Howard reaches milestone in Magic victory over Heat

On the night Miami retired Alonzo Mourning's uniform number and jersey, the Magic spoiled the party for the Heat, as Dwight Howard became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 5000 rebounds, and the Magic were able to withstand 42 points from Dwyane Wade to win 101-95.

The Heat started out leading 21-18, but the Magic scored 14 points in a row to span the first and second quarters to lead 32-21. Miami cut their deficit to 46-43 at the half. The Magic led by a slim 70-69 margin entering the fourth quarter. Miami wound up taking the lead 92-91 with under 3 minutes remaining, but the Magic scored six points in a row to lead 97-92, and they were able to make their free throws late in a 101-95 victory.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (8 of 11 field goals), 18 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 21 points (8 of 12 field goals, 5 of 6 three point field goals)
Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (5 of 10 field goals), 5 assists
Rafer Alston: 13 points (4 of 12 field goals), 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Courtney Lee: 10 points (4 of 7 field goals)

Miami leading scorers:

Dwyane Wade: 42 points (16 of 34 field goals), 4 steals
Mario Chalmers: 13 points, 7 assists, 5 steals

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 50.7% (35 of 69) MIA 45.3% (39 of 86)
3 PT FG%: ORL 52.6% (10 of 19) MIA 33.3% (4 of 12)
FT%: ORL 77.8% (21 of 27) MIA 61.9% (13 of 21)
REB: ORL 42 (7 offensive) MIA 34 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 20/21 MIA 19/9
BENCH: MIA 21 ORL 19

Other game notes and stats:

-Other than Wade's 42 points, the other Heat starters combined to score 32 points
-Wade made 16 field goals, the other Heat starters combined for 14 made field goals
-Every Magic starter except for Alston shot at least 50% from the field
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Heat starting frontline 59-19 and outrebounded them 26-14
-The Magic reserves combined to shoot 6 of 17 from the field
-The Heat starting guards outscored the Magic starting guards 55-23
-Mickael Pietrus led the Magic reserves with 8 points along with 4 assists in 31 minutes
-Turkoglu and Alston led the Magic with 5 assists
-The Magic had 16 first-half turnovers

The Magic move percentage points ahead of Boston for the second seed in the East, and are now 55-18.

For the complete box score, click here

Magic at Heat tonight

The Magic (54-18) have beaten the Heat (39-34) 11 of their last 12 meetings.

The Magic have won 12 of their last 14 games overall, and are 2 1/2 point favorites over the Heat.

For the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic come alive in second half to beat Bucks

The Magic started out the game slowly, as they led Milwaukee 21-20 at the end of one. The Bucks took the lead in the second quarter and had their largest lead of 26-23 before the Magic came back to take a 47-41 halftime lead. The Magic extended their lead to 80-70 after three, and broke things wide open in the fourth quarter, with their largest lead of 105-82 before settling for a 110-94 win, as six Magic players scored in double figures.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 19 points (8 of 15 field goals), 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Hedo Turkoglu: 18 points (7 of 12 field goals), 9 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 18 points (4 of 8 field goals), 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Courtney Lee: 16 points (6 of 10 field goals)
Rafer Alston: 11 points (4 of 10 field goals), 5 assists

Milwaukee leading scorers

Ramon Sessions: 19 points
Charlie Bell: 19 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 51.2% (41 of 80) MIL 39.1% (36 of 92)
3 PT FG%: ORL 42.9% (9 of 21) MIL 40% (6 of 15)
FT%: MIL 66.7% (16 of 24) ORL 59.4% (19 of 32)
REB: ORL 48 (8 offensive) MIL 44 (13 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 21/11 MIL 15/10
BENCH: ORL 28 MIL 26

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic starting frontcourt outscored the Milwaukee starting frontcourt 55-30, and outrebounded them 25-17
-Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 17 rebounds
-The Bucks' starting forwards, Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva, combined to shoot 8 of 33 from the field
-Marcin Gortat led the Magic reserves with 10 points, and the whole team with 11 rebounds
-Rafer Alston had a 5/0 assist/turnover ratio
-Former Magic guard/forward Keith Bogans scored 3 points on 1 of 4 three point shooting and grabbed 2 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench for the Bucks
-Alston was the only Magic starter to shoot under 50%
-The Magic started out 1 of 7 free throw shooting before making 18 of their last 25 free throws
-Only Turkoglu and Lewis played more than 30 minutes for the Magic

The Magic remain percentage points ahead of Boston for the second seed in the East, as the Celtics won at Atlanta 99-93.

For the complete box score, click here

Struggling Bucks at Magic tonight

Milwaukee (31-41) has lost 8 of their last 10 games and are rapidly falling out of the Eatern Conference playoff picture. The Magic (53-18) will try to solidify their hold on second place in the East.

The Magic have won 6 home games in a row over the Bucks, and are solid 12 point favorites tonight.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Defensive

John Hollinger's PER Diem: March 26, 2009 - ESPN

Read the whole thing, but here is an excerpt:

The reality, as Boston coach Doc Rivers acknowledged before the game, is that Orlando has become an elite defensive team, and that's the central reason they're threatening to finish ahead of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

Check out the leaderboard in defensive efficiency, for instance, and you'll note that the Magic are barely behind the Celtics. Orlando gives up 98.9 points per 100 opponent possessions, good for second in the league and just a hair behind Boston's league-leading 98.7 mark.

It's no surprise where it all starts -- with center Dwight Howard. He's threatening to become only the fifth player to lead the league in blocks and rebounding in the same season, with Wednesday's game-saving block of Paul Pierce becoming the latest spectacular swat on his résumé. Howard's board work is also why the Magic lead the league in defensive rebound rate at 76.2 percent, even though they're effectively playing with just one big man most of the time.

"Dwight has been more consistent with his effort defensively," Van Gundy said. "I think he's the best defensive big guy [in the league] when he's really focused and wants to bring it. And his focus and consistency has been a lot better. He's a great help defender and he can block shots, he can guard his own guy in the post, he can defend pick-and-rolls. Yes, I'd start with him."

And knowing that Howard is around enables the Magic's perimeter players to be more aggressive than they otherwise might be.

"We don't want to just rely on Dwight," said Hedo Turkoglu, "but we know he's got our back."

Magic barely hang on to beat Celtics

The Magic started out the game strong, leading at the end of one 25-21, thanks to 12 points and 10 rebounds from Dwight Howard. The Magic extended their lead to 47-39 at the half, and continued to build on their lead in the third quarter and had their largest lead of the game at 66-50 with under 4 minutes remaining in the third, then watched Boston go on a 12-2 run, before the quarter ended with a 70-62 Magic lead. The Magic then proceeded to have one of their worst fourth quarters of the season, as they shot a horrendous 3 of 17 from the field, and did not make a field goal in the last 6 minutes of the game, but still managed to beat Boston 84-82, as Paul Pierce's last-second three was well off the mark.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 24 points (11 of 18 field goals), 21 rebounds, 4 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 21 points (6 of 10 field goals)
Hedo Turkoglu: 13 points (3 of 18 field goals), 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Courtney Lee: 11 points (4 of 11 field goals)

Boston leading scorers:

Paul Pierce: 26 points, 7 rebounds
Ray Allen: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Kendrick Perkins: 11 points, 11 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: BOS 43.4% (33 of 76) ORL 37.0% (30 of 81)
3 PT FG%: ORL 40% (10 of 25) BOS 25% (4 of 16)
FT%: ORL 82.4% (14 of 17) BOS 80% (12 of 15)
REB: BOS 47 ORL 41
AST/TO: ORL 19/14 BOS 14/18
BENCH: BOS 16 ORL 9

Other game notes and stats:

-The Celtics' Kevin Garnett played 16 minutes, scoring 4 points with 8 rebounds
-Howard and Lewis combined to shoot 17 of 28 from the field for 45 points
-The rest of the Magic shot a horrid 13 of 53 for 39 points
-Mickael Pietrus and Anthony Johnson scored 5 and 4 points respectively off the bench, and were the only Magic reserves to score
-The Magic reserves combined to shoot 3 of 14 from the field
-Turkoglu and Rafer Alston combined to shoot 6 of 28 from the field
-Alston led the Magic with 6 assists
-The Magic were held to 14 fourth quarter points and 37 second half points

As WeRDevos' post underneath mine notes, ranking the best Magic seasons, this was the Magic's 53rd win of the year, with 11 games still remaining, making this the third most wins in a season for the Magic in their franchise history. The Magic also clinched the SE division title with the win, and tied the Celtics for the second seed in the East.

For the complete box score, click here

Best Magic Years Ever

Season Reg Season Wins
95-96 60
94-95 57
08-09 53 and counting
07-08 52
93-94 50

Big win tonight with Howard's block and Turk's timely foul to close out the win.

Eleven games to go in what is already the teams 3rd best regular season ever. Look at the remaining schedule and the odds are high this team can win at least eight more for the all-time Magic season record. Seven sub .500 teams left. And the good teams are both winnable, and games the team should get up for. Cleveland at home, division rivals ATL and Miami on the road, and a trip to Houston for Skip to My Lou.

Battle for second seed tonight in Orlando versus Boston

The Magic (52-18) will officially clinch the SE division title with a win over Boston (54-18) Wednesday night, and more importantly, tie the Celtics for the second seed in the East in a nationally televised game at 8:00 on ESPN.

Kevin Garnett figures to play limited minutes tonight as he continues to recover from his knee injury.

The Magic are 3 1/2 point favorites.

For the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic rally in fourth to beat Knicks

New York was in pretty good shape with a 84-74 lead with under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before the Magic came alive and went on a 19-6 run to take the lead 93-90 with under 4 minutes remaining. The Magic led 100-94 with 39 seconds remaining, and even though the Knicks were able to pull within 100-99, the Magic made their free throws down the stretch for a 106-102 victory.

The game was tied at 24 after one, and the Knicks led 54-50 at the half. The Knicks opened up a 79-70 lead going into the fourth before the Magic outscored the Knicks 36-20 in that final quarter for the four point victory.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 29 points (12 of 18 field goals), 14 rebounds, 4 blocks
Courtney Lee: 22 points (6 of 8 field goals), 3 steals
Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (6 of 15 field goals), 8 rebounds
Anthony Johnson (bench): 11 points (3 of 5 field goals)
Rashard Lewis: 10 points (3 of 10 field goals), 6 rebounds

New York leading scorers:

Nate Robinson (bench): 19 points (6 of 23 field goals)
Wilson Chandler: 17 points
Quentin Richardson: 17 points
David Lee: 14 points, 13 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 44.6% (33 of 74) NY 41.4% (36 of 87)
3 PT FG%: NY 42.9% (9 of 21) ORL 28% (7 of 25)
FT%: ORL 71.7% (33 of 46) NY 63.6% (21 of 33)
REB: NY 48 (12 offensive) ORL 48 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 14/13 NY 14/14
BENCH: NY 28 ORL 20

Other game notes and stats:

-The Knicks outscored the Magic 81-73 from the field
-The Magic outscored the Knicks 33-21 from the free throw line
-The Magic made 4 of their last 6 three pointers after starting 3 of 19
-Turkoglu scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and had 3 assists in the game to lead the Magic
-Nate Robinson took 23 shots to score his 19 points, but had 6 assists in the game to lead the Knicks
-Other than Johnson, the four other Magic reserves (Redick, Pietrus, Battie, Gortat) combined to score 9 points on 1 of 8 shooting
-The Magic made their last seven free throws of the game
-The Knicks used an eight-man rotation, with six players scoring in double figures
-Rafer Alston shot just 2 of 10 for 9 points for the Magic, but grabbed 7 rebounds and had just 1 turnover in 30 minutes

The Magic still trail Boston by a game for the second seed in the East, as the Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics visit the Magic Wednesday for the showdown for second.

For the complete box score, click here

Rematch at Knicks tonight for the Magic

The Magic (51-18) will try to edge closer to Boston for the second seed as they take on New York (28-41) tonight in Madison Square Garden.

David Lee, who missed Saturday's loss to the Magic, will most likely play tonight for the Knicks.

The Magic are 6 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic hang on to beat stubborn Knicks

New York came into the game against the Magic following an embarrassing 27 point home loss to Sacramento the night before, and to make matters worse, center David Lee would miss the game against the Magic because of knee problems, and starting guard Larry Hughes would exit the game in the second quarter because of a jammed big toe.

The Knicks played hard and competed all night, though. The Magic led 29-28 at the end of one, and went into the half with a 59-52 lead. The Magic opened the game up in the third and had their largest lead of 80-65, but the Knicks came back to cut their deficit to 86-80 going into the fourth. The Knicks got as close as 100-98 and 102-100 late in the fourth, but the Magic held on to win 110-103, as all five Magic starters scored in double figures.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 27 points (11 of 18 field goals), 4 assists
Hedo Turkoglu: 20 points (6 of 13 field goals), 9 assists, 7 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 17 points (5 of 10 field goals), 3 steals
Dwight Howard: 15 points (4 of 7 field goals), 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Courtney Lee: 13 points (6 of 12 field goals), 4 assists

New York leading scorers:

Quentin Richardson: 33 points, 7 rebounds
Nate Robinson (bench): 27 points, 5 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: ORL 48.7% (38 of 78) NY 42.4% (36 of 85)
3 PT FG%: ORL 38.2% (13 of 34) NY 28.6% (8 of 28)
FT%: NY 76.7% (23 of 30) ORL 67.7% (21 of 31)
REB: NY 47 (17 offensive) ORL 38 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 25/15 NY 16/20
BENCH: NY 48 ORL 18

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic starters outscored the Knicks' starters 92-55
-The Magic starting backcourt outscored the Knicks' starting backcourt 30-4, as Chris Duhon and Hughes combined to shoot 1 of 9
-Other than Richardson, the four other Knicks' starters combined to shoot 8 of 29 from the field
-Richardson scored 24 of his points in the first half
-Lewis and Turkoglu combined for 47 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with J.J. Redick leading the reserves with 6 points
-Tony Battie, along with Lue and Richardson, did not see any action
-Marcin Gortat led the Magic with 8 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench
-Howard had just 7 field goal attempts in 30 minutes before fouling out.

The Magic remain one game behind Boston for the second seed in the East, as the Celtics won at Memphis Saturday night.

The Magic and Knicks play the rematch Monday night in New York.

For the complete box score, click here

Knicks at Magic tonight

The New York Knicks (28-40) will make their first visit to Orlando this season to take on the Magic (50-18).

The Knicks are coming off a 121-94 home loss to Sacramento Friday night.

The Magic trail second seed Boston by one game, and are favored by 11 1/2 points.

For the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic hit 50 win mark in rout over Bucks

It looked like the Magic (50-18) would be in for a tough game as Milwaukee (31-39) jumped out to a quick 9-5 lead, but after that it was all Magic the rest of the game. The Magic proceeded to outscore the Bucks 31-11 the rest of the quarter for a 36-20 lead at the end of one, as Dwight Howard scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the first. The Magic held a huge 30 point halftime lead 65-35, and the Bucks never got closer than 20 pts in the second half, as the Magic cruised to victory 106-80.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 28 points (8 of 13 field goals, 12 of 21 free throws), 12 rebounds, 7 assists
Hedo Turkoglu: 14 points (5 of 12 field goals), 10 rebounds, 7 assists
Courtney Lee: 13 points (5 of 9 field goals)
Rashard Lewis: 13 points (4 of 11 field goals)

Milwaukee leading scorers

Charlie Villanueva: 17 points
Richard Jefferson: 13 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 48.0% (36 of 75) MIL 37.7% (29 of 77)
3 PT FG%: ORL 37.9% (11 of 29) MIL 25% (3 of 12)
FT%: MIL 70.4% (19 of 27) ORL 65.7% (23 of 35)
REB: ORL 44 (5 offensive) MIL 41 (6 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 25/11 MIL 17/13
BENCH: MIL 38 ORL 31

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic starters outscored the Bucks' starters 75-42
-All 12 players played for the Magic, as Marcin Gortat led the reserves with 10 points; J.J. Redick added 9 points
-Former Magic guard/forward Keith Bogans was scoreless on 0 for 3 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench, but had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal
-The Bucks' bench combined to shoot just 14 of 42
-Howard and Gortat combined for 38 points and 20 rebounds
-Rafer Alston had a 4/1 assist/turnover ratio
-The Bucks' starting guards, Sessions and Mbah a Moute, combined for just 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting

The Magic are still 1/2 game behind Boston, as the Celtics beat Miami in OT.

The Magic are now off for two days prior to their next game Saturday against New York.

For the complete box score, click here

Magic at Milwaukee tonight

The Magic (49-18) continue their quest for the second seed in the East as they take on the Bucks (31-38), who are just 1/2 game behind Chicago for the final playoff spot in the East.

The Magic are 5 1/2 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

James late three leads Cavaliers to win over Magic

LeBron James, who had yet another monster game with 43 points, made a three pointer with 48 seconds remaining to give Cleveland a two point lead, as the Cavaliers scored the last five points of the game, and were aided by a couple of questionable calls late to defeat the Magic in a game with playoff-like intensity 97-93.

Cleveland started out quick, bolting out to a 22-11 lead in the first before settling for a 28-23 lead after one. It was a 53-50 lead for the Cavaliers at the half, before the Magic took control in the third, outscoring the Cavaliers 25-13 to take a 75-66 lead, before the Cavs scored the last six points in the quarter as the Magic led 75-72 going into the fourth. Their last lead was 93-92 before James did his thing to lead the Cavaliers to victory.

Magic leading scorers

Rafer Alston: 23 points (8 of 16 field goals), 5 steals, 4 assists
Courtney Lee: 19 points (9 of 13 field goals)
Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (5 of 12 field goals), 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 13 points (5 of 8 field goals), 15 rebounds, 6 blocks

Cleveland leading scorers

LeBron James: 43 points (15 of 27 field goals), 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 6 turnovers
Maurice Williams: 21 points (9 of 20 field goals)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: CLE 46.4% (39 of 84) ORL 45.6% (36 of 79)
3 PT FG%: ORL 35.7% (10 of 28) CLE 31.8% (7 of 22)
FT%: ORL 84.6% (11 of 13) CLE 75% (12 of 16)
REB: CLE 43 (11 offensive) ORL 40 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 23/16 CLE 20/13
BENCH: ORL 16 CLE 5

Other game notes and stats:

-Rashard Lewis continues to struggle for the Magic, scoring just 6 points on 3 of 15 shooting, including 0 for 8 on threes
-Lewis and Turkoglu combined to shoot 8 of 27
-The Cavaliers' starting frontcourt outscored the Magic starting frontcourt 63-35 and outrebounded them 30-25
-The Magic starting guards, Alston and Lee, outscored the Cavaliers' starting guards, Williams and Delonte West, 42-29 on 17 of 29 field goal shooting
-Mickael Pietrus led the Magic reserves with 11 points on 4 of 6 field goals, including 3 of 5 on threes
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with J.J. Redick not seeing any action along with Lue and Richardson
-Anderson Varajao was the only other Cavalier in double figures with 12 points
-James and Williams combined for 64 of the Cavaliers' 97 points, the other 8 Cavaliers combined for 33 points
-The Cavaliers' bench combined for 5 points on 2 of 7 shooting in 57 combined minutes

The Chicago Bulls did the Magic a big favor by defeating Boston 127-121, so the Magic remain 1/2 game behind the Celtics for the second seed in the East.

For the complete box score, click here

Magic at Cavaliers tonight

The Magic (49-17) will try to become the first Eastern Conference team to defeat the Cavaliers (53-13) in Cleveland as the two teams battle tonight.

The Magic have beaten the Cavaliers 7 of their last 9 games, and have won three games in a row there.

The Cavaliers are 6 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic take advantage of tired Jazz in comfortable win

The Magic (49-17) took control of the game from the onset, jumping out to a 14-2 lead, with coach Jerry Sloan getting ejected in the first two and a half minutes, and never let Utah (41-26) get closer than eight points the rest of the way in a 105-87 victory.

The Magic led after one 30-20, and 57-43 at the half. It was 85-67 going into the fourth as the Magic's largest lead of the game was 96-75 before cruising to the final score.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 28 points (10 of 15 field goals), 20 rebounds, 7 turnovers, 3 blocks
Rafer Alston: 16 points (7 of 11 field goals), 6 assists
Anthony Johnson (bench): 14 points (5 of 9 field goals), 5 rebounds
Hedo Turkoglu: 10 points (4 of 10 field goals), 8 assists
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 10 points (3 of 7 field goals)

Utah leading scorers

Carlos Boozer: 23 points, 13 rebounds
Deron Williams: 11 points, 9 assists

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 44.4% (40 of 90) UT 37.2% (32 of 86)
3 PT FG%: ORL 32.4% (11 of 34) UT 9.1% (1 of 11)
FT%: UT 78.6% (22 of 28) ORL 50% (14 of 28)
REB: ORL 60 (18 offensive) UT 44 (12 offensive)
AST/TO: UT 22/11 ORL 22/13
BENCH: ORL 42 UT 31

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic outscored the Jazz 101-65 from the field
-The Jazz bench shot a combined 10 of 35
-Howard committed 7 of the Magic 13 turnovers and shot just 8 of 17 from the free throw line
-Hedo Turkoglu, playing 37 minutes in his first game since Monday, led the Magic with 8 assists
-Rashard Lewis struggled, scoring just 5 points on 2 of 9 shooting, again going without a three point field goal for the second time this week
-Lewis and starting guard Courtney Lee combined for 9 points on 4 of 15 shooting
-The two Magic point guards, Alston and Johnson, combined for 30 points, 7 assists, and 1 turnover
-The two Magic centers, Howard and Marcin Gortat, combined for 36 points and 28 rebounds
-Tyronn Lue and Jeremy Richardson did not see any action for the Magic

With the Boston loss to Milwaukee earlier Sunday, the Magic are now within 1/2 game of the Celtics for the second seed.

The Magic travel to Cleveland Tuesday night.

For the complete box score, click here

Jazz at Magic this evening

Utah (41-25), who has lost two games in a row following a 12 game winning streak, including a 140-129 loss in triple overtime to the Heat Saturday, will try to finish their five game road trip on a winning note against the Magic (48-17) Sunday evening in a 6:00 start.

Once again, Hedo Turkoglu is questionable with a sore left foot.

The Magic are 6 point favorites.

For the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic depth wears down Wizards

Six Magic players scored in double figures, which was enough to overcome Antawn Jamison's 36 points, as the Magic scored 13 of the game's final 19 points to beat the shorthanded Wizards 112-103 to sweep the season series 4-0. In addition to Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood, who are both out for the season, guard DeShawn Stevenson missed the game and Caron Butler sat out the second half with an injury.

The Magic led 30-25 after one, and 60-52 at the half. The Magic had a 66-54 lead in the third, but saw the Wizards come to with 91-90 in the fourth quarter. It was 99-97 Magic with 3 1/2 minutes left before they pulled away.

Magic leading scorers

Mickael Pietrus: 21 points (8 of 14 field goals), 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 19 points (6 of 13 field goals), 6 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 18 points (6 of 9 field goals), 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks
Rafer Alston: 18 points (6 of 11 field goals)
Tony Battie (bench): 13 points (6 of 8 field goals), 7 rebounds

Washington leading scorers

Antawn Jamison: 36 points, 6 rebounds
Nick Young (bench): 20 points, 5 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 51.2% (41 of 80) WAS 48.8% (39 of 80)
3 PT FG%: WAS 60% (6 of 10) ORL 35.3% (12 of 34)
FT%: WAS 86.4% (19 of 22) ORL 66.7% (18 of 27)
REB: ORL 49 (17 offensive) WAS 32 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 24/14 WAS 21/10
BENCH: WAS 45 ORL 31

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic starters outscored the Wizards' starters 81-58
-Howard's 7 assists was a career-high
-Courtney Lee was the only Magic starter not to score in double figures, with 5 points on 2 of 10 shooting
-The Wizards' starting guards, Mike James and Butler, combined to score just 8 points on 2 of 12 shooting
-Hedo Turkoglu once again sat out to rest his sore achilles
-Pietrus and Lewis combined for 40 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals
-J.J. Redick added 10 points off the bench in addition to Battie's 13
-The Magic bench combined for 31 points on 13 of 23 shooting along with 13 rebounds and 6 assists
-Other than Jamison, the Wizards' starters combined to score 22 points on 7 of 23 shooting
-In addition to Howard's 7 assists, Pietrus had 6 assists and Anthony Johnson 5 assists

The Magic host Utah Sunday evening.

For the complete box score, click here

Magic at Wizards tonight

The Magic (47-17) will be looking for a season sweep of Washington (15-50) tonight. Hedo Turkoglu will be a game-time decision if he will play or not.

The Magic are 8 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Playoffs Clinched: Who are hottest teams since Christmas?

Best records since Dec. 25

Team	W	L
L.A. Lakers	28	8
Cleveland	26	9
San Antonio	25	10
Orlando	25	11
Utah	24	11
Dallas	24	14
Portland	22	13
Houston	23	14
Denver	23	14
New Orleans	24	15
Boston	22	14

Magic officially clinch playoff berth with rout over Bulls

Despite missing Hedo Turkoglu, sitting out because of a sore achilles, and an off-night from Rashard Lewis, the Magic were able to rout Chicago 107-79 thanks to a sparkling performance from the Magic bench, who scored a season-high combined 56 points.

The Magic held the Bulls to 21% field goal shooting in the first quarter as the Magic led after one 26-13. The Bulls then made their only run of the game as they came within 28-25 before the Magic took a 48-36 lead into the half. The Magic then blew the game wide open in the third quarter outscoring the Bulls 37-17 as they led 85-53 going into the fourth. Their largest lead came at 94-56 while the reserves for both teams played most of the fourth.

Magic leading scorers

Tony Battie (bench): 18 points (7 of 11 field goals), 8 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 15 points (6 of 7 field goals), 9 rebounds, 3 blocks
Courtney Lee: 14 points (5 of 11 field goals), 6 rebounds
J.J. Redick (bench): 13 points (4 of 6 field goals), 4 assists
Marcin Gortat (bench): 13 points (6 of 8 field goals), 15 rebounds

Chicago leading scorers

John Salmons: 18 points, 8 rebounds
Brad Miller: 11 points, 6 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: ORL 47.6% (40 of 84) CHI 31.4% (27 of 86)
3 PT FG%: ORL 33.3% (9 of 27) CHI 33.3% (6 of 18)
FT%: CHI 82.6% (19 of 23) ORL 75% (18 of 24)
REB: ORL 53 (11 offensive) CHI 44 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 24/14 CHI 13/18
BENCH: ORL 56 CHI 37

Other game notes and stats:

-The Bulls' starting guards, Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, combined for just 11 points on 3 of 22 shooting; Gordon was held to 4 points two nights after scoring 43 points against Miami
-Lewis was held to 3 points on 0 for 9 shooting
-The Magic bench combined to shoot 22 of 37, while grabbing 27 rebounds, and outscored the Magic starters 56-51
-Howard was the only Magic starter to shoot over 50%; the other four starters combined to shoot 12 of 40
-The five Bulls' starters combined to shoot 13 of 50
-The two Magic point guards, Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson, each had 6 assists
-Alston, Howard, and Lewis all played under 25 minutes
-Mickael Pietrus started for Turkoglu and scored 9 points, all on three pointers

The Magic play at Washington Friday night.

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Soon to be 2009 Defensive Player of the Year

Bulls at Magic tonight

The Magic (46-17) look to avenge an embarrassing 120-102 loss to the Bulls (29-35) last month in Chicago.

Hedo Turkoglu is questionable with left achilles tendinitis.

The Magic are 8 point favorites.

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Same old story... Pistons win close one over Magic

The game was close throughout, as neither team had more than a six point lead. It was tied at 21 after one, with the Magic holding a 45-42 halftime lead. Detroit took a 73-71 lead into the fourth, and had their largest lead at 81-75 before the Magic came back, thanks to some clutch baskets by Rashard Lewis, and took a 87-84 lead. The Magic's last lead was 90-89. The Magic missed 5 of their last 7 shots and 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch and the Pistons won 98-94.

Rasheed Wallace exited the game for the Pistons late in the first quarter, while Hedo Turkoglu exited the game for the Magic in the third quarter with a sore achilles.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 27 points (9 of 14 field goals), 14 rebounds, 4 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 21 points (8 of 14 field goals), 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Courtney Lee: 10 points (3 of 5 field goals)

Detroit leading scorers

Richard Hamilton: 29 points, 14 assists
Tayshaun Prince: 20 points, 6 rebounds
Antonio McDyess: 13 points, 18 rebounds

Overal Game Stats

FG%: ORL 45.3% (29 of 64) DET 44.0% (40 of 91)
3 PT FG%: ORL 38.9% (7 of 18) DET 33.3% (3 of 9)
FT%: ORL 82.9% (29 of 35) DET 62.5% (15 of 24)
REB: DET 41 (15 offensive) ORL 41 (6 offensive)
AST/TO: DET 30/7 ORL 18/15
BENCH: ORL 27 DET 23

Other game notes and stats:

-The Pistons outscored the Magic from the field 83-65, and attempted 27 more field goals than the Magic to offset the Magic's 29-15 free throws made edge
-The Pistons' starting guards outscored the Magic's starting guards 39-17
-Hamilton, who had a career-high 14 assists, and Prince combined for 49 points
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson leading the bench with 9 points each
-The Magic bench shot a combined 6 of 18 from the field, but made 12 of 13 free throws
-Redick played over 29 1/2 minutes and played the whole fourth quarter, while starting guard Courtney Lee played just over 18 minutes and sat out the fourth.
-Marcin Gortat played over 24 1/2 minutes, scoring six points with five rebounds, while Tony Battie did not see action
-Seldom-used Kwame Brown, seeing action after Wallace left the game with an injury, scored 10 points on 5 of 6 shooting for the Pistons

The Pistons sweep the season series from the Magic 3 games to 0.

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Magic at Pistons tonight for their final regular season meeting

The Pistons (31-30) have beaten the Magic (46-16) 16 of the last 19 games, including the playoffs.

Despite the Pistons' dominance over the Magic, the Magic are 2 point favorites tonight.

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Magic hang on to beat Celtics

The Orlando Magic started out fast in this game, taking advantage of a Boston team without Kevin Garnett or Rajon Rondo, leading 22-15 after one and had their largest lead of the first half at 49-27 before settling for a 51-33 halftime lead. The Magic had their largest second half lead of 65-43 in the third before Boston cut the lead to 69-56 entering the fourth. The Magic still had a 82-70 lead with 4:30 remaining before Ray Allen of the Celtics went off and pulled Boston to within 82-79 with under a minute left. Allen missed a potential game-tying three with 40 seconds remaining, and the Magic iced the game with free throws to win 86-79.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 18 points (6 of 13 field goals), 15 rebounds, 5 blocks
Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (6 of 14 field goals)
Rashard Lewis: 15 points (5 of 12 field goals)
Rafer Alston: 10 points (4 of 11 field goals), 8 assists

Boston leading scorers

Ray Allen: 32 points (12 of 25 field goals), 9 rebounds
Paul Pierce: 16 points, 8 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 44% (33 of 75) BOS 39.5% (30 of 76)
3 PT FG%: ORL 36.4% (8 of 22) BOS 20% (2 of 10)
FT%: ORL 75% (12 of 16) BOS 70.8% (17 of 24)
REB: BOS 44 (8 offensive) ORL 36 (4 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 17/14 BOS 10/17
BENCH: ORL 25 BOS 17

Other game notes and stats:

-Magic made only 2 of their final 15 shots in the last 8:30 of the game, none in the last 4:30
-Stephon Marbury, making his first start at point guard for the Celtics in place of Rondo, scored just 4 points with 0 assists and 3 turnovers
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Celtics' starting frontline 49-26
-Glen Davis, starting for Garnett, had 0 points and 0 rebounds
-The two Magic point guards, Alston and Anthony Johnson, combined for 16 points and 10 assists
-Courtney Lee scored just 2 points in 36 minutes, but had 3 steals on defense
-Mickael Pietrus led the Magic bench with 8 points and 4 rebounds; Johnson and Marcin Gortat each had 6 points
-The Celtics' bench shot a combined 6 of 19

The Magic travel to Detroit for a Monday night game.

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Magic battle Celtics in Boston this afternoon

Boston (49-14) will try to extend their season series margin over the Magic (45-16) to 3-0 this afternoon.

The Celtics, coming off a 105-94 win Friday night over Cleveland, are still without Kevin Garnett.

The Celtics are favored by 3 1/2 points.

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Another fourth quarter comeback lifts Magic to win over Nets

Five Magic players scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard's 26 points and 15 rebounds, as the Magic turned a 95-87 deficit with under 7:30 remaining to a 105-102 victory, as they outscored New Jersey 18-7 to pull off the win. This was the third game in a row the Magic have trailed entering the fourth quarter, and the third game in a row they have come back in the fourth quarter to win.

The first half was played at a brisk pace, with the Magic holding a 32-29 lead after one, with their largest lead at 52-44 in the second quarter before settling for a 60-59 lead at the half. New Jersey held the advantage 86-83 going into the fourth, and the Magic outscored the Nets 22-16 in the final quarter to pull off yet another comeback victory.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 26 points (12 of 14 free throws), 15 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 21 points (8 of 18 field goals), 5 rebounds
Hedo Turkoglu: 13 points (4 of 14 field goals), 8 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 14 points (3 of 6 three point field goals), 7 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 11 points (4 of 10 field goals), 6 assists

New Jersey leading scorers

Devin Harris: 25 points, 9 assists
Vince Carter: 19 points (8 of 22 field goals)
Yi Jianlian: 12 points, 6 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: NJ 49.4% (38 of 77) ORL 42.7% (35 of 82)
3 PT FG%: ORL 37.5% (9 of 24) NJ 37.5% (9 of 24)
FT%: ORL 81.3% (26 of 32) NJ 77.3% (17 of 22)
REB: ORL 48 (13 offensive) NJ 33 (4 offensive)
AST/TO: NJ 19/11 ORL 19/15
BENCH: NJ 33 ORL 29

Other game notes and stats:

-The Nets outscored the Magic 85-79 from the field, but the Magic outscored the Nets from the free throw line 26-17
-The Nets made only 1 of their final 10 shots from the field in the final 6 minutes
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Nets' starting frontline 60-25 and outrebounded them 28-13
-Turkoglu and Lewis combined to score 34 points with 13 rebounds and 7 assists; Turkoglu scored 8 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter
-The Nets' starting guards outscored the Magic starting guards 44-16
-The Nets shot over 58% in the first half
-Howard scored 12 first quarter points, and was 9 for 9 from the line in the quarter; he hit his first 10 before missing
-In addition to Pietrus, Anthony Johnson also played well off the bench, scoring 9 points along with 4 assists
-Former Magic guard Keyon Dooling scored 7 points for the Nets, and added 3 steals on defense
-There were 16 lead changes in the game

Magic start a tough back-to-back Sunday at Boston followed by a trip to Detroit Monday.

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New Jersey visits Magic tonight

The New Jersey Nets (27-34), in a close race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, take on the Magic (44-16) tonight.

The Nets are coming off a 115-111 loss Wednesday to the Celtics, led by guard Devin Harris with 25 points and 11 assists. The Nets trail eighth place Milwaukee by just a half game.

The Magic, 5-2 since trading for point guard Rafer Alston, are 9 point favorites.

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Shaquille O'Neal rips Magic coach Stan Van Gundy

O'Neal responded to Van Gundy's reaction about O'Neal's flopping against Dwight Howard Tuesday night.

For the complete story from cbssports.com, click here

Magic overcome 24 turnovers to come back and beat Suns in fourth

Three Magic players scored over 20 points as the Magic, down three points entering the fourth quarter, outscored Phoenix 33-18 to defeat the Suns for the first time in seven games 111-99.

The Suns led 29-24 after one quarter, and after the Magic went on a 14-2 run to take a 38-31 lead in the second, the Suns came back with a 21-6 run to take a 52-44 lead late in the second, before the Magic tied it at 56 at the half. Phoenix took a 81-78 lead entering the fourth and had their last lead at 91-88 before the Magic outscored the Suns 23-8 the rest of the way to defeat the Suns 111-99.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 29 points (9 of 16 field goals), 12 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Hedo Turkoglu: 22 points (8 of 17 field goals), 6 assists, 6 turnovers
Dwight Howard: 21 points (7 of 14 field goals), 8 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Rafer Alston: 15 points (4 of 12 field goals), 6 rebounds, 6 assists

Phoenix leading scorers

Jason Richardson: 27 points, 6 rebounds
Steve Nash: 20 points, 8 assists, 7 turnovers
Shaquille O'Neal: 19 points, 11 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 47.4% (37 of 78) PHO 44.4% (40 of 90)
3 PT FG%: ORL 33.3% (7 of 21) PHO 30.4% (7 of 23)
FT%: ORL 78.9% (30 of 38) PHO 70.6% (12 of 17)
REB: ORL 44 (12 offensive) PHO 43 (13 offensive)
AST/TO: PHO 21/21 ORL 16/24
BENCH: ORL 17 PHO 13

Other game notes and stats:

-The Suns outscored the Magic 87-81 from the floor, but the Magic used a 30-12 advantage on free throws made for the final margin of victory
-Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 52 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, but 12 turnovers
-Turkoglu, Howard, and Lewis combined to commit 17 turnovers
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Suns' starting frontline 72-52
-Grant Hill struggled in his return to Orlando, scoring just 6 points on 3 of 11 shooting
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with Marcin Gortat leading the reserves with 8 points, 8 rebounds; J.J. Redick added 7 points, all in the first half; Battie, Lue, and Richardson did not see action
-Mickael Pietrus continues to struggle for the Magic, scoring just 2 points on 1 of 6 shooting, and missing all five three point attempts
-The Suns' bench combined to shoot just 3 of 16 from the field
-Howard and Alson combined to shoot 13 of 21 from the free throw line, the rest of the Magic 17 of 17

The Magic next host the New Jersey Nets on Friday night.

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Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal return to Orlando as Suns take on Magic

The Magic (43-16) will try to beat the Phoenix Suns (34-25) for the first time since January of 2006 as the two teams play tonight in Orlando. The Suns have beaten the Magic six games in a row.

The Suns are 4-2 under new head coach Alvin Gentry and are coming off a 118-111 win Sunday against the Lakers. Suns center Shaquille O'Neal is playing his best basketball in years, as he is averaging 39 points in his last two games.

Former Magic Grant Hill, currently averaging 10.9 points per game, will be playing his second game in Orlando as a member of the Suns. In his initial return last season, the reception from the Orlando crowd was not kind at all.

Suns forward Amare Stoudemire is out for the rest of the season due to a detached retina.

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A look ahead to the month of March for the Magic

The Magic finished a tumultuous month of February at 8-6 (43-16 overall), which was their worst month of the season, and a month that saw them lose All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder.

The month of March won't be that much easier for the Magic. The Magic play 14 games, seven at home and seven on the road. They play seven teams with a .500 or better record, and seven teams with a losing record. Four of their seven games on the road are against .500 or better teams (Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, Miami), while three are against teams with a losing record (Washington, Milwaukee, New York). Three of their seven home games are against winning teams (Phoenix, Utah, Boston), while four are against teams with a losing record (New Jersey, Chicago, New York, Milwaukee.

The Magic play only two sets of back-to-backs, the 8th and 9th (@ Detroit, @ Boston) and the 17th and 18th (@ Cleveland), @ Milwaukee). Their busiest stretch will be between the 6th and 18th, as they play eight games, five of them on the road, in this 13 day span.

Optimistic outlook on how the Magic finish the month: 11-3
Pessimistic outlook on how the Magic finish the month: 6-8

The Magic are currently in third place in the East, trailing second seed Boston by three games and top seed Cleveland by three and a half games. They are safely ahead of fourth seed Atlanta by ten games.

If the Magic finish with the third seed, they would play the sixth seed, currently held by both Detroit and Philadelphia (29-29). At least four other teams could finish in sixth place, though.