Magic close out Pacers to win first Eastern Conference title
It was Dennis Scott from the outside. It was Shaquille O’Neal from the inside. It was Penny Hardaway and Horace Grant from almost everywhere in between.
In the end, the fledgling Orlando Magic put away the Indiana Pacers and earned the title as Eastern Conference champions.
The Magic starters each scored in double figures and shot a collective 66.7% from the field (36-of-54) as the hosts rolled past the Pacers for a 105-81 victory in Game 7 of the conference finals on this day in 1995.
The win in front of a raucous crowd at Orlando Arena that included wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan launched the Magic to the NBA Finals in just their sixth season in the league.
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allow us all to do great things. I also know what impact economic opportunity can have on marginalized families.
“The most rewarding professional accomplishment of my life has been the recent opening of my company’s automotive plants in the under-served areas of Chicago and Detroit. People in those areas only needed an opportunity — and hope — to break the relentless cycle of poverty and oppression. It is inspiring and why I am also committed, with the Jaguars, to investing in developments we envision for downtown Jacksonville, where new jobs will result in immediate and sustainable livelihoods.”
Khan said he frequently meets with Jaguars players to better understand their experiences and concerns.
Fans, however, quickly reacted via posts on Twitter and argued Khan needs to explain his contributions to the Donald Trump campaign in 2016. 11-for-15 from the field as he finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds — his fifth double-double of the series. He was nearly unstoppable, averaging 27.3 points a game, including an average of 33.3 at home.
Scott, meanwhile, knocked down five 3-pointers — one more than the Pacers — on his way to a 19-point performance. Hardaway (17 points) and Grant (16 points) each went 7-for-9 from the field.
Though he didn’t have a great offensive night, Nick Anderson sank key perimeter shots and helped limit Pacers shooting star Reggie Miller to 12 points. He came into the game averaging 28.2 points and had poured in 36 points in Game 6.
The series was close through the first five games, with an average margin of victory of 3.4 points. That changed with Indiana’s 27-point win in Game 6.
NFL owners Woody Johnson of the New York Jets, Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins, Robert McNair of the Houston Texans and Khan all made $1 million donations in 2016. But in February 2017, Khan publicly opposed Trump’s ban on travel from six predominantly Muslim countries.
the campus is ready to accommodate anything beyond small groups.
Ultimately the hopes to resume events.
“That’s where it gets a little trickier,” Cass said.
More than 400 universities played matches at the national campus in 2019 and more than 120 local, regional, national and international events were scheduled for 2020. Among the tens of thousands of players to have used the facility are more than 600 American current and aspiring professionals.
Since the 2017 opening, the national campus has hosted more than 675,000 visitors.
USTA has canceled or postponed 69 events and more than 100 college matches that would have been played at the facility. During a given week, more than 35 certified tennis professionals administer 30 different programs during more than 120 sessions.
“Just like all businesses, ours has been impacted,” Cass said. “It’s had an impact on food and beverage, retail, the teaching side of tennis.”
Dormant revenue streams have led to pay cuts for top executives, but none facility hosting
Any notions that the lopsided loss would affect the Magic in the series finale were erased early as they built a 17-9 lead on the strength of a 12-3 run after a Grant layup.
The Pacers closed to 40-39 before a corner 3 by Jeff Turner sparked a 12-6 run that produced a 52-45 advantage at halftime.
It was a 60-54 lead when Orlando began to pull away. A Grant 3-point play started a 13-1 burst that ended with a Scott 3-pointer and a 73-55 lead with 4:44 left in the third quarter.
When the Jaguars played the Baltimore Ravens in London in September 2017, at least 15 players took a knee while Khan and the rest of the team, including coaches and training staff, locked arms on the sideline during the playing of the anthem.
It was a show of unity in response to Trump’s demand that owners fire NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first began kneeling in 2016 to call attention to the issues of racial inequality and police brutality.
“I specifically remember Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone telling us we couldn’t kneel,” former Jaguars defensive back Peyton Thompson posted earlier this week on Twitter. “Thank God we had an owner [Khan] of a minority who weighed in and got us to kneel together. My job security was on the line if I supported my people.”
of the 250-person staff on the national campus has been eliminated.
Cass hopes the worst is behind him and his sport, but he realizes a long process lies ahead.
“What we’re super excited about is opening our doors. We know that’s a step forward,” he said. “We’re excited to get off the treadmill, and hope we can continue to take steps forward.”
Weitzel, meanwhile, plans to reserve a court and line up a match for Monday.
The Kentucky native realizes he will need a little time to get back in tennis shape. For a while, the vibe will not be the same at the facility, where Weitzel knows pretty much everyone on a first-name basis.
Even so, Weitzel has awaited for the reopening, signing up for every USTA newsletter so he would not miss it. During difficult times, it will be comforting to return to a familiar place.
“It’s my sanctuary,” Weitzel said. “It’s where I go to see my friends. I’ve built relationships with everybody on the campus. I feel like part of my social life has been gone.”