Pacers-Magic Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Mar 11 2012 12:59AM

The Orlando Magic are coming off a big win over the NBA's top team, but missing two starters in their next game could make it difficult for them to maintain momentum.

Orlando hopes to get by without the services of Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

After losing 100-84 at league-worst Charlotte on Tuesday, a frustrated Stan Van Gundy said his team didn't have a "push to be better," but Orlando responded with a 99-94 win at Chicago on Thursday.

Although the Magic (26-15) blew an 18-point lead, they held on after limiting the Bulls to one field goal in the final 2:55.

Dwight Howard finished with 29 points and 18 rebounds and Ryan Anderson had 11 points and 10 boards. Orlando went 11 of 26 from 3-point range, with Richardson connecting on 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

"We stepped up tonight and everybody played great," Howard said. "We have to play that brand of basketball to compete for a championship. We can't fall back and have a game like Charlotte and expect to be in the same breath as Chicago and Miami."

The victory kicked off a crucial stretch for the Magic before Thursday's trade deadline. After Sunday's game against the Pacers, they'll host Miami on Tuesday and visit San Antonio on Wednesday.

While Orlando mulls trading Howard, it has two immediate roster concerns. Turkoglu was suspended for Sunday's game after making contact with an official and Richardson is expected to miss at least one game with a left ankle sprain.

Richardson hopes to return Tuesday, but Van Gundy was less optimistic, saying the veteran guard would be out at least three games.

Although the timing is far from ideal, Van Gundy said it presents the team the opportunity to show it can be consistent, something he has voiced frustration with in the past.

"We're at a very difficult time of the schedule, but I think it's good for us," he said. "Let's either step up and play the way we need to play every night or we're going to pay the price for it."

J.J. Redick will start in Richardson's place and Quentin Richardson will start for Turkoglu.

Playing a short-handed Magic team could provide Indiana with the break it needs as it concludes a difficult stretch.

After winning six straight against lesser competition, the Pacers (23-15) have dropped three in a row to some of the league's top teams - Chicago, Atlanta and Miami.

Indiana was outscored 7-0 after taking a 91-86 lead with 2:10 left in overtime Saturday against the Heat, and Dwyane Wade's jumper with 0.1 seconds to play won it for Miami.

"We have to understand that we're a good basketball team," coach Frank Vogel said. "We proved that we could play with these guys. We should have pulled out this game."

Danny Granger had 19 points and seven rebounds, but second-leading scorer Roy Hibbert, who came in averaging 13.1 points and 9.5 rebounds, finished with five points and seven boards.

Hibbert has struggled in four games this month, averaging 6.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. He shot 2 of 11 Saturday.

Another tough challenge awaits Hibbert on Sunday. Howard played just 25 minutes in the first meeting between these teams on Jan. 24, when he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer in a 102-83 victory. Howard has averaged 25.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the last two matchups.

Orlando has won two of three against Indiana this season, losing the only home meeting. The Magic have won 13 of 16 against the Pacers.

Howard scores 30 as Magic get past Pacers 107-94

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Posted Mar 11 2012 10:23PM

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) If Dwight Howard's days are numbered in Orlando, he doesn't resemble a man who isn't fond of being in a Magic jersey.

Howard scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and J.J. Redick added 18 points and a career-high nine assists as the Magic ran past the Indiana Pacers 107-94 on Sunday night.

It was the first of two home games Orlando plays this week before Thursday's trade deadline, which could be Howard's final two appearances in a Magic uniform if team officials honor his preseason trade request.

"Thursday, he'll either be here or he won't," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of the expected spotlight this week on his team.

For Howard's part, he said afterward the only thing that was on his mind was how Orlando can improve going forward after struggling to maintain what was mostly a 20-plus point lead for most of the night against the Pacers.

"We have to do a better job of putting four quarters together," Howard said. "We have a quarter where we play great, then we kind of let up. We've got to work on that."

To do that, of course, Howard would have to be in a Magic uniform beyond Thursday.

Asked if he was looking forward to the trade deadline, Howard remained mum on his future.

"I'm looking forward to the next game that we have," he said. "That's the only thing on my mind right now."

As for Sunday, the Magic played without starters Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson, but seemed unfazed as they built a 20-point lead in the first half and got 30 points from their bench.

Richardson sat with a sprained left ankle and Turkoglu was out serving a one-game suspension for making contact with a referee in last week's win over Chicago.

Orlando flourished without them, though, thanks to the strong efforts of replacements Redick and Quentin Richardson and an equally active night by the Magic on defense.

Howard did his damage in just 37 minutes of action and also connected on 8 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line.

Orlando has won four out of its last five, and also earned a 3-1 season series victory over Indiana.

Van Gundy echoed Howard's dissection of their performance against the Pacers, and said he thought the Magic played with energy in spurts and are not where they want to be even with the seemingly dominant win.

He did, however, praise Redick's effort. In particular playing the pick and roll with Howard, which contributed to several of his assists.

"We rode that," Van Gundy said. "It was working very, very well and we rode it."

Redick said he felt comfortable stepping into the starting lineup.

"I know that Stan trusts me," Redick said. "I know that when Turk is playing and J-Rich is playing that it takes away some of the need for me to be a playmaker. But I just wanted to be aggressive."

Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 19 and Danny Granger 18.

They lost their fourth straight game and will try to avoid their second five-game losing streak of the season Tuesday when they host Portland.

The Pacers certainly were accomplices in the Magic's production on both ends, and played as though they had some leftover fatigue from their overtime loss Saturday night at Miami.

George acknowledged that and emotion from the Heat loss "kicked us" but said the losing skid isn't something they are overly concerned about.

"We've been here before," George said. "At the same time, we're still in a good position. We're still a good team. Just keep working. We have a day off (Monday) and that will be much needed."

Indiana cut a huge first-half lead by the Magic to single digits early in the third quarter before watching it balloon back above 20 points late in the period, connecting on just 1 of 12 3-pointers overall.

Orlando was 10 for 27 from beyond the arc to offset being outscored 50-36 in the paint.

Indiana coach Frank Vogel said there isn't anything special he needs to help his team rebound from their current downturn.

"They understand," he said. "We've had a five-game losing streak a couple of weeks ago, then we won six straight. We know we're a good team. We know the schedule is going to hit you hard sometimes, and you've got to do the best you can to manage it.

"We have a great deal of confidence that we're a good team right now."

Notes: Howard and Hansbrough received double technical fouls early in the fourth quarter after a brief verbal exchange following a play. It was Howard's eighth tech of the season. ... Van Gundy said that even if Howard remains in Orlando past Thursday's trade deadline, it won't end the speculation around his team. "There won't be closure," Van Gundy said. "There's closure, I guess, if he goes. If he stays, it just starts all over again. Just start the clock again. You're right back where you started from the day the playoffs ended last year, like Groundhog Day." ... The Pacers played Sunday without G George Hill, who sat out his second consecutive game with a sprained left shoulder.

• Pacers: --
• Magic: Harper, Richardson

• Pacers: Hansbrough
• Magic: Howard

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #18 Matt Boland, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 18846
• Duration: 2:05