Anez Sez: Three Games In Three Days 

By WDBO's Scott Anez                                                  

We embark on what is the dread of a lockout shortened NBA season----the back-to-back-to-back scenario.

 Three games in three days.  Ready or not here we go!

 Just one other time in the history of the Orlando Magic have we faced the three-games in three-days challenge?

Back during the 50-game lockout shortened season of 1998-99, the Magic, led by Penny Hardaway, played at home vs. Detroit on a Sunday.  Then, they went on the road for two---at Toronto on Monday and at Milwaukee Tuesday. 

They finished 1-2.

After beating Grant Hill and the Pistons in Orlando 88-81, the Magic would get blown out at Toronto 90-72.  The Bucks then beat up on a tired bunch o’ Magic Men 95-83 in the finale in Milwaukee.

No team in that ’98-99 season went on to win all three games in three days.

But, don’t tell the 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder it can’t be done.

Earlier this season, the Thunder toppled the Rockets at home on a Friday….They beat those Rockets in Houston on Saturday….Then on Sunday; they subdued the Spurs at OKC to hit the trifecta.

One could certainly argue that the Thunder, as young, spry and talented as they are, are built to withstand such a rigorous and treacherous schedule.

I am certainly not going to predict that the Magic win all three of these games this week—but I will tell you that, as daunting as back-to-back-to-backs are, this is not the most difficult schedule-wise.

After being off for three days, the Magic face an uneven 6-6 Knick team in New York in a Monday holiday matinee.    

The Magic then fly home where they will have nearly 24 hours to get their bodies ready to face the Bobcats at Amway Center on Tuesday.  This is a 3-10 Bobcat team that has one of the worst records in the league.  It’s also a Cat club that will be coming off a game of their own on Monday vs. the Cavs in Charlotte. 

Then, on Wednesday, the Spurs arrive in O-Town.  Sure, the Spurs are 9-0 at home this season.  But they are 0-4 on the road.  And keep in mind, San Antonio will be playing the tail end of a back-to-back of their own. The Spurs play at Miami Tuesday night before flying to Orlando.  Traditionally, because of the advanced age of Tim Duncan et al, this Spur team has been beatable on the tail end of the back-to-back scenario.

Plus, the Magic are playing final two legs of back to back to back at home—where the Amway Center crowd and the energy it will provide will be crucial to the outcome of both of those games.

Listen, three games in three days is as tough as it gets in this league.  Coach Van Gundy is gonna have to utilize his bench much more liberally than usual. Dwight Howard is Superman, but there’s no way D-12 is gonna be able to play his typical 37.7 minutes per in each and every one of these games.

But, the point is…It could be worse.