Magic-Wizards Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Feb 29 2012 12:57AM

Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are looking to get back on the winning track heading out of the All-Star break.

Facing the Washington Wizards should represent a good chance to do that.

Howard and the Magic look to continue their domination of the woeful Wizards on Wednesday night in the nation's capital.

Orlando (22-13) has won 10 of 14 overall, but entered the break by shooting 37.8 percent from the floor - 7 for 32 from beyond the arc - in an 83-78 defeat at Atlanta on Thursday. That performance prompted a brief players-only meeting.

"You've got to stick together and buy into what we're trying to accomplish and go from there," Howard said. "My focus is just to keep the guys in the locker room together despite what's being said on the outside."

Howard appeared in his sixth All-Star game Sunday, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds in the Eastern Conference's 152-149 loss in Orlando.

The center remains the driving force of the Magic despite the trade speculation that has swirled around him. The franchise's all-time leader in points (11,024) and rebounds (7,821), Howard leads Orlando with 20.1 points and an NBA-high 15.3 rebounds per game.

Ryan Anderson, second on the team with averages of 16.1 points and 7.3 boards, is looking to shake out of a recent funk. He averaged 10.5 points on 34.9 percent shooting over the last four games before the break.

Howard and Anderson scored 23 points apiece and Howard had 18 rebounds in the Magic's 109-103 home win over Washington (7-27) on Feb. 1, Orlando's eighth consecutive victory in the series. Those eight wins have come by an average of 17.2 points.

Washington is also trying to end a five-game overall losing streak as it opens a five-game homestand. Coach Randy Wittman's frustration grew after the Wizards' highest scoring effort of the season went for naught in a 119-118 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Wittman benched starting center JaVale McGee in the second half and played leading scorer Nick Young for only five minutes after the break, but was also critical of his younger players.

"I am done with young guys," Wittman said. "If they don't want to play the right way, the young guys aren't going to play. They are not learning anything when they play the way they want to play.

"It doesn't do us any good. "You get no development out of them if they are going in and playing the way they want to play and the way they did in that first half. ... They are not developing. All they are developing is bad habits. I went with guys that I knew that were going to go out there and bust their rear ends and try to do things the right way in the second half."

Wittman does continue to rely on second-year point guard John Wall, who is averaging 20.2 points and 9.7 assists and shooting 50.0 percent over his last six games.

That's much better than Wall played in the last meeting with the Magic, when he missed 11 of 12 shots to finish with two points.

Wall is averaging 14.2 points and 6.0 assists in five career games against Orlando.

Magic back from break with 102-95 win over Wizards

By JOSEPH WHITE
Posted Feb 29 2012 11:37PM

WASHINGTON (AP) Ryan Anderson has heard his coach's message loud and clear. JaVale McGee can't say the same.

Having been told by coach Stan Van Gundy to be more active when the other team misses a shot, Anderson grabbed a season-high 10 defensive rebounds Wednesday night, part of his 23-point, 15-rebound effort in the Orlando Magic's 102-95 win over the lineup-shuffling Washington Wizards.

"Stan likes the way I get offensive rebounds and have that kind of energy on the offensive side," Anderson said. "I haven't been rebounding the ball defensively as well as I can. Tonight was a good opportunity for me to control that."

The Magic outrebounded the Wizards 48-36 and made 15 of 36 3-point attempts on a night when Dwight Howard was bottled up inside. Orlando blew a 17-point first-quarter lead and committed 18 turnovers, but seven players scored in double figures in a game not decided until the final few minutes.

"That's what we do - we can really stretch the court and obviously when we have Dwight get double-teamed and attract so much attention, that really leaves us open," said Anderson, who made 4 of 10 3-pointers and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. "And we did a great job of taking advantage of that."

Howard was 4 for 9 from the field and 6 for 11 from the free-throw line, yet he still managed to convert three three-point plays and finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and four turnovers.

The Magic, bouncing back from a five-point loss to Atlanta that prompted a quick players-only meeting before the All-Star break, have won 11 of 15.

John Wall had another workhorse night, scoring 33 points to lead the Wizards, but he's about the only thing reliable on a team that dropped its sixth in a row despite rallying from a large deficit for the second straight night.

Washington was down 22 at Milwaukee on Tuesday and lost by one, so coach Randy Wittman stuck with the lineup that helped spur that comeback, starting Jordan Crawford and Kevin Seraphin in place of McGee and Nick Young.

It was Seraphin's first start of the season and second of his career, and it reinforced Wittman's message that he was no longer going to accept youth as a reason for undisciplined play.

Wittman said he spoke to McGee and Young before the game, telling them: "Hey, I got to get you guys playing back the way I know you can."

"How long that will take," Wittman added, "I don't know."

McGee played a season-low 16 minutes and scored nine points. Young played 19 minutes, his lowest since the season opener, and scored five points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised right knee.

Young left the locker room without addressing his benching. McGee, asked if he understood Wittman's message, responded: "I can't say I do, but I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later."

It was Wall and Crawford who got the Wizards back in the game.

Crawford had 14 points and four assists in the third quarter as Washington built a five-point lead, but an 11-0 run with 3-pointers from J.J. Redick, Anderson and Chris Duhon put the Magic back in front.

Wall soon scored 10 straight Wizards points, then had the assist on a 3-pointer from Maurice Evans that tied the game at 83 with 6:57 to play.

But Jameer Nelson made a 3 to give Orlando the lead again. Then Jason Richardson made a steal to set up another 3-pointer, this time from Anderson, to put the Magic up by six.

"We were up big and thought we had it in the bag," Richardson said. "If you want to be great, you've got to learn how to bury teams when you've got them down."

Notes: Washington F Andray Blatche, out since Jan. 28 with a strained left calf, hopes to return to practice Thursday and possibly play Saturday against Cleveland. "Even with all the bad things going on, I don't care about it. I just want to go back to playing, man," Blatche said before the game. "It's tough when you're sitting at home watching. Saturday will feel like Christmas to me. ... Hopefully I can get back to being Seven-Day `Dray or something." ... Orlando reserve F Quentin Richardson sat out after straining his left Achilles tendon in the final game before the All-Star break. He'll also miss Thursday's game vs. Oklahoma City. "He's day-to-Saturday," Van Gundy said. ... The Wizards' 21-for-21 performance at the free-throw line Tuesday set a franchise record for most attempts without a miss. They made their first five Wednesday before finally missing one. ... Wall had his left pinky wrapped after the game, having hurt it during the West Coast road trip before the All-Star break. "It's still dislocated and swollen, so I just get it taped and ice it after every game," he said.

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Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Notebook: Magic 102, Wizards 95

Posted Wednesday February 29, 2012 11:22PM

By Daimon Eklund, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Ryan Anderson scored 11 points in the fourth quarter -- eight in the final six minutes -- helping the Orlando Magic to pull away from the Washington Wizards late for a 102-95 win Wednesday.

Anderson finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds, leading seven Magic players who scored in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 15, and Dwight Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds despite struggling on the offensive end much of the night.

Orlando opened up a 17 point lead in the opening quarter, but the Wizards came back to take the lead shortly after halftime with a 12-0 run. The game was tight most of the second half and was tied at 83 with about seven minutes to play before Anderson and the Magic pulled away.

John Wall led Washington with 33 points.

QUOTABLE: "We were up big and thought we had it in the bag. I think when we become great, take that next step, is when we've got a team down, bury them."
-- Orlando guard Jason Richardson.

THE STAT: Orlando was 15-for-36 from 3-point range, including Anderson's 4-for-10 and Jameer Nelson's 4-for-9 performance from behind the arc. The 3-point shooting made up for a lack of production from Howard for most of the game, and helped the Magic keep Washington from sustaining momentum.

TURNING POINT: After Washington tied the game at 83 with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter, Nelson and Anderson had back-to-back 3-pointers to give Orlando a cushion. A few minutes later, Anderson was fouled by Wall while shooting a 3-pointer. He made all three to make the lead 95-87 with less than three minutes to play.

HOT: Washington's Jordan Crawford scored the first six points of the second half, part of his 14 points and four assists in the third quarter. Crawford started for the third time this season and finished with 18 points.

NOT: Wizards JaVale McGee and Nick Young were removed from the starting lineup after being benched for most of the second half in the team's previous game. McGee's 16 minutes were a season low, and Young's 18 1/2 minutes were his fewest since December. Neither player scored in the second half.

QUOTABLE II: "I can't say I do, but I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later."
-- McGee, when asked if he understood the message Wittman was trying to send by removing him from the starting lineup.

NOTABLE: Anderson said Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy had challenged him to be more active on the defensive boards, and he had a season high with 10 defensive rebounds. ... Young limped off the court late in the fourth quarter. He said he tweaked his right knee after landing on someone's foot.

UP NEXT: For the Magic, Thursday vs. Thunder, Saturday vs. Bucks, Monday at Raptors. For the Wizards, Friday vs. Cavaliers, Monday vs. Warriors, Wednesday vs. Lakers.

• Magic: Harper, Richardson
• Wizards: Turiaf

• Magic: Davis, Richardson
• Wizards: Booker

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #18 Matt Boland, #29 Mark Lindsay
• Attendance: 18688
• Duration: 2:15