Johnson started in place of the injured Jameer Nelson, who was a key member of Orlando's starting unit before tearing a muscle in his shoulder that will require season ending surgery. Johnson stepped right in though, and finished with 25 points in 27 minutes, on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. He also connected on six of his eight three-point attempts.
Baron Davis said afterwards that the Magic play the same way with or without Nelson, so the result wasn't all that surprising.
"We just ran into a team that was hungry," Davis said. "They are just a great team. They do what they are supposed to. They play the same way [without Nelson]."
Al Thornton was the lone bright spot for the Clippers, as he led the team in scoring with 27 points. But L.A. was lost from the start, getting outscored by 12 in the first quarter on the way to allowing 72 first half points and trailing by 24 at the break. It was never closer than 22 the rest of the way, and Orlando stretched their lead to as many as 35 before the game came to its merciful conclusion.
