Pistons reach East finals for sixth straight year Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Richard Hamilton scored 31 points, and
Tayshaun Prince came up with a crucial block in the closing seconds, as the
Pistons moved into the Eastern Conference finals for a sixth straight year by
holding on for a 91-86 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Pistons, who won the semifinal series by a 4-1 margin, will face either
Boston or Cleveland in the next round. The Celtics and Cavaliers are even with
Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Boston.
Antonio McDyess scored eight of his 17 points during a huge run in the fourth
quarter and tot... More...
J.J. Redick wants more playing time next season, as reported by the Sun Sentinel. Redick played in just 34 games this season and saw limited minutes in two postseason contests for Orlando, which was eliminated Monday by Detroit in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Redick said, "I want to play. There were a lot of things that were said last summer and in the preseason, and I thought I was going to play. It didn’t happen." The team thinks he is a good player, but just envisions him as a backup shooting guard.
Our View:The sharp-shooter was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, and hit 39.5% of his shots from long range this season. If he leaves Orlando and lands a starting gig, he could make an impact as a fantasy performer.
Magic general manager Otis Smith is open to trading J.J. Redick this offseason, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Redick has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
Our View:Redick has averaged less than 12 minutes per game in 76 contests since becoming the 11th overall pick. The team clearly hasn't tried to get him much involved in their offense, and the sharpshooter would probably benefit from a change of scenery.
The Orlando Magic have seen their season come to an end, suffering the 91-86 defeat in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons. The Magic were led by forward Hedo Turkoglu , shooting 8-of-15 from the floor, 0-of-2 from the three-point line, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe to score a team-leading 18 points.
Our View:Turk also added nine rebounds and seven assists to the stat line, but it was not enough.
