Miami Heat 99, Orlando Magic 98

Jason Williams was having the game of his life and carrying the Magic through three quarters against the Heat. Whenever Orlando needed a big shot to break a funk or jumpstart a scoring streak, Williams was there to deliver.

Williams had 25 points and eight assists to push the Magic to as much as an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. But with a one-point lead and Williams at the free throw line, White Chocolate could not deliver. Williams missed both free throws.

Then Orlando's other arch nemesis from last night's game showed up. No it was not Dwyane Wade, his game-winning shot ended up short. But Michael Beasley, last year's semi-disappointing second overall pick, swooped in and dunked the miss to give the Heat a 99-98 win.

As well as Williams played, it is hard not to find fault in a point guard who shot 81.3 percent from the line for his career and 70.8 percent from the line this year. But he was not the worst of tonight's game.

The worst was most certainly the effort given by the Magic throughout the game. As mentioned above, Williams was really the only player who came to play offensively for the entire night -- missed free throws aside.

Vince Carter stepped up when the game was on the line and Ryan Anderson had his moments. But it was a frustrating game as the Magic never went for the kill and just kind of waited for the Heat to take advantage. As has been the problem in many of Orlando's losses, there was simply no energy from any of the players.

Dwight Howard especially looked out of it as he was frustrated with foul trouble throughout the game. The worst was unlike Friday's game against Boston when he continued to play well defensively, Howard looked frustrated and uninterested on defense because of his lack of involvement on the offensive end of the floor.

Howard woke up late in the game and became much more active and energetic. That is the Howard Orlando will need. He finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds while shooting three for five from the floor. Even with free throws, there is no way Howard should be taking just five shot attempts.

More importantly, Howard cannot let the little frustrations that seem to be happening game after game affect his energy and effort the way it has this season.

This game once again highlighted the Magic's rebounding problem. It is hard to imagine that Orlando gives up the most offensive rebounds in the league. This was tested and exploited by Miami especially late.

Udonis Haslem made it a one-point game with less than 30 seconds left on a tip-in. Jermaine O'Neal had several key fourth quarter offensive rebounds. Miami finished with 15 offensive rebounds and each one hurt more than the last. The Magic have to shore up this area to be successful.

The frustrating part was that the Magic generally did a good job on Dwyane Wade. Credit to Mickael Pietrus for making him work. Wade had only eight points entering the fourth quarter and finished with 24 points on 6-of-22 shooting. Against Wade, I consider that a victory.

It is really difficult to see Wade play such a poor game in a Miami win. Credit O'Neal, Haslem and Beasley for lifting the team and doing what they needed to do to win the game.

This was a game Orlando could clearly win. The team played a poor game effort-wise throughout the night but still had a chance to win. That is all the Magic can ask for on such a poor night. They could not just wake up in the final three minutes and pull it out. It is tough to say this is another learning experience, wake-up call loss... but it is. Time to move on.

What They're Saying: Heat vs. Magic 11/25

-Nearly a month into the season, ESPN.com's Tim Legler sees a surprising shake up in the East's race to the playoffs. Don't worry, the Magic are locked up at No. 2.

-In the free agency mix up that will inevitably happen this summer (or so we are led to believe), Stan Van Gundy asks his former player Dwyane Wade to please go West. Not likely, but Wade has been especially good against the Magic as Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel reports.

-Rashard Lewis reveals he had a routine drug test earlier this week.

-Jameer Nelson has moved on to the next stage of his rehab and is receiving electrical stimulation to his surgically repaired knee. Nelson still believes he is weeks away from playing.

-The 3-point line has been a major concern for the Miami Heat all season. After starting out as one of the stingiest teams in the league defending the arc, the team is struggling as it enters tonight's game at Amway Arena.

-The Heat are taking note of Jason Williams' revival in Orlando. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Williams is a perfect fit for the Magic's pick and roll offense.

-Speaking of Jason Williams, Jeff Shain of the Miami Herald writes about how potent of a threat Williams can be tonight.

-Ben Q Rock of Third Quarter Collapse tries to figure out what is wrong with Marcin Gortat.

-The Southeast Division is much tougher, says John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com.

What They're Saying: Thunder vs. Magic 11/18

-So in case you have not heard, Jameer Nelson will undergo arthroscopic surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks.

-George Diaz believes Allen Iverson is the Answer to Orlando's (temporary) point guard problems. To me, getting Iverson would be a huge mistake for a number of reasons that probably deserves its own post if things get very serious.

-Jason Williams gets a tough draw for his first start of the year in Nelson's absence. Williams will have to try and contian the Thunder's Russell Westbrook who has had a very nice early season.

-Back to Iverson, Otis Smith seems willing to wait and see how things go but is not ruling out possibly signing Allen Iverson.

-Kevin Durant is starting to heat up after scoring 32 points in last night's win over the Heat.

-Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman details Kevin Durant's relationship with the Heat's Michael Beasley and how Durant reacted to Beasley's admittance into a rehab facility this summer.

-In Mayberry's notebook from last night's game, Thunder owner Clay Bennet (Seattle fans hissing) was in Miami to inspect their outdoor LED video screen and Russell Westbrook narrowly avoided a skirmish with Jermaine O'Neal.

-A win and some confidence would make a nice birthday gift for Jason Williams' first start for the Magic.

-Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel's Magic BasketBlog reports Jason Williams will attack tonight's game just like any other he has played for the Magic so far.

-Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel's Magic BasketBlog reports two things. First Marcin Gortat will play tonight after missing Monday's game with an illness. And second, Jameer Nelson underwent successful surgery this morning.

-In a collection of daily new stories, DailyThunder.com reports Shaun Livingston's minor knee surgery was a success. He is also expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Hoping a quick recovery for Shaun, the dude has worked hard to get back to the NBA and deserves nothing but success.

-Royce of the Daily Thunder is scratching his head why Oklahoma City plays up and down to its opponents. But either way, being competitive in most games and having a good shot at winning them is a big step forward for this young team.

-Daily Thunder is trying to build a reputation for one of the top young defenders in the NBA, Thabo Sefolosha.

-Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman writes about the Thunder's "shell" defense has proven the doubters wrong and is surprisingly effective against the 3-pointer... and everything else.

-Remember when Jason Williams was the darling of Nike commercials and the street ball NBA of the 1990s. Well, it is safe to say Williams has changed a little bit. But he will be back in your living rooms.

What They're Saying: Suns vs. Magic 11/4

-Orlando continues to be bedeviled at the Palace of Auburn Hills after earning its first loss of the season last night in Detroit.

-Dwight Howard was caught on FSFlorida cursing after he fouled out of last night's game. Don't blame the guy. Through four games, he is getting beat up worse than usual and generally having to suffer it. Hopefully he can keep his composure and calmly express his complaints during the game, but he does need to make people afraid to foul him. Making free throws, which he has been doing the last two games, is a good start.

-Don't expect Mickael Pietrus to suit up for Orlando, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel, even though the team has returned home. Pietrus has been feeling better and has been shooting at RDV SportsPlex. Vince Carter is still questoinable.

-Phoenix has a new friend -- the zone defense. It helped the Suns erase a double-digit deficit and hold off the Heat down in Miami. Steve Nash's 25 point, six assist second half did not hurt either.

-Leandro Barbosa sat out last night's game in Miami with a sprained right wrist. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports that it has been bothering Barbosa and he was struggling to catch and shoot the ball before the game last night. He will be re-evaluated before tonight's game.

-Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic says Dwight Howard might be "ornery" after last night's performance, but Amare Stoudemire will ask him and the Magic defense to pick their poison in covering him in the pick and roll.

-Orlando is not in "sky is falling mode" yet, Ben Q Rock of 3rd Quarter Collapse writes, but the Magic could be heading for a rut after an extremely lackluster performance last night in Detroit.

-PhoenixStan of Bright Side of the Sun takes a look at the other big matchup of the game tonight. While the media might be focusing on Dwight Howard's battle with Amare Stoudemire, it is actually Jameer Nelson and Stave Nash we should be watching.

-Tyler Lockman of The Valley of the Suns is still pretty impressed with Phoenix's defensive performance last night and says the fact Howard's shoulder is still sore is something working in Stoudemire's and Phoenix's favor tonight in Orlando.

-Dwight Howard is still not feeling great about his shoulder... or the refs.

-Phoenix took advantage of an odd Miami lineup to improve to 4-0 and erase a double-digit deficit last night in South Florida, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

-Zone defense and a strong fourth quarter were enough for Phoenix to improve to 4-0 for the first time in five years.

-Detroit's quick lineup and attack on Dwight Howard was enough to get them a big win last night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily further breaks down Orlando's crushing loss to Detroit last night.

-Deep Purple grades the Suns on last night's win. The defense was a surprising B+, the offense a steady B.

What they're Saying: Heat vs. Magic

-People are still wondering what effect Hedo Turkoglu's departure will have on the Magic's ability to win close games. So The Orlando Sentinel dug up this not-so-distant comparison of Vince Carter and Turkoglu's clutch abilities.

-It's tough to judge Vince Carter after one game -- and a preseason one at that -- but The Orlando Sentinel's Tania Ganguli asks: "What should Carter's role on the team be?"

-Stan Van Gundy said Matt Barnes was the best player for the Magic in Monday night's win. Barnes and fellow newcomer Brandon Bass will get inserted into the starting lineup for tonight's game.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reviews the long and tumultuous journey of camp invite John Lucas III as he tries to make the Heat's roster.

-Heat center Jamaal Magloire is awaiting word from the league on whether he will be suspended after getting into a brief skirmish with the Pistons' Jonas Jerebko in a preseason game Monday.

-Anyone expecting a rematch of last year's exciting 3-point contest tonight will be sorely disappointed as Heat guard Daequan Cook will not play tonight after jamming his thumb in practice yesterday.

-Mario Chalmers knows for the Heat to make improvements on last year's fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference it will have to start with him. That's why, as Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports, Chalmers was taking a lot of the blame for the Heat's struggles against the Pistons.

-The theme of practices, it seems, is getting everybody accustomed to the Magic style of play. That's at least what I got from Third Quarter Collapse's recap of shootaround this morning.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily reveals that JJ Redick really grew and matured from his struggles his first two years with the Magic. Now he just wants a chance to play and prove what he is still worth.

Magic Wands: June 12, 2009

-Why Dwight Howard is such a nice change of pace from the tyrannical reign of Shaquille O'Neal.

-Interesting compilation of NBA Finals coverage on ESPN. I am still working my way through everything, but it seems like there are a lot of nice factoids inside here.

-Once again, vote for your all-time favorite Magic player. And don't just pick someone on this year's team because you have only been following the Magic for the last three months.

-Something will have to change in this rule in the near future. Ricky Rubio is suing his team in Spain to allow him out of his contract -- or to reduce his buyout -- so he can play in the NBA. NBA teams are only allowed to contribute $500,000 to buyouts. Rubio's buyout is expected to be $4-5 million.

-Want to live next to Dwight Howard and golfer Chris DiMarco? Here's your chance.

-The other 28 teams are in offseason mode. And it looks like the New York Knicks will zero in on Marcin Gortat.

-The Magic are winning the tug-of-war battle with the Heat for the state's affection right now, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says.

-Irsraeli league champion Carlos Arroyo is cheering on his former team.

-Apparently Reebok is all of a sudden unhappy that their client Marcin Gortat has a Michael Jordan tattoo on his right leg. He has had that ink for a while now. Don't know how they didn't notice.

-The NBA scores high marks for gender diversity in a new study.

-Deconstructing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's historic sky-hook.

-Marcin Gortat has the fastest car in the NBA. Or at least the loudest.

-The Magic have officially hit the big time. Dwight Howard will become the second Magic player to grace the cover of a video game box and the first to do so for the wildly popular NBA Live series. Howard will be the cover boy for NBA Live '10 (wanted to write 010, but that is just wrong). Looks like I will need to buy the newest version of NBA Live.

-John Hollinger uses his fancy stats to rank the NBA franchises. The Magic come in 15th (Insider Only) and Lakers are No. 1.

Orlando Magic 101, Miami Heat 95

Miami is much better than they were last year. And a healthy Dwyane Wade is still a sight worth seeing. But it was not enough to stop an efficient and hot Magic team.

Dwight Howard hit a free throw to tie the game at 92 with about two minutes left. Then Rashard Lewis hit a 3-pointer, followed by a dump down to Howard for an easy basket that gave the Magic all the distance they needed in a 101-95 win.

And Wade?

He had not late game heroics as Courtney Lee forced him into three difficult missed shots down the stretch before fouling out. Wade did score 42 points (he dropped 50 on Lee earlier this season).

But what impressed me most was the poise Orlando had at the end. Howard rattled in a free throw and then easily dominated the final moments of the game. That is what got them this win. And that is the kind of poise they will need in the playoffs.

I only listened to the final six minutes, but this team never ceases to amaze me at how much they fight off adversity and succeed.

My positive note of the night was that Orlando was willing to go into Howard late in the game with the lead. He made one of his two free throws, but the Magic need the confidence to go to their star.

Also, Rashard Lewis has been playing much better. Very good to see as we head down the stretch.

Magic Wands: March 6, 2009

-This will make this game tougher, but a well-deserved honor as the Miami Heat will retire Alonzo Mourning's jersey during the game against the Magic on March 30.

-I usually believe San Antonio knows what they are doing. But I do not quite get this one. They signed Drew Gooden. That is Magic fans snickering in the corner.

-Henry Abbott of TrueHoop takes us into the wonderful world of traveling. It is not as easy a call to make as it seems. I have always been one to give the referees the benefit of the doubt. Their jobs are hard.

-Cleveland became the first team to clinch a playoff berth with the team's win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Scary that we are that point of the year already. Orlando's Magic Number? As of Wednesday night at say 10:30 p.m. (What? I might forget to update this), it is four. Still a little way to go. But they should have a playoff berth wrapped up by the end of next week you would hope.

-This whole flap flop controversy with Stan Van Gundy has probably been blown WAY out of proportion. Let's take a moment to step back and remember who the characters are in this. Stan Van Gundy is a fun-loving guy who likes to make jokes. Shaquille O'Neal is the same. Maybe a little more sensitive to criticism and questions of manhood, but a jokester nonetheless. This got way out of proportion. I think Van Gundy was trying to make a joke and failed. It happens. Instead what was revealed is some very serious tension. And it did tarnish O'Neal's reputation -- at least with the teams that lost him. But the widely held belief that Pat Riley pushed Van Gundy out of Miami now has to be reconsidered. Maybe Shaq is the homewrecker Kobe Bryant believed him to be. I know I am happy to have Van Gundy as coach.

Shaq fires back at Stan Van Gundy

Well we knew Shaquille O'Neal would not go quietly into this good night. Before Phoenix's game with Miami, O'Neal fired back at his former coach.

Stan Van Gundy accused O'Neal of being a hypocrite after flopping on a Dwight Howard spin move. It was obviously a flop and O'Neal was caught in his lie.

But O'Neal, in all his disgust and anger and egotistical musing, brought up an interesting criticism of Van Gundy. Something Orlando fans should maybe consider from a grisled and successful veteran like Van Gundy.

"I know for a fact that he's a master of panic, and when it gets time for his team to go in the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic," O'Neal said. "I've been there before, I've played for him."

O'Neal played for Van Gundy for one season in Miami. Van Gundy led the inexperienced Heat to the conference finals where they got two minutes from beating the Pistons and going to the finals to face the Spurs. It was clear with a young nucleus of Dwyane Wade and some nice role players that this team would contend for years to come.

Then they blew it all up, bringing in Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Jason Williams to replace Damon Jones and Keyon Dooling among others on that team.

Van Gundy was resigned at the beginning of the next season and Pat Riley led them to a title.

I hardly think this is enough physical evidence to make us believe Van Gundy panics in big games. But there is always some truth in anything that is said. And maybe this is true, maybe this is not.

The whispers from experts that the style Van Gundy has Orlando playing cannot survive in the playoffs -- see Phoenix. Everyone believes the Magic mus acquire a real power forward to be a true contender. I tend to agree with that belief.

But to say Van Gundy cannot coach in big games is premature. He has picked the perfect style for this Orlando team and has helped them transcend their expectations and even their talent level.

We will see how far it goes. But Van Gundy might be the best coach in Magic history.

And Shaq is not great at making friends with the people he deserts.

Orlando Magic 122, Miami Heat 99

A couple of quick thoughts on last night's game...

-Orlando got out to a quick start. And I mean a quick start. The Magic took a 30-16 lead and led 39-24 at the end of the first quarter. They did this with some fantastic ball movement and even better shooting.

The 3-pointers did stop falling (at least at the rate they were in the first) but the ball movement really did not. Rafer Alston has this team running at a completely different pace and everyone seems a lot looser. This was a good deal and should keep the Magic more than afloat.

-Dwight Howard had another monster game. He toyed with Jermaine O'Neal (who is a very good defender and actually played pretty good defense) all night and made scoring look easy.

The Magic's problem is always consistently giving the ball to Howard. When they do it often like they did last night, things are very easy for Orlando. When they don't, the Magic are still a good enough team to recover typically.

Solid game for Orlando and a good starting point for the rest of the season with Alston in the lineup.

A forgettable Saturday night

No, not just because both Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard came up short in their respective competitions. It was just a lackluster night.

The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest was the best event of the night by far, but even it lacked the luster that it gained from Howard the last few years.

Nate Robinson was the deserving winner -- taking a 52-48 advantage in the fan vote in the final. And he was certainly playful, donning his green Knicks jersey and green shoes with a yellow elbow sleeve to represent the irradiated kryptonite.

But the dunk of the night was his jump over the 6-foot-11 Howard. It was an impressive feet for the 5-foot-5 former (and now current) dunk champion. Other than that, his dunks were more or less a copy of what he has done in the pass.

Yes Nate, we know you are smaller than most basketball players. And yes, we know you can dunk.

Howard's dunks were largely uninspired. The throw off the side of the backboard and his throw from behind the backboard were nice dunks.

But his now trademark Superman dunk was not worth the setup it received. He has been wanting to bring in a 12-foot rim for two years, he finally did and he did not do anything special. The phone booth was a nice touch and I enjoyed the Magic jersey Under Armour (not sure if that is the brand, but I think it is synonymous by now) he sported (thinking about it, the thing had to be from Adidas).

I am curious if Jameer Nelson's injury ended up limiting what Howard could do in the contest. I am sure Howard had some things planned with Nelson that he obviously could not do with his injury.

Howard looks done with the contest. Hopefully he brings it tomorrow night for the big game.

Lewis did his best in the Foot Locker Three Point Shootout. He reached the finals, but had nothing left for the shootout. He was beaten easily by Daequan Cook.

I do not think Lewis has a shot that really suits a 3-point contest. So, I was impressed by his performance.

Follow the Magic at the All Star Break on their offiicial blog here.

Miami Heat 103, Orlando Magic 97

10 games. That's how many times in a row Orlando had defeated Miami. A sign of the pure domination the Magic have had over the Heat the last two or three seasons as the two teams have flipped their roles -- Miami winning the title just three season ago.

After a poor effort at home against Boston, it seemed like the perfect way for Orlando to bounce back.

They didn't.

The Heat got superb efforts from surrounding players and their bench, taking a big lead in the third quarter. The Magic were good enough to erase the deficit and tie the game with two minutes left. But they were not good enough when it counted.

Doubling Dwyane Wade every time he touched the ball, the superstar found Udonis Haslem twice for layups and Orlando chirped at the referees after the Heat cleanly swiped the ball.

It was a poor effort throughout from Orlando until they made a big run to close the gap and make it a game. There was not much positive in the game besides the Magic's will to win a game against mediocre opponents when it wants to.

The first half was all about offense. Both teams shot well over 50 percent and the Heat led 56-52 at the break.

Wade was getting to the basket and Miami's shooters were making shots from the outside. That makes them a tough team to defend, but the Magic were not getting down to play defense at all. To Orlando's credit, neither was Miami.

The Heat had no way to stop Dwight Howard. When the Magic got him the ball, he had his way in the paint. Howard finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He made some nice post moves and scored in a variety of ways. He looked like he was coming out with a purpose to score after his poor game against Boston.

That fire though was used in the wrong way late in the game. Howard picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing a call -- he was being bumped and pushed, but not any more than he usually is. It was an odd loss of composure for Howard.

Miami was frustrating the big guy. The Heat forced the Magic to beat them from the outside in by denying Howard the ball in the post. He was fronted and swarmed by players at all point of the game. Even though Orlando was emphasizing him in its offense, it struggled to get him the ball. It helped slow the team's offense in the third quarter for sure.

Fouls were a big issue throughout the game and lend itself to the larger defensive issue. Miami had 32 free throws in a game. A top defensive team does not give up that many free throws. It was a frustrating game on the defensive end.

Howard did not feel it was being reciprocated and continued complaining about a late no-call (a good no-call) with the Magic trailing by three and was thrown out on his second technical foul with one second left. An odd loss of poise, indeed.

Orlando seemed to be wearing the after effects of that Boston loss still. I think (and Doug Collins made this point Thursday night on the TNT telecast) that the team is a little high on itself after getting four days off after its 4-0 road trip.

These two losses should bring the team back down to earth. It is the first time Orlando has lost two in a row since the beginning of the season.

This does make Tuesday's game against Indiana very important. The Magic have to come out with renewed focus and a lot of energy to get a win.

The Celtics went through the same kind of lull (it is well documented). This was bound to happen in such a long season. You cannot keep up the way the Magic were playing for the entire season. It is a marathon, not a spring.

Back-to-back wins? Tougher than it looks

Orlando put some breathing room between itself and Atlanta with back-to-back wins in three days. It does not get much closer to a playoff series then that and home-and-homes do not pop up on the NBA schedule often.

It IS January and the playoffs are a long way away, but don't think that Wednesday's and Friday's win were not insignificant. The Magic expanded their 4-game lead to six in the division. They could still blow it, but they now have all the confidence and the Hawks don't.

But taking back-to-back games in a home-and-home series is something that does not happen often in the regular season.

Orlando has had a surprising number of home-and-homes. Here are those results:

January 26, 29, 2007 vs. Atlanta (lost at home 93-90 first, then lost on the road 93-83)

February 14-15, 2006 vs. Miami (lost on the road 107-93, then lost at home 110-100)

January 28-29, 2005 vs. Washington (won at home 108-101, then won on the road 103-97)
February 26-27, 2005 vs. Miami (lost on the road 101-98, then lost at home 112-103)
March 21, 24, 2005 vs. Charlotte (lost on the road 102-97, then lost at home 108-94)

January 19, 21, 2004 vs. Milwaukee (won at home 106-99, then lost on the road 113-102)

November 23-24, 2001 vs. Charlotte (Hornets) (won on the road 109-99, then lost at home 103-101)
December 7-8, 2001 vs. Atlanta (won at home 129-94, then lost on the road 107-104)

December 1-2, 2000 vs. New Jersey (won at home 83-80, then won on the road 95-74)

March 2, 4, 1997 vs. Seattle (lost at home 109-101, won on the road 101-89)

November 7-8, 1996 vs. New Jersey in Japan (won the first game 108-95, won the second game 86-82)

March 5, 8, 1996 vs. Charlotte (Hornets) (won on the road 123-97, won at home 117-112)
March 31, April 4, 1996 vs. New York (won at home 98-79, won on the road 98-85)

December 6-7, 1994 vs. Cleveland (won on the road 114-97, won at home 90-75)
April 5, 7, 1995 vs. Detroit (won at home 128-125, then lost on the road 104-94)
April 17, 19, 1995 vs. Washington (won at home 111-110, then lost on the road 123-117)

March 9, 11, 1994 vs. Philadelphia (won on the road 117-101, then won at home 112-105)

April 10, 13, 1993 vs. Milwaukee (lost on the road 108-97, then won at home 110-91)

December 26-27, 1991 vs. Detroit (lost at home 112-100, then lost on the road 106-94)

November 11, 13, 1989 vs. Atlanta (lost on the road 148-109, then lost at home 112-104)

If you made it this far and have been able to draw any conclusions I congratulate you. But it should be no surprise that the teams that were able to win both of these home and homes in a single season were the best in team history.

Magic Wands: January 9, 2009

-Marc Stein's Weekend Dime on ESPN.com has some interesting minutiae. Box One is all about how Stephon Marbury might end up a Celtic. But if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find another interesting tidbit. Last Friday (when the Magic defeated the Heat) was the first time in 29 years that all NBA teams were in action in one day. Happy New Year.

-Last Friday's win over Miami gave Orlando its best 33-game start at 26-7. That mark ties the 1994-95 club (that went to the Finals) and the 1995-96 team (that lost to the 72-10 Bulls). Pretty good company.

-ESPN has some predictions for the '09 year. Interesting things might be coming down the pipe for the NBA. Mostly the salary cap implications of the recession. For the first time in a long time, don't be surprised that the salary cap actually decreases.

-Mark Cuban is going to save my job and change journalism's and newspaper's future.

-You know that moment after a timeout when the crowd stands up and cheers the team, pushing them to a big win? Well Keyon Dooling would love to know when that moment is in New Jersey. It got so bad that they began booing him after he missed a free throw (a rare moment, they probably should keep that ticket).

-Courtney Lee earned his first start Tuesday against Washington. He has certainly earned that playing time and my nice column this week espousing how awesome it is to get a draft pick right. David Thorpe in his weekly Rookie Watch says Lee has become successful because he is filling the role the Magic need. It is so easy when you do something better than anyone else can on a team.

-Way off topic. But Magic Kingdom without Space Mountain? A crime against humanity... or at least Orlando.

Magic Wands: November 21, 2008

-Good little nuggets from Marc Stein's Weekend Dime on ESPN.com last week. Nugget 1: Stein wonders how the Magic faithful feel about a possible return for Shaquille O'Neal as a part owner. Shaq feels the city has gotten over it... and I tend to agree. I know, as a kid, I was distraught after O'Neal left and trashed just about anything with his name or likeness on it. After years of booing and jeering him, I feel we have both matured to the point where we understand each other and our motivations. I hope other fans do too.

-Nugget 2 from the Weekend Dime: Stein was invited to help create the NBA All Star ballot. It is a tougher job than it looks. But, I still don't think Jameer Nelson should be on that list (prove me wrong!).

-Sad news for the world of basketball. Pioneer coach Pete Newell died Monday at 93. Newell is known for holding the Pete Newell camp for big men in California. He won a national championship with Cal in 1959 and won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 (with a team that featured Oscar Robertson and Jerry West). The basketball world will miss him.

-Kyle Hightower of the Orlando Sentinel noticed a lot of former players are wearing suits and ties as coaches and general managers. And, the Polish Hammer, Marcin Gortat, wins a bet with Mickael Pietrus (at the bottom of the page).

-Anyone notice how many more fights/flagrant fouls there are in the NBA these days? It is only November and we have had a full-on fight between Phoenix and Houston, Shaquille O'Neal getting suspended for a flagrant foul on Rodney Stuckey and now Kevin Garnett serving a game for a near hit on Andrew Bogut. The NBA is definitley trying to crack down on these incidents by publicly punishing these guys early and harshly. But isn't this adding more attention to a problem the NBA perceives that it has?

-Never too early to start thinking about the playoffs. Orlando premiers in John Hollinger's Playoff Odds as the No. 7 seed behind Miami and Atlanta. The Magic have not beaten anyone yet, but really? The Hawks are sliding and the Heat are good, but can they keep it up for 82 games. Orlando still has some work to do, I guess. About 71 games of it too.

-I know John Hollinger. Mickael Pietrus has been a pretty big surprise for the Magic.

-A mainstay of the NBA media force is leaving Sports Illustrated, Henry Abbott reports.

Orlando Magic on Election Day

Make sure you go out and vote today. Florida is a pretty important state, so make your vote count (more than others, at least).

Nov. 6, 1992: the Magic did not play their first game of the season until after Bill Clinton's victory over incumbent George H. W. Bush. But Orlando did make a premier of its own. Rookie Shaquille O'Neal scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.

But it was Nick Anderson showing why he was the Magic's elder statesmen as he dropped a career-high 42 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, to lead Orlando to a 113-110 win over the Heat.

Nov. 1, 1996: the Magic were not as lucky (OK, luck had nothing to do with it) as incumbent Clinton in their first game of the season in 1996. Playing the Washington Bullets without Dennis Scott, Gerald Wilkins' game-tying 3-pointer was ruled a two when the referees determined Wilkins' foot was on the line and Orlando fell short 96-92 to the Bullets.

Clinton survived the Magic's loss and won re-election.

Nov. 6, 2000: no recount was needed at the Orlando Arena as the Magic raced past the Supersonics with a 110-99 victory. Still looking for its identity after signing Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill, who was out with an injury (figures), during the summer, some key role players had big games.

John Amaechi (from England, so he could not vote the next day) scored 20 points as did Darrell Armstrong.

We all know what happened the next day in Florida.

Nov. 3, 2004: Steve Francis got to the hoop and made a lay-up as time expired to give the Magic a thrilling 93-92 opening-game victory over the Bucks. Dwight Howard finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in his first NBA game.

George W. Bush pulled a Francis as he narrowly defeated John Kerry for re-election the day before.

Nov. 3, 2008: one day before Barack Obama and John McCain squared off in the general election. The Magic built to 15-point leads against the Chicago Bulls. Obama's hometown team climbed back both times and nearly tied the game. But somehow Orlando held on 96-93 thanks to 22 points and 15 boards from Howard.

Who will win today's election? Think of this:

In the above games, the Magic went 4-1. What does that mean for Obama and McCain, absolutely nothing! But it is interesting to note Orlando was home for each one of the above games. I guess you have to keep your voters in Florida.