Orlando Magic 106, Philadelphia 76ers 100

Courtney Lee's night resembled the night Orlando was having.

Lee could not hit any shot he took, whether he was closely guarded or wide open entering the third quarter. And then the light went on.

And just like that, the Magic had found a way to creep back into a game they were being outplayed and steal a road victory as they often do the past two seasons.

Lee finished the night six for 18, including four of 12 from beyond the arc, and scored 18 points -- most of them in the fourth.

Orlando trailed by 10 entering the final period when Hedo Turkoglu took over to guide them to a big win.

I listened to the game and throughout you got the sense that the game was never really out of reach despite the 76ers leading almost the entire way. But the defense was poor and a team, again, frustrated Dwight Howard.

But Rashard Lewis and Turkoglu kept the Magic in the game and gave them the spark they needed to pull out a win.

Complacency has been the feeling on this team for a while, but it seemed like a sense of urgency came over them late in this one. They got the job done and that is all that matters.

Detroit Pistons 93, Orlando Magic 85

Orlando took an eight-point lead at the end of the first half. The offense, which had sputtered through nearly 24 minutes of play, had finally picked up the pace and gotten the ball inside to its superstar, Dwight Howard.

And then like a mirage, it disappeared. The Detroit Pistons just know how to do that.

Detroit came out storming out of the locker room, transforming the deficit into a nine-point lead. The Magic made a run in the fourth quarter bust still could not solve the riddle of the Pistons, falling at Amway Arena 93-85 on Friday.

This is no longer an issue of Detroit having Orlando's number. The Magic would have played well enough to win on most nights.

This was not most nights.

The 3-point shots were not falling. And the Pistons did their usual fantastic job denying and frustrating Howard. But even with that Superman scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

What made this night more different than anything else was the complete lack of energy. Even in the first half when things were going well, there was no sense of urgency. I would be more concerned with that than with anything else.

THIS WAS THE TEAM THAT ELIMINATED YOU FROM THE PLAYOFFS THE LAST TWO YEARS AND HAS VIRTUALLY OWNED YOU FOR FIVE-PLUS SEASONS.

That needed to be in all caps, I am sorry.

The Pistons are a better team without Allen Iverson. It was painfully obvious from how much space Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey had to operate. They were much more efficient -- Rasheed Wallace was not even a factor tonight -- and played a much smoother game than I am sure they have played in some time.

But when things got rough, it was when the Pistons plodded up the court and ran their half-court game to perfection. Orlando played decent defense, but were just generally frustrated. The team could never take control of the pace of this game.

The fact the Magic stayed so close in this game despite such a poor performance from beyond the arc speaks wonders about how good this team is. But they just cannot seem to put it all together right now -- at least not like they were earlier in the season.

This team right now is playing .500 ball. That simply won't get it done. They seem out of rhythm since the injury and something has to change. I do not know what that has to be, but it must be something.

It might simply be a mid-season swoon. They happen in an 82-game season. But now is the time to get geared up for the playoffs. Complacency is not an option.

This was not a game Orlando should have been complacent. But they were for some reason. The response, which the Magic have done well with in this stretch, might come tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Magic Wands: February 27, 2009

-Always sad to hear another team lose their face. The Utah Jazz -- and the city of Salt Lake City -- lost one of the best owners in the NBA last Friday with the passing of Larry H. Miller. He turned the Jazz, a team in the worst media market in the NBA, into one of the most successful franchises in the league. He is a loss that team will take a long while to replace.

-We all knew the Magic were bad at drafting... but this bad? According to research and ratings by Roland Beech at 82games.com, Orlando is actually 20th out of 32 teams (that includes the Hornets and Grizzlies twice). Not too bad, but you would love to see them get better. Good analysis of the report at Third Quarter Collapse. Odd that Milwaukee is first.

-So apparently Stuff has broken his leg. But nothing keeps this dragon down -- he is 20 and living it up now. He was out there jumping around in Sunday's game against the Heat with a cast over his left leg. Get better soon Stuff!

-Apparently the Bucks' mascot is also injured. Here is the video. Watch at your own risk.

-ESPN once again caught Dwight Howard hitting a half court shot during pregame warmups. Apparently that is four. And Stan Van Gundy shakes his head as his secret last second plans to score are revealed to the national audience.

-Congratulations to Hedo Turkoglu and his wife for giving birth to their first child Thursday! A title is a nice gift for her, trust me.

-So this tells me all Orlando has to do to get to the White House is have a president who is a fan? Pretty cheap Chicago, pretty cheap. You have to earn a meeting with the president at the White House.

Over .500, got to love it

It is never not significant when your team gets win No. 42. Orlando got there with a win last night at New York.

Yes, the Magic are playing pretty mediocre basketball right now -- at least to their standards. But getting to win No. 42 more or less gets you a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Better days are certainly ahead for this team. I think they are in one of their spells (they tend to happen in an 82-game season). They should right the ship soon.

Orlando got to win No. 42 and now have a guaranteed .500 record this season. For a team with such a mediocre history, that is an accomplishment worth noting.

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.

Otis Smith: Finally a competent GM

As the excitement from the Rafer Alston trade begins to die down (although it may not until the Magic lose and we realize that Alston will not get them as far as Jameer Nelson), I am still marveling at the deal that acquired him.

It was a pure stroke of genius (and good timing, apparently they phoned it in to the league right at the deadline) to dump two very poor players -- sorry Adonal Foyle -- and an unneeded first round pick for a player that could very well keep the team afloat and respectable among the Eastern Conference's elite this season.

Otis Smith deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done this season.

He had the foresight to take the risk of taking away Nelson's safety blankets -- Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo -- offer him an extension and give him full control of the team. I was one of the many who were skeptical of this decision. But Nelson has flourished.

He had the genius to build Orlando's roster. Stan Van Gundy deserves a lot of the credit to get this tema playing at such a high level, but Smith has built this roster very smartly. They are an incredible group of guys that should grow in the next year or two into a title contender.

As much as you want to slam Smith for offering Rashard Lewis such a large contract, it has turned into a great deal for the team. Lewis has really helped give everyone the comfort to play at their very best.

Thinking about it, I can only really count three or four bad moves by Smith.

-The drafting of Fran Vazquez. And I still think this deal could turn around WHEN he come to the U.S.

-The drafting of JJ Redick. He has been good at spots, but with the 11th pick he was not a solid enough guy to take a flier on. He is a spot-duty, special situation player.

-The trade of Trevor Ariza. Again also debateable. Maurice Evans was a better now-decision. Ariza though has and can still develop into a much better Evans. The salary cap space from Evans' departure was spent on Mickael Pietrus and the jury might still be out on this decision.

-The signing of Billy Donovan as head coach. Luckily he got a second chance. But I can tell you, the Magic would not be sitting at 40 wins right now with him at the helm.

That is all I can think of. How many bad moves could you think of in Jon Gabriel's first three seasons? Or Jon Weisbrod's season and a half?

This is a tough job. Otis Smith has done it well. When teams were looking to shave salary, Smith decided he need to make a move to help his team win now. Yes, Alston's arrival has made it more difficult to resign Hedo Turkoglu (although I am getting the suspicion that he may not opt out with the current climate of the NBA) this summer.

But Smith has, again, had the right attitude for this team all along. It is all about winning titles. Orlando is in the best situation it has been in more than a decade.

I am intrigued what Smith will say in his State of the Magic address tomorrow afternoon.

Magic Wands: February 20, 2009

-In case you missed this from All Star Weekend: Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson had a blog from Phoenix. Pretty good stuff and a great look at the whirlwind life of an NBA All Star. It is not really a break for these guys. ...

-But at least you get some nice swag. This courtesy of LeBron James. A crystal trophy(?) with the names of the entire Eastern Conference engraved on it. It is good to be the king.

-Dwight Howard recently graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine. But the article itself is not about Superman. Rather it is about Clark Kent. And how the NBA has been transformed from the Super Flashy Men it was in the late 90s and early 00s to the dressed up, clean cut (and marketable) NBA of today. Lot of issues at work here, but David Stern has gotten the NBA right where he wants it.

-It probably did not get the notice it should have Saturday night. But what Rudy Fernandez did during the dunk contest with his first attempt was something truly special. Fernandez paid homage to the NBA's first Spain-born player, donning a throwback Fernando Martin Blazers uniform. I did not even know who the guy was, but he apparently died in a tragic car accident. A nice tribute for his countryman that certainly deserves notice.

Magic acquire Rafer Alston

The biggest deal at the NBA's trade deadline? Orlando my have solved its point guard problem.

While Jameer Nelson underwent surgery on his shoulder by famed surgeon Dr. James Andrew of Birmingham, Ala., Orlando acquired point guard Rafer Alston from Houston in a three-team deal. The Magic gave up Brian Cook, Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks and a first round pick.

But considering where it appeared this season was going, it all seems worth it for security at the point.

It has been clear since Nelson's injury that Anthony Johnson is just not meant to be a starting point guard. He does not have the ability to knife his way through defenses like Nelson could and he has been exposed. Not that he isa bad player, but his talents better suit him for a role off the bench.

Alston has been a reliable starter for a playoff team for the past two seasons.

More importantly, I really think he fits the Magic well. He is a great 3-point shooter and can attack the basket -- something he did often in his And1 days as "Skip to My Lou". Also not a horrible defender either.

This was a necessary deal for the Magic to reach their goals in the playoffs, namely get out of the first round.

I expect Alston to integrate into the team very quickly and be a key contributor down the stretch. This is not to say that Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are not going to have to step up their games. Alston is not going to produce at the level Nelson was. But this trade insures the Magic have a starting point guard for the rest of this season.

The big topic of discussion this trade deadline has been how teams have cut costs. This was not a cost-cutting move for sure. Alston has another year left on his deal. But he should still figure to contribute next season.

I am beginning to think that Turkoglu will not opt out of his contract in fear that he cannot get as much as he would make. But this trade hampers Orlando's efforts to re-sign him. It will be interesting to see how this plays out this summer.

History Revisited: Mac attack -- or lack thereof

In the summer of 2004, Orlando was at a crossroads.

A new GM was in office and looked to shape up a moribund, mediocre 21-61 squad. With the No. 1 pick in the draft, he issued his star player an ultimatum. Join us or be shipped out.

It was clear even before the Magic picked up that lucky ping pong ball that the superstar wanted out unless his team could become a winner immediately. He thought Emeka Okafor would be that answer, not Dwight Howard.

Fault Jon Weisbrod for a lot of things. But he had bravery to tell an established superstar, "Let's go in a different direction. You are not part of our plans." Yes, he messed up the Steve Francis deal and left the city as a failure for numerous other missteps.

But five years later, look at where Orlando and Houston stand.

Howard has blossomed into the best big man in the league and the Magic are one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Rockets have knocked on the door and have always looked like they could be very good. Then they fail to get out of the first round. McGrady still has not tasted playoff success.

Now T-Mac is out for the rest of the year in need of microfracture surgery on his left knee. McGrady has struggled with injuries in the past five years.

It is clear McGrady thought he was going to be the winner of his journey out of Orlando. It is clear now that the Magic were right to rebuild.

New Orleans Hornets 117, Orlando Magic 85

Well, consider the favor returned. After the Magic decimated the Hornets on national television on Christmas Day, New Orleans came home and returned it to Orlando.

It was a dominating game from start to finish as the Hornets ran away with a 117-85 win at New Orleans Arena.

The big difference was Chris Paul. Orlando simply had no answer for him.

The plan was to duck under screens and let him shoot. Paul not only made his shots, but like a surgeon, cut delicately into the Orlando defense. Really it seemed like the Magic did not have their legs under them and the Hornets cut apart the defense. Paul is incredibly efficient and was a this best tonight. He finished with 36 points and 10 assists.

With no Tyson Chandler for the second time since the trade, New Orleans was happy to foul Dwight Howard. He had 10 points in the first quarter on a strong performance from the line (he took only two or three shots). But New Orleans did a good job denying the big man and keeping him from taking shots. The Hornets forced him to get his points from the line.

And with a big performance last night -- and logging a lot of minutes -- he clearly could not maintain a high level of play tonight.

The Hornets shot the lights out and the Magic were playing catch up the entire night.

The bigger source of concern is offensively. Howard dominated the first quarter, but he could only keep them in the game for so long. The offense looked absolutely lost tonight. Usually you can attribute that to something random on one single night.

But this felt very different. The ball movement just is not there. More importantly, the penetration that frees up space for Howard and the perimeter shooters is not there. Every shot becomes contested without this penetration from the point guard.

That was something Jameer Nelson was very very good at. That is something Anthony Johnson is not good at it. That is something Hedo Turkoglu cannot consistently do.

The penetration from the point guard position is key to this offense and it is clear that Orlando is not getting it like the team used to. It has made Orlando mediocre.

I bring this up not only because this was my first chance to actually watch the Magic since Nelson's injury, but also because it seems like this is something that happened in another game -- the Denver game.

Hopefully it is not a pattern. The Hornets were a much better team tonight. They caught fire and caught the Magic on an off night.

Stan Van Gundy said it best over ESPN's microphones: even the coaches failed to make the correct adjustments. No reason to yell at them.

Let's not make a habit of this though.