Orlando
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
It's hard to believe but on a night when the Magic had a terrific chance to get a step inside the playoff line, they blew it and lost to the expansion Charlotte Bobcats 102-97. Their first loss of the season also came in Charlotte and though they got a win against the visiting Bobcats later in the season when they were ratcheting up their wins, the Magic are now struggling to avoid the lottery. One would have thought that with Steve Francis being suspended three games, they'd still be able to beat the lowly Bobcats. They have another chance against them on Thursday.
Grant Hill and Dwight Howard did what they could in the losing effort, going for a combined 46 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block (by Hill, actually). Most of that damage came in the first half as the two led the Magic to a 55-44 lead over the Bobcats in what appeared to be a rout, but then the Bobcats outscored them by 10 points in the third to get back in the game, and the hurt just kept increasing in the fourth.
Jameer Nelson played a game-high 46 minutes in a solid effort for the rookie. He got 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.
From Charlotte's side, they played a beautiful game with lots of passing and sharing of the ball. Two Bobcats, Brevin Knight and Jason Hart, each had eight assists. As a team, they had 23 assists. The Magic had just 15.
One of the things that hurt was of course missing Steve Francis, who served the second of his three-game suspension. They won't have him again on Thursday but they need the win even more desperately now. They are half a game behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final playoff spot.
NEXT GAME
The Orlando Magic (32-35, third in the Southeast) host the Charlotte Bobcats (13-52, fourth in the Southeast) on Thursday, March 24th. The game starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on WRBW and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
Pat Garrity did not play as he was with his pregnant wife who was involved in a car crash with two cars and a motorcycle. She reportedly escaped serious injury (see Newslines below).
INJURY UPDATE
Doug Christie(bone spurs) andAndrew DeClercq(knee) are on the injured list.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: Orlando Magic point guard Steve Francis was suspended by the NBA for three games for kicking a league photographer, and will have to tread lightly the rest of the season.Francis will return to the lineup Saturday night against the Phoenix Suns at TD Waterhouse Centre.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: The pregnant wife of Orlando Magic forward Pat Garrity escaped serious injury Sunday in an auto accident near Clermont that killed a motorcyclist.John A. Harper died after he collided with two vehicles on State Road 50 near Clermont, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: A snapshot of a forlorn Grant Hill, sitting on a training table with his head in his hands, said it all: Not this. Not now. Not after the week we've had. The atmosphere in the locker room was funereal after the Orlando Magic ended an emotionally tortuous road trip Monday night with perhaps their most devastating loss of the season.