Howard suspended for Game 6; Lee to miss Game 6 also

Marcin Gortat will start in place of Howard, while J.J. Redick may start in place of Lee.

For the complete story, click here

For the complete preview of Game 6 from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Game 5: Magic 91, 76ers 78

Thanks to Dwight Howard's 24 point, 24 rebound performance, the Magic have taken control of the series against Philadelphia with a 91-78 victory, and lead the series 3 games to 2.

The 76ers scored the first six points of the game, but the Magic came back to take a 21-20 lead after one and led 45-39 at the half. The Magic extended their lead to 69-60 at the end of three, and had their largest lead of 82-68 with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Philadelphia scored eight points in a row to get within six with just over three minutes remaining, but the Magic scored 9 of the final 11 points for the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 24 points (8 of 14 field goals), 24 rebounds, 2 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 24 points (9 of 16 field goals), 4 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 14 points (6 of 14 field goals), 4 assists

Philadelphia leading scorers

Andre Iguodala: 26 points (7 of 17 field goals), 5 rebounds
Andre Miller: 17 points (6 of 15 field goals), 6 assists, 4 steals, 5 turnovers
Willie Green: 16 points (7 of 15 field goals)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL: 43.4% (33 of 76) PHI 42.6% (29 of 68)
3 PT FG%: ORL 34.8% (8 of 23) PHI 22.2% (4 of 18)
FT%: PHI 80% (16 of 20) ORL 70.8% (17 of 24)
REB: ORL 45 (15 offensive) PHI 33 (4 offensive)
AST/TO: PHI 17/16 ORL 14/14
BENCH: ORL 20 PHI 6

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic's Courtney Lee had to leave the game in the first quarter due to an unintentional elbow from Howard and did not return
-J.J. Redick and Marcin Gortat led the reserves with 6 points each; Redick also added 2 assists and 2 steals
-The 76ers' reserves combined to shoot 3 of 9 from the field
-Iguodala and Miller combgined to shoot 13 of 32 from the field
-Hedo Turloglu finished with 9 points on 3 of 14 shooting
-The 76ers' Samuel Dalembert led them with 9 rebounds, but played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble
-Turkoglu and Alston led the Magic in assists with four
-The Magic grabbed 12 more offensive rebounds than they did in Game 4, with Howard getting 10 offensive boards by himself
-Howard received a technical foul in the first quarter for elbowing Dalembert; the 76ers are lobbying for Howard to be suspended for Game 6

Game 6 in Philadelphia will be Thursday night.

For the complete box score, click here

For more postgame coverage, make sure to check out Third Quarter Collapse

Tuesday night Game 5 preview

The Magic will try to take a 3 games to 2 advantage over Philadelphia following the Magic's dramatic Game 4 win on Hedo Turkoglu's three pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining.

The Magic are 8 1/2 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Game 4: Magic 84 76ers 81

Hedo Turkoglu, who had a horrible first three games of the series, saved the Magic from going down 3 games to 1 with a dramatic three point field goal with 1.1 seconds remaining to give the Magic a tough 84-81 victory as Philadelphia came back to tie the game after trailing 79-69 with 4 and a half minutes remaining. Andre Iguodala's game-tying three point field goal at the buzzer fell short.

In a low-scoring first half, the score was tied at 36 at the half. The Magic opened things up in the third quarter and had their largest lead at 53-42. It was 64-55 Magic going into the fourth before the exciting final five minutes unfolded.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 18 points (6 of 11 field goals), 18 rebounds, 3 blocks
Hedo Turkoglu: 17 points (8 of 11 field goals)
Rashard Lewis: 17 points (6 of 15 field goals), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Courtney Lee: 15 points (6 of 11 field goals), 2 steals
Rafer Alston: 13 points (5 of 12 field goals), 5 assists

Philadelphia leading scorers

Andre Miller: 17 points (6 of 18 field goals), 5 rebounds
Thaddeus Young: 15 points (6 of 17 field goals), 7 rebounds
Andre Iguodala: 13 points (4 of 13 field goals), 11 assists, 7 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 47.1% (33 of 70) PHI 38.8% (31 of 80)
3 PT FG%: PHI 42.1% (8 of 19) ORL 30% (6 of 20)
FT%: PHI 73.3% (11 of 15) ORL 60% (12 of 20)
REB: PHI 43 (10 offensive) ORL 37 (3 offensive)
AST/TO: PHI 19/11 ORL 13/11
BENCH: PHI 15 ORL 4

Other game notes and stats:

-The 76ers had six players in double figures while the Magic had five
-The Magic had a 72-70 advantage from the field and a 12-11 advantage at the free throw line
-After shooting a horrendous 9 of 34 in Game 3, the trio of Lee, Lewis, and Turkoglu shot a combined 20 of 37 for 49 points
-The 76ers' trio of Young, Iguodala, and Miller combined to shoot just 16 of 48 for 45 points
-The Magic starters outscored the 76ers' starters 80-66
-Alston led the Magic with 5 assists; no other player had more than 3 assists
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus the only reserves to score with two points each
-The Magic reserves combined to shoot 2 of 10, including 0 for 6 from three point range, and had 3 rebounds and 2 assists
-The 76ers reserves combined to shoot 6 of 18 from the field with 14 rebounds
-Howard had all of the Magic's three offensive rebounds, and did not get his first offensive rebound until the fourth quarter

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Orlando, with the Magic taking back the homecourt advantage.

For the complete box score, click here

Game 4 Sunday night preview

This is basically a must-win game for the Magic in order to avoid going down 3 games to 1 to Philadelphia and then having to win three games in a row to win the series.

The Magic are 4 point favorites

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Game 3: 76ers 96, Magic 94

This time, it was Philadelphia who blew a big third quarter lead, as they let a 74-57 lead slip away, but Thaddeus Young's layup with 2.2 seconds remaining gave the 76ers the 96-94 victory and a two games to one lead in the series.

For the complete recap from NBA.com, click here

For the complete box score, click here

Also check out the post game analysis from Third Quarter Collapse

Game 2: Magic 96 76ers 87

This time, the Magic were able to withstand another furious comeback attempt by Philadelphia as the 76ers tried to rally from an 18 point third quarter deficit. The 76ers were able to get no closer than five points in the fourth quarter and six points in the final minute as the Magic, led by Courtney Lee's 24 points, pulled out the must-win 96-87 to tie the series at one.

Magic leading scorers

Courtney Lee: 24 points (10 of 17 field goals), 3 steals
Rashard Lewis: 16 points (4 of 14 field goals), 8 rebounds, 6 assists
Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (3 of 10 field goals), 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Dwight Howard: 11 points (4 of 6 field goals), 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
Rafer Alston: 11 points (5 of 10 field goals)

Philadelphia leading scorers

Andre Miller: 30 points (12 of 20 field goals), 7 rebounds
Andre Iguodala: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals
Thaddeus Young: 20 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: PHI 46.7% (35 of 75) ORL 43.0% (34 of 79)
3 PT FG%: PHI 31.3% (5 of 16) ORL 26.1% (6 of 23)
FT%: ORL 73.3% (22 of 30) PHI 66.7% (12 of 18)
REB: ORL 44 (14 offensive) PHI 37 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: PHI 18/17 ORL 14/14
BENCH: ORL 18 PHI 12

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with Anthony Johnson leading the reserves with 11 points, along with 4 rebounds
-Miller, Iguodala, and Young combined to score 71 of the 76ers' 87 points
-The rest of the 76ers combined for 16 points on 7 of 26 shooting
-The 76ers' reserves, after scoring a combined 42 points Sunday, combined for just 12 points on 5 of 20 shooting, including 0 for 5 on three pointers
-Howard played 30 minutes before fouling out
-Lewis and Turkoglu combined to shoot just 7 of 24 from the field for 32 points, but combined to make 16 of 19 free throws, along with 14 rebounds and 9 assists
-No Magic player made more than one three point field goal
-The 76ers outscored the Magic 75-74 from the field, but the Magic's 22-12 advantage from the free throw line made the difference in the outcome

Game 3 will be Friday night in Philadelphia with the series tied at one.

For the complete box score, click here

Game 2 Wednesday night preview

For the complete preview of Wednesday night's must-win Game 2 for the Magic against the 76ers, click here

The Magic are 10 point favorites

For more Magic playoff coverage, check out Third Quarter Collapse

Press Conference Scheduled

Howard to be named Defensive Player of the Year today at 2:00 PM

Game 1: 76ers 100 Magic 98

In one of the most stunning and incredible comebacks in recent playoff history, Philadelphia erased a 14 point fourth quarter deficit with 9:16 remaining as Andre Iguodala hit a long, tough, fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the 76ers a 100-98 lead. Hedo Turkoglu's last-second three missed badly and the 76ers came away with the miraculous win. The Magic had been ahead by as much as 79-61 in the third quarter.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 31 points (11 of 13 field goals), 16 rebounds
Courtney Lee: 18 points (8 of 17 field goals)
Rafer Alston: 15 points (5 of 15 field goals), 5 assists
Rashard Lewis: 15 points (5 of 11 field goals)

Philadelphia leading scorers

Andre Iguodala: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists
Louis Williams (bench): 18 points
Andre Miller: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists
Thaddeus Young: 14 points

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: PHI 51.2% (41 of 80) ORL 48.7% (37 of 76)
3 PT FG%: PHI 58.3% (7 of 12) ORL 27.8% (5 of 18)
FT%: ORL 76% (19 of 25) PHI 55% (11 of 20)
REB: PHI 37 (7 offensive) ORL 35 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: PHI 20/10 ORL 18/10
BENCH: PHI 42 ORL 13

Other game notes and stats:

-The 76ers outscored the Magic 35-19 in the fourth quarter
-The 76ers shot 14 of 19 in the fourth quarter, including 5 of 7 from three point range, along with an 8/2 assist/turnover ratio
-The 76ers made 13 of their final 16 shots
-The Magic shot 7 of 19 in the fourth quarter, including 2 of 6 from three point range, along with a 5/4 assist/turnover ratio
-Anthony Johnson led the Magic reserves with 9 points, along with three rebounds and two assists
-The other four Magic reserves combined for just four points (by Tony Battie) on 2 of 6 shooting
-Howard and Johnson were the only Magic players to shoot over 50%, combining for 15 of 19 field goals; the rest of the team shot 22 of 57
-The 76ers bench combined for 42 points on 16 of 25 field goal shooting, including a scorching 7 of 9 from three point range
-Donyell Marshall also scored in double figures off the bench for the 76ers, contributing 11 points, including 3 of 4 three point shooting
-Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 21 points on 7 of 19 shooting, including 1 of 6 from three point range
-The Magic starters outscored the 76ers' starters 85-58

Game 2 will be Wednesday night.

For more post game coverage, check out Third Quarter Collapse (which should be renamed Fourth Quarter Collapse after this most shocking loss).

For the complete box score, click here

Orlando Magic playoff coverage

Be sure to check out Third Quarter Collapse for complete coverage of Magic playoff action, including all kinds of good stuff regarding the Magic/76ers playoff series that begins on Sunday.

I'll continue to provide my recaps of the games here on the blog.

Thanks to two upsets, Philadelphia is the Magic opponent for the first round

Two improbable results had to happen in order for the 76ers to grab the sixth seed and a first round playoff matchup with the Magic. The Bulls, who had won 15 of their last 16 home games, had to lose to the sub.-500 Raptors, and the 76ers had to go on the road to beat Cleveland, winners of 39 of 40 home games. Surprise... both results happened. The Raptors beat the flat Bulls 109-98, while the 76ers beat the Cavaliers (who were playing without several regulars, including LeBron James) in overtime 111-110.

Meanwhile, the Magic, who had Dwight Howard and J.J. Redick back but were still without Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, finally played a good all-around game to break their three game losing streak and ended their season at 59-23 with a convincing 98-73 win over Charlotte.

Magic leading scorers

Tony Battie: 21 points (9 of 16 field goals), 9 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus: 19 points (6 of 16 field goals), 5 assists
Rafer Alston: 15 points (5 of 8 field goals)
Marcin Gortat (bench): 11 points (5 of 9 field goals), 8 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 10 points (4 of 10 field goals), 12 rebounds, 3 blocks

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 45.7% (37 of 81) CHA 35.3% (24 of 68)
3 PT FG%: ORL 43.5% (10 of 23) CHA 16.7% (2 of 12)
FT%: CHA 67.6% (23 of 34) ORL 63.6% (14 of 22)
REB: ORL 45 (11 offensive) CHA 43 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 23/8 CHA 15/12
BENCH: ORL 30 CHA 29

For the complete box score, click here

Playoff matchup update

With Boston's 100-98 win over Philadelphia, Chicago now leads the 76ers by 1 game for the sixth seed in the East. Unless the 76ers can win at Cleveland on Wednesday AND the Bulls lose at home to Toronto, the Bulls will finish in the sixth seed, and face the Magic in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bulls are finishing the season on a tear, winning 12 of their last 15 games. Meanwhile, the Magic are staggering to the finish, losers of 5 of their last 8 games.

Hopefully, the Magic can flip the switch back on once the playoffs start.

Four Magic regulars sit as Bucks win easily

Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, and J.J. Redick all were inactive for Monday night's game at Milwaukee. The result was predictable, with the Magic shooting a sickly 31.8% (Mickael Pietrus and Jeremy Richardson combined to shoot 4 of 25), as the Bucks won going away 98-80. The Magic can no longer tie the 1995-'96 team for the most wins in a season in franchise history with 60.

Magic leading scorers

Courtney Lee: 17 points (5 of 14 field goals)
Tony Battie: 13 points (5 of 13 field goals), 6 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 11 points (2 of 8 field goals), 4 assists, 4 steals
Marcin Gortat: 10 points (4 of 7 field goals), 18 rebounds
Adonal Foyle: 10 points (4 of 6 field goals), 9 rebounds

Milwaukee leading scorers

Richard Jefferson: 24 points, 7 assists
Ramon Sessions: 19 points, 7 assists
Charlie Villanueva: 18 points, 7 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: MIL 44.3% (35 of 79) ORL 31.8% (28 of 88)
3 PT FG%: MIL 38.1% (8 of 21) ORL 11.1% (2 of 18)
FT%: MIL 74.1% (20 of 27) ORL 73.3% (22 of 30)
REB: ORL 52 (18 offensive) MIL 51 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: MIL 25/13 ORL 13/10
BENCH: MIL 49 ORL 23

Other game notes and stats:

-The less said about this game, the better

For the complete box score, click here

In a huge game involving the Magic's possible playoff opponents, Chicago came back to beat Detroit 91-88, thereby insuring that the Pistons won't finish as the 6th seed and will not play the Magic in the first round.

The Bulls are now 41-40, 1/2 game ahead of Philadelphia for the sixth seed.

The upcoming contract negotiations involving Hedo Turkoglu and Marcin Gortat

The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz wrote an article on Friday about how the Magic may have to part ways with Hedo Turkoglu and/or Marcin Gortat this offseason due to the luxury tax.

Some excerpts:

The Sentinel has learned that the Magic most certainly will have to make some salary-cutting moves after the season in order to keep small forward Hedo Turkoglu and center Marcin Gortat and avoid paying the NBA's punitive luxury tax next season.

Their payroll is projected at roughly $70 million for 2009-10 and the league's tax threshold is expected to drop from $71 million to about $68 million, meaning the Magic would have do to something they vowed never to do.

Smith said he doesn't believe the Magic will have to go into the tax to contend for a championship — and doesn't expect ownership will have to pay it next season.

"I don't see that changing," Smith said. "We have a great owner [ Rich DeVos]. I have not gone to ownership and said we need to be in the tax. I don't think it's necessary. You have to be creative."

Being creative means trading players and reducing payroll, crucial in a smaller market such as Orlando.

To keep both Gortat and Turkoglu and avoid the dollar-for-dollar tax, the Magic would have to move some salary.

Trading players this offseason with expiring contracts to teams under the salary cap is one way. Forward Tony Battie and point guard Rafer Alston will be in the final years of their deals next season that pay them $6.2 million and $5.2 million, respectively. Point guard A.J. Johnson has one year left at $2.1 million.

Turk signed a six-year deal for $39 million with Orlando in 2004. His camp believes he is worth what Golden State paid small forward Corey Maggette (five years, $50 million). Not surprisingly, there are indications that the Magic and Turk are far apart if that's his sticker price.

At 30, Turkoglu faces a dilemma. He can try to find the best deal this offseason or stay with Orlando and explore free agency in the summer of 2010.

Gortat is a restricted NBA free agent and the Magic can match any offer, but Gortat can sign with a foreign team if he chooses to return overseas. The Magic would retain his NBA rights.

For the complete article, click here

Late season slide continues for Magic in loss to Nets

The Magic officially clinched the third seed in the East with their 103-93 loss to New Jersey. Much as the Knicks did the previous night, the Nets dominated most statistical areas. The Magic found themselves trailing by 15 third quarter points, but were able to cut their deficit to five in the fourth before the Nets pulled away to win in double figures.

To make matters worse for the Magic, who were already without Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu turned his ankle in the fourth quarter and had to be assisted off the court. J.J. Redick also had to leave the game in the fourth quarter with an injury.

Magic leading scorers

Hedo Turkoglu: 16 points (5 of 8 field goals), 6 rebounds
Tony Battie: 14 points (5 of 10 field goals), 4 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 14 points (5 of 13 field goals)
Rafer Alston: 13 points (6 of 13 field goals), 8 assists
Anthony Johnson (bench): 11 points (4 of 9 field goals), 4 assists
Courtney Lee: 10 points (4 of 11 field goals), 3 steals

New Jersey leading scorers

Vince Carter: 27 points, 9 assists
Keyon Dooling: 12 points, 10 assists

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: NJ 54.3% (38 of 70) ORL 45.5% (35 of 77)
3 PT FG%: NJ 55% (11 of 20) ORL 38.9% (7 of 18)
FT%: NJ 84.2% (16 of 19) ORL 55.2% (16 of 29)
REB: ORL 35 (12 offensive) NJ 34 (5 offensive)
AST/TO: NJ 27/14 ORL 22/12
BENCH: ORL 33 NJ 32

Other game notes and stats:

-Lewis sat out the game due to knee tendinitis; Tony Battie started in his place
-Point guard Devin Harris sat out the game for the Nets, who started three rookies (Ryan Anderson, Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts) who combined to score 32 points
-The Nets outshot the Magic by 9 pct points from the field, 16 pct points from three point range, and 29 points from the free throw line
-Dwight Howard scored just 7 points along with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks
-The Nets' starting frontline outscored the Magic starting frontline 49-37

The Magic have two more games remaining to try and get some momentum going into the playoffs, as they travel to Milwaukee Monday night.

For the complete box score, click here

Magic at Nets tonight

The Magic (58-21) will try to turn around their recent poor performances as they travel to New Jersey (32-47) to take on the Nets. The status of Nets guard Devin Harris is uncertain for the game.

The Magic are 7 point favorites.

For the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports, which goes into detail about the Magic's recent struggles, click here

Magic continue poor play with surprising loss to Knicks

For all intents and purposes, the Magic can forget about the number two seed in the East now, as New York (who were 11 point underdogs) came into Orlando and outscored the Magic in the second half 54-42, and bested the Magic in most statistical areas on their way to the 105-95 upset win. Boston beat Miami and now leads the Magic by two games for the second seed with three games remaining, and holds the tiebreaker advantage.

Magic leading scorers

Hedo Turkoglu: 24 points (7 of 15 field goals), 9 rebounds, 5 assists
Dwight Howard: 16 points (6 of 11 field goals), 14 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Rafer Alston: 14 points (6 of 11 field goals), 5 assists
Rashard Lewis: 13 points (5 of 11 field goals), 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Courtney Lee: 12 points (5 of 11 field goals)

New York leading scorers

Al Harrington: 27 points, 6 rebounds
Wilson Chandler: 22 points, 8 rebounds
David Lee: 20 points, 16 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: NY 44.0% (40 of 91) ORL 43.8% (35 of 80)
3 PT FG%: NY 36.4% (8 of 22) ORL 25% (7 of 28)
FT%: NY 73.9% (17 of 23) ORL 69.2% (18 of 26)
REB: NY 49 (13 offensive) ORL 44 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: NY 25/9 ORL 15/13
BENCH: NY 20 ORL 16

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic used a ten-man rotation, with Anthony Johnson and Tony Battie each scoring six points to lead the Magic reserves
-Other than Battie, the Magic reserves combined to shoot 3 of 17 from the field, including 1 for 9 from three point range
-J.J. Redick went scoreless in nearly 16 minutes, shooting 0 for 7, including 0 for 5 on threes
-The Knicks outscored the Magic from the field 88-77, and attempted 11 more field goals
-The Knicks outshot the Magic from three point range, the free throw line, and outrebounded the Magic in addition to having a superior assist/turnover ratio
-Turkoglu and Alston each had 5 assists to lead the Magic
-Three Knicks' players had 4 assists, while three others had three assists

The Magic are right back in action Saturday night as they try to turn things around as they host New Jersey.

For the complete box score, click here

Knicks at Magic tonight

In a game that will be televised by ESPN2, the Magic (58-20) will try to get back on track offensively after averaging just 82 ppg their previous two games against the struggling Knicks (30-49).

The Magic are 11 point favorites.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic struggle mightily in narrow win over Grizzlies

Despite scoring a season-low ten points in the third quarter and trailing Memphis by eight entering the final quarter, the Magic were able to turn things around offensively in the fourth and outscored Memphis 26-15 to win 81-78.

The Grizzlies led 24-19 after one and 46-45 at the half, before things really got ugly for the Magic in the third quarter, as they shot just 4 of 19 from the field en route to scoring the ten third quarter points before turning things around in the fourth.

Magic leading scorers

Hedo Turkoglu: 20 points (8 of 16 field goals), 7 assists
Dwight Howard: 14 points (5 of 11 field goals), 13 rebounds
J.J. Redick (bench): 9 points (3 of 5 field goals)

Memphis leading scorers

Rudy Gay: 18 points, 6 rebounds
O.J. Mayo/Mike Conley: 17 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 43.1% (31 of 72) MEM 42.6% (29 of 68)
3 PT FG%: ORL 19.0% (4 of 21) MEM 9.1% (1 of 11)
FT%: ORL 71.4% (15 of 21) MEM 70.4% (19 of 27)
REB: MEM 41 (10 offensive) ORL 32 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/12 MEM 7/14
BENCH: ORL 32 MEM 14

Other game stats and notes:

-Anthony Johnson missed his second consecutive game, while former Magic Darko Milicic missed the game for Memphis
-Howard and Turkoglu scored 34 of the starters' 49 points for the Magic
-Lewis, Alston, and Lee combined for 15 points on 5 for 19 shooting
-The Grizzlies' starting guards, Conley and Mayo, outscored the Magic starting guards 34-9
-In addition to Redick, Tony Battie scored 8 points, Tyronn Lue 7 points, and Marcin Gortat 6 points in reserve
-The Magic reserves combined to shoot 13 of 26 from the field
-Mickael Pietrus returned back to the rotation, and scored 2 points with 5 rebounds with a block in 15 minutes
-The Grizzlies had only 7 assists on 29 field goals, with no player having more than 2 assists
-Turkoglu had 7 assists to lead the Magic

The Magic remain a game behind Boston with four games remaining, as the Celtics beat New Jersey.

For the complete box score, click here

Rockets stifle Magic offense in win

The Magic were able to shoot only 38% from the field, 35.7% from the three point line, and 61.9% from the free throw line, as the Rockets led for most of the game in a 93-83 win.

The Magic's last lead was 11-10 in the first quarter; the Rockets led 25-22 after one and 47-38 at the half. The Magic pulled to within four points in the third, but trailed 67-59 after three. The closest the Magic could get in the fourth was six points with under eight minutes remaining on their way to the ten point loss.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 22 points (8 of 18 field goals), 12 rebounds, 4 assists
Rafer Alston: 15 points (4 of 11 field goals), 6 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 13 points (5 of 11 field goals, 3 of 9 free throws), 10 rebounds, 3 blocks
Hedo Turkoglu: 12 points (4 of 10 field goals), 4 assists

Houston leading scorers

Yao Ming: 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks
Ron Artest: 16 points (6 of 21 field goals), 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Von Wafer (bench): 14 points

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: HOU 43.9% (36 of 82) ORL 38.0% (30 of 79)
3 PT FG%: HOU 46.2% (6 of 13) ORL 10 of 28 (35.7%)
FT%: HOU 65.2% (15 of 23) ORL 61.9% (13 of 21)
REB: HOU 52 (12 offensive) ORL 45 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: HOU 15/8 ORL 14/9
BENCH: HOU 29 ORL 16

Other game notes and stats:

-Mickael Pietrus and Anthony Johnson missed the game for the Magic due to injury
-Howard and Turkoglu combined for just 25 points
-Alston and Courtney Lee (5 points) combined to shoot 6 of 20 from the field
-Tyronn Lue led the Magic reserves with 9 points on 4 of 7 shooting
-Redick (5 points), Gortat (0 points), and Battie (2 points) combined for 7 points off the bench on 3 of 13 shooting
-Lue was the only Magic player to shoot over 50%
-The Magic starting frontline was outrebounded by the Rockets' starting frontline 32-25
-Other than Artest, the rest of the Rockets shot 30 of 61

The Magic (57-20) are now one game behind Boston (58-19) for the second seed with five games left, with Boston holding the tiebreaker advantage.

For the complete box score, click here

ESPN TrueHoop: Seven Reasons to Fear the Orlando Magic

Seven Reasons to Fear the Orlando Magic - TrueHoop By Henry Abbott - ESPN

Good article. The summary is:

1. Rafer Alston is getting comfortable with the offense.
2. Dwight Howard can and will kick it out of the post...and his shooters will make it easy for him.
3. Dwight Howard's presence makes it hard for opponents to run basic offensive sets.
4. Smart perimeter defenders + Howard behind them = Tough outings for slashers.
5. Hedo Turkoglu is a triple threat.
6. Though the Magic don't have to play in transition to win, they push the ball incredibly well.
7. Forget about getting any productive isolation sets for your big men down in the post.

Magic at Houston tonight

The Magic (57-19) play their final road game against a Western Conference team as they take on the Rockets (49-28), who have beaten the Magic 7 of their last 9 meetings.

The Magic are a slight 1 point favorite.

For the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports, click here

Magic wake up in second half to defeat Hawks

After Friday's dominating win against Cleveland, the Magic looked anything but dominant in the first half against Atlanta, as the Magic shot just 29% in trailing the Hawks 44-40 at the half. The Hawks went up by as much as 57-47 in the third quarter before the Magic came to life and went on a 22-4 run to span the third and fourth quarters for a 69-61 lead. The Magic extended the lead to 85-72 with under five minutes remaining before missing their next three shots, committing a turnover, and missing two free throws to allow the Hawks to creep within 85-82 with 13 seconds left. Rashard Lewis made 3 of 4 free throws to seal the game for the Magic 88-82.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 21 points (6 of 12 field goals), 23 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Rashard Lewis: 16 points (5 of 14 field goals), 4 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 14 points (5 of 10 field goals)
Hedo Turkoglu: 12 points (4 of 12 field goals), 5 rebounds

Atlanta leading scorers

Joe Johnson: 21 points (6 of 20 field goals), 9 rebounds
Josh Smith: 19 points, 11 rebounds
Al Horford: 13 points, 13 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ATL 39.0% (30 of 77) ORL 38.0% (30 of 79)
3 PT FG%: ORL 30% (9 of 30) ATL 15.8% (3 of 19)
FT%: ATL 73.1% (19 of 26) ORL 70.4% (19 of 27)
REB: ORL 51 (13 offensive) ATL 44 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 18/13 ATL 15/14
BENCH: ORL 17 ATL 12

Other game notes and stats:

-After falling behind 57-47, the Magic scored 38 of the next 53 points
-Courtney Lee was the only Magic starter not to score in double figures, scoring 8 points on 3 of 13 field goals
-J.J. Redick led the Magic reserves with 11 points, making 3 of 5 on three point field goals along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal
-Redick and Alston combined to make 5 of 8 three pointers; the rest of the Magic shot 4 of 22 on threes
-Turkoglu and Lewis combined to shoot 2 of 13 on threes
-The Hawks, starting guards, Johnson and Bibby, combined to shoot 11 of 34 from the field
-Mickael Pietrus did not play due to a sprained right knee
-Ronald "Flip" Murray was the only Hawk reserve to score
-Former Magic shooting guard Maurice Evans scored 5 points along with 3 rebounds as the starting small forward for the Hawks

The Magic now trail Boston by a half game for the second seed in the East, and have the next two days off before traveling to Houston Tuesday.

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Magic at Hawks tonight

The Magic (56-19) will try to pull within a half game of idle Boston for the second seed in the East as they face Atlanta, losers to Boston Friday night.

The Hawks have lost two in a row and are just 5-5 in their last 10 games.

The Magic will be trying for their 15th win in their last 18 games, and are 2 point favorites.

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Magic sensational in dominant win over Cavaliers

Seven Magic players scored in double figures, led by Rashard Lewis's 22 points, as the Magic gave Cleveland their worst loss of the season 116-87 in a game that saw the Magic lead by as much as 41 points with late in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers had their only lead of the game at 10-9 early in the first, as the Magic went on to a 27-22 lead after one and opened up a 55-38 halftime lead. The Magic then proceeded to blow the Cavaliers out in the third quarter as they outscored them 33-9 in the first nine minutes of the quarter for a 88-47 lead, and held a dominant 92-60 lead going into the fourth quarter. Cleveland never got closer than 26 points in the final quarter.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 22 points (6 of 10 field goals, 5 of 7 field goals)
Dwight Howard: 20 points (8 of 13 field goals), 11 rebounds, 3 blocks
Hedo Turkoglu: 13 points (6 of 7 field goals), 6 assists
Rafer Alston: 11 points (5 of 9 field goals), 10 assists, 4 steals

Cleveland leading scorers

LeBron James: 26 points (7 of 20 field goals), 9 rebounds, 5 assists
Maurice Williams/Zydrunas Ilgauskas 10 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 53.7% (44 of 82) CLE 36.9% (31 of 84)
3 PT FG%: CLE 52.9% (9 of 17) ORL 48.1% (13 of 27)
FT%: CLE 88.9% (16 of 18) ORL 15 of 22 (68.2%)
REB: ORL 47 (5 offensive) CLE 44 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 28/8 CLE 14/11
BENCH: ORL 40 CLE 29

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic also had a 9-0 advantage on blocked shots
-The Magic outscored the Cavaliers 101-71 from the field
-Tony Battie and Anthony Johnson each scored 10 points to lead the reserves
-Marcin Gortat added 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks along with his first career three point field goal late in the game
-Courtney Lee also finished in double figures with 10 points
-Alston had a 10/2 assist/turnover ratio
-The Magic starting frontline combined to shoot 20 of 30 from the field
-Mickael Pietrus continues to struggle offensively off the bench, scoring 3 points on 1 of 7 shooting in nearly 29 minutes, but grabbed 7 boards along with a steal
-Adonal Foyle was the only Magic player not to score

The Magic kept pace with Boston, as they defeated Atlanta 104-92, and remain a game behind the Celtics for the second seed in the East.

The Magic travel to Atlanta Saturday night.

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The chase for second continues in the East

With Boston (57-19) now one game ahead of the Magic (55-19) in the battle for second in the East, let's take a look at the rest of the schedule for both teams:

Orlando: Cleveland; @Atlanta; @Houston; Memphis; New York; @New Jersey; @Milwaukee; Charlotte

Boston: Atlanta; New Jersey; Miami; @Cleveland; @Philadelphia; Washington

The Magic will need to finish with a better record than Boston, as at this point, the tiebreakers would favor the Celtics.

Assuming for the sake of argument the Magic finish the rest of their schedule 6-2 to finish 61-21, the Celtics would have to finish the rest of their schedule 3-3 to finish 60-22 in order for the Magic to finish ahead of Boston in the standings.

The Magic's first round playoff opponent is far from being determined. If they finish second, they will play the seventh seed, which is currently Detroit (36-39), but Chicago (36-40) is only 1/2 game behind Detroit.

If the Magic finish third, they will play the sixth seed, which is currently Miami (39-36), but Philadelphia (39-35) is only 1/2 game ahead of Miami in fifth.

Less than two weeks to go before the dust settles and all the playoff matchups are determined.

Big game Friday night for the Magic as they host Cleveland in a nationally televised affair on ESPN. The Cavaliers saw their 13 game winning streak come to a stunning end Thursday night in a 109-101 loss at Washington, the team with the league's worst record.

The Magic are 3 1/2 point favorites, and will win the season series with the Cavs if they win the game.

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Raptors surprise Magic as Magic drop to third seed in East

Looking at the final statistics from the game, it should actually come as no surprise that Toronto won this game. The Raptors had a better shooting percentage than the Magic from the field, the three point line, and the free throw line; in addition to outrebounding the Magic by double figures.

The Magic's largest lead of the game was 4-0. The Raptors shot over 70% in the first quarter and led 32-28 after one, and 53-52 at the half. The Magic had their last lead of the game at 66-65 at the 5:30 mark of the third quarter. The Raptors proceeded to go on a 15-3 run after that to lead 80-69 before going into the fourth ahead 80-73. The Magic tried to come back in the fourth, as they pulled to within one late on several occasions, the last being 96-95 with 46 seconds left. The Magic could not come up with a key defensive stop, however, but still had a chance to tie trailing 98-95, but Rashard Lewis missed a three pointer as the Raptors went on to win 99-95.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 30 points (10 of 16 field goals, 10 of 21 free throws), 9 rebounds, 3 steals
Hedo Turkoglu: 19 points (4 of 12 field goals), 6 assists, 5 rebounds
Rashard Lewis: 18 points (7 of 19 field goals), 8 rebounds
Rafer Alston: 12 points (5 of 12 field goals), 4 assists

Toronto leading scorers

Chris Bosh: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jose Calderon: 21 points, 8 assists
Shawn Marion: 17 points, 15 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: TOR 49.4% (41 of 83) ORL 40.8% (31 of 76)
3 PT FG%: TOR 50% (4 of 8) ORL 26.9% (7 of 26)
FT%: TOR 72.2% (13 of 18) ORL 63.4% (26 of 41)
REB: TOR 49 (10 offensive) ORL 35 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: TOR 23/16 ORL 17/10
BENCH: TOR 13 ORL 10

Other game notes and stats:

-The Raptors outscored the Magic 86-69 from the field to offset the Magic's 26-13 advantage from the free throw line
-Anthony Johnson led the Magic reserves with 5 points
-The Magic reserves combined to shoot 4 of 13 from the field
-Pietrus scored 3 points in 25 minutes off the bench
-J.J. Redick did not see any action
-The Magic shooting guards, Courtney Lee and Pietrus, combined to score 9 points on 2 of 8 shooting in 55 combined minutes
-Turkoglu and Lee combined to make 14 of 15 free throws; the rest of the team a combined 12 of 26, with Howard being the main culprit at 10 of 21
-Other than Howard and Gortat, the rest of the Magic combined to shoot 20 of 59 from the field

The Magic now drop to the third seed in the East, as Boston defeated Charlotte in a tight double overtime contest 111-109. The Magic trail the Celtics by a game.

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Raptors at Magic tonight

Toronto (28-45) has won four games in a row and is playing their best ball of the season, although it's a case of too little too late, as the Raptors will miss the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

The Magic (55-18) will try to match a season-high seven game winning streak and stay percentage points ahead of Boston for the second seed.

The Magic, who beat Toronto 4-1 in the first round of last season's playoffs, are 10 point favorites.

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