AP PhotoAUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? The Magic did not find any consolation in reaching a Game 7 of a playoff series. They did, however, find a star big man during the painful process.
The search for the second round goes on for the Magic, but the search for a power forward is over.
Go buy a home in Orlando, Drew Gooden.
You’re going to be here awhile, automatically penciled in the lineup.
Little good can be taken away from the Magic’s colossal collapse against the Pistons, completed Sunday in a 108-93 loss.
But at least there was a lot of Gooden to be taken away from it. He averaged 14 points and 12.7 rebounds, surpassing the regular-season numbers (13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds) he posted after being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies at midseason.
At times, Gooden looked like the only Magic starter who came ready to play Sunday — and he’s a rookie. He was the best the Magic could offer in Game 7 on a team that boasts superstar Tracy McGrady, coolly scoring 20 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.
McGrady struggled to score 21, but Gooden says, “You can’t think that T-Mac is going to be Superman every night. We have to be part of the backbone.”
Orlando had quickly fallen far behind the hot-shooting Pistons in the first quarter in the last five games, but Gooden propped up the club this time. He hit five of eight shots and scored 11 points — half of the team’s total. He also had nine rebounds — outplaying the Pistons’ Ben Wallace — and Orlando trailed just 27-22.
“The Pistons’ fire had been already lit in warmups and it’s your job to put it out. The first quarters killed us,” Gooden said. “I was trying to do as much as I could. Doc asked everybody what they were going to do before the game. He asked me and I said I wanted to get every rebound and score at least 20 points.”
He practically did. But like the Magic, Gooden strangely disappeared after that. After getting eight shots in the opening period, he took only eight shots the rest of the way, a problem Gooden says, “We have to work on. I just have to roll with the punches.”
The Magic need a capable point guard to get the ball to him in the right spot. Coach Doc Rivers admits that his team of jump-shooters didn’t always adjust to having a low-post presence. During the Rivers era, they’ve tried Bo Outlaw and even three-point specialist Pat Garrity at power forward between the Horace Grant cameos.
“It took some time,” Gooden said. “But I think I’ve proven myself to the team, the fans and the media. And I’m going to work to get even better.”
