By SAM
GARDNER
FOXSportsFlorida.com
Magic writer
Feb. 2,
2011
Thursday night, the Miami Heat travel 250 miles north to Orlando to take on a Magic team that looks nothing like the squad that beat them 104-95 on Nov. 24 and even less like the team that they routed 96-70 on Oct. 29.
Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus are out, Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark are in, and the new rotation makes film from the teams' first two meetings virtually useless
"I think it'll be interesting, because we're a totally different team from what they saw the first time," Richardson said. "With myself, Turk (and) Gilbert . . . it's going to be a great matchup."
Fortunately for the Magic, they won't need to familiarize their new players with what to expect from the Heat. Even though Orlando hasn't played Miami since the Dec. 18 trades that reshaped the Magic's roster, all of the new additions have seen the Big Three at least once this season.
None of them have seen the Heat at their best, of course, but they all got a pretty good feel for what Miami is capable of.
The Suns played the Heat at American Airlines Arena on Nov. 17. Miami, which was just 6-4 heading into that game, was coming off of three days rest and crushed Phoenix 123-96, due mostly in part to a 37-19 second quarter.
LeBron James nearly secured a triple-double in the victory, with 20 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, Dwyane Wade contributed 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Chris Bosh had his best game to date, scoring 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting (and 11-of-11 shooting from the line) in the win.
Turkoglu had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in that game, and Richardson scored 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting (although he missed all five of his three-point attempts). Even Clark got in on the action, scoring three points in 14 minutes of action.
Bosh's breakout game against Phoenix could spell trouble for the Magic. Turkoglu, who is utilized primarily as a small forward, was matched up at the four with Bosh that night, and he will be matched up with the five-time All-Star again Thursday because Orlando's usual starting power forward, Brandon Bass, will be out with an ankle injury.
"It's going to be a great challenge for me," Turkoglu said. "Chris Bosh is a great power forward. He's been an All-Star many years. I've just got to read the situations and do whatever it takes on defense and try to do my best on offense, too."
Said Richardson: "We can't make excuses about who's playing (or) who's not playing. We've just got to go out there and show up with who we have and try to win the game."
Bosh averaged 16 points and eight rebounds in his first two games against the Magic this season, and having played alongside Bosh last year in Toronto won't help Turkoglu, either.
"I played with him, I didn't play against him in practices," Turkoglu said with a laugh. "He's a great player; he's one of the best power forwards in the league right now."
When Arenas and the Wizards played in Miami on Nov. 29, the Heat were just 9-8 and still hadn't found their groove.
Washington lost that game 105-94, as the Big Three combined for 76 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists, but Arenas scored 23 points of his own on 9-of-21 shooting and dished out seven assists in the defeat.
"Now that I'm on a better team, it's going to be a better fight," Arenas said.
Arenas played 41 minutes that night
