Darren Collison betters himself

Darren Collison 06-09 posts another career high in a span of 2 games, scoring 27 points to go with 9 assists, 4 steals and 3 rbds. This, right on the heels of his previous career-high 24 pts against the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday, Feb 6 (for more on the Hornet-Bobcat game, see link). Who needs Chris Paul?

Although the night belonged to Vince "Vinsanity" Carter who scored a vinsane 48 pts. Fellow Magician Dwight "Superman" Howard called Carter "half-man" "half-retired" in a post-game interview, but I guess Vinny ain't done yet.

Former Bruin Matt Barnes 99-02 started for Orlando finishing with 5 pts, 3 assists (no to's) and 3 rbds.

Orlando wins at home, 123-117.


video credit:FaridZoro on youtube.com

Recap

Vinsanity scores 48 to rally Magic past Hornets

By Dick Scanlon, for NBA.com
Posted Tuesday February 9, 2010 12:54AM

ORLANDO (NBA.com exclusive) -- In a throw-back kind of game, Vince Carter reached back for 48 points Monday night, and the Orlando Magic needed almost all of them in a 123-117 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

It was the biggest individual scoring game by a Magic player since Tracy McGrady's 62-point game nearly six years ago, and Carter's personal best since a 51-point game for New Jersey against Miami on Dec. 23, 2005.

"The older you get, the more special it gets because you can say: 'Hey, I did it at 33,''' said Carter, whose huge game came just a few days after a January in which he struggled with 28 percent shooting and an 8.7 scoring average.

Nobody saw this coming. Not even Carter, who shot 19-for-27 with 10 layups and six 3-pointers.

"I don't wake up saying I'm going to score 40 or 50 points," he said.

"It's not about how many points I score. Everybody says: 'Oh, your scoring average is down.' It's expected with what we have in this locker room, so many guys who can put up 30 points, 40 points.

"For me, it's just about being consistent and making plays. Sometimes a big night can happen, but I wasn't thinking I was going to come out here and score 48 points.''

He scored 34 in the second half, 18 in the fourth quarter.

"I thought it was Vinsanity night," said Dwight Howard, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds. "We kept telling him since he's been in his so-called funk, or whatever everybody was saying, just to be aggressive and attack. When he's dong that, they've got to pick their poison."

Carter scored 10 straight Magic points as they took the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter.

"That was incredible. That was unbelievable," said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "There have been better performances, but not a whole lot of 'em and not with somebody I've seen on my team in a long time.

"Absolutely incredible. We had a lot of guys do good things, but quite frankly they were all overshadowed by that. That was vintage Vince Carter."

Carter was one of three players who had season-high scoring nights.

Peja Stojakovic led the Hornets (27-25) with 29 points and rookie Darren Collison had 27 points and nine assists. David West added another 27 for the Hornets, who led by 17 early in the second half, just as Carter was warming up.

The Hornets were held to 68 points in their last visit here on Christmas Day of 2008. This time they scored 70 in the first half, the most this season in a half against the Magic (35-17), including nine in the final 47 seconds of the half.

"We have to be able to sustain that lead and there is no excuse, this is the NBA," said Collison. "You are never out of it, ever. So you have to push it to 20 or 25 because guys like Vince Carter can go off and he did that."

Starting for the sixth time in place of injured All-Star Chris Paul, Collison had his second straight career high, scoring 16 in the first half.

The Hornets went over the 100-point mark with nine minutes left.

"They had their way with us on the defensive side of the floor," Van Gundy said. "I told our team when you can hold a team to 117, you give yourself a chance to win."

But their chances would not have been good without Carter's best game of the season.

"There was good defense on him for the most part," said West. "Guys were there, but he was making some tough shots. We just couldn't keep him contained."

The biggest factor was the 10 layups, some of which also drew fouls.

"It was a great player making great plays," said Hornets coach Jeff Bower. "I see it that way more than us having breakdowns. Everybody that covered him really worked hard at it and he made great plays.

"When he's shooting the ball deep from three, and driving the ball with his explosiveness, it's hard to keep him under control when he's got both phases of his game really going on."

The Hornets, who wore their purple, green and gold Mardi Gras-themed uniforms for the nationally televised game, are 2-4 since Paul went out with a left knee injury. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after having surgery on Thursday.