ORLANDO, FLA. Through two games of their opening-round playoff series, the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have both had moments to laud and lament.

Minus Dwight Howard, the Magic owned the underdog tag and successfully stole home-court advantage with a win in Game 1. Then the Pacers were able to brush off a woeful finish in that loss, regroup, and use all their personnel advantages down the stretch to blow past the Magic in Game 2 on Monday.

The question now is who has established their early post-season identity more as the series shifts to Orlando on Wednesday for Game 3?

“Obviously we want to go back home and play off the momentum of the crowd and just play better than we did (Monday),” Magic forward Ryan Anderson said after the 93-78 Game 2 loss. “We know that we can play better than this and play harder than this.”

While Anderson and the Magic are certainly hoping to get an energy boost from an Amway Center crowd still reeling after last season’s first-round exit, conditioning will certainly be a factor for both teams with just one day to rest.

Indiana trailed at the half for the second straight game before getting that boost in the second half that coach Frank Vogel said would be a necessity in this series. It came at a cost, though, with Pacers starters Danny Granger and David West both logging over 40 minutes. They averaged 33 and 29 minutes per game, respectively, during the regular season.

Both teams took it easy Tuesday, with the Magic taking the day off and the Pacers holding only a light practice in Indianapolis before boarding a plane to Florida.

After five games against each other this season, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of mystery left to uncover.

The strategy is the same as it was when the series began: The Magic need to shoot the ball well and run the floor to negate the Pacers’ size advantage. Meanwhile, Indiana wants to resist the urge to get in a shootout with Orlando, while pounding the ball inside and running the Magic off the 3-point stripe.

Game 2 was mission accomplished for the Pacers, holding the Magic to just 8 for 25 from beyond the arc, and frustrating them inside with a 50-28 edge in points in the paint. Indiana also outrebounded Orlando 46-38.

“It’s all about who wants it more,” Pacers guard Paul George said. “We look at it as a 50-50 ball and the man that wants that ball more is going to go after and go get it. We wanted to make sure we got as many 50-50 balls as we can.”

Granger had 18 points, but struggled to shoot the ball, going 7 for 21 from the field and just 1 for 10 from 3. The bigger numbers, though, were what he did defending Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu. He was held to just 10 points, two assists and one rebound.

Anderson, who the Magic are depending on to produce offensively with Howard out for the season following back surgery, went just 3 for 9 from the field. It followed an equally quiet five-point effort in Game 1 for the candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

Granger said their effort underneath starts with how West is playing.

“They don’t have an answer for David West in this series,” Granger said. “We knew our bigs would be a huge advantage for us. We’ve just been riding that. When David gets going, it’s hard to stop him.”

West hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2009 with New Orleans, but Vogel said West’s experience is a huge factor in his play to this point. For his career West is averaging 16 points and seven rebounds in the post-season.

“He’s providing our team with the necessary swagger to get a playoff win,” Vogel said. “He’s just dialled in. He is a playoff-tested veteran.”

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said it’s not so much the players who are scoring the Pacers’ points, but how they are doing it.

“We can’t give up 22 fast-break points, 25 second-chance points and have 16 turnovers,” he said. “I mean, it gets back to very basic things and we’re not going to have a chance to win if we do that.”

The promising news in the Magic closing the rebounding and second-chance scoring gap is that with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Glen “Big Baby” Davis maintained his consistency in Game 2 playing as an undersized centre.

New roles or situation aside, Davis said there continues to be a no-excuse mentality throughout the Magic locker-room.

“It’s the playoffs, we got to go. We have to find it and regroup,” Davis said. “We’re going home and we’re just tired … I think we have to find our niche out there and get guys the ball at the right time.”

AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

The Associated Press

Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing’s name once again is popping up in connection with an NBA head coaching vacancy.

After the Charlotte Bobcats suffered through the worst season in NBA history, the franchise relieved head coach Paul Silas Monday of his duties and reassigned him to work as a consultant for the team.

Now Charlotte owner Michael Jordan and general manager Rich Cho are searching for a new head coach to take over mentoring the struggling team.

While the NBA Draft lottery will make the final call on the selection order, the Bobcats are strong contenders to earn the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The new Charlotte coach could end up working with former Kentucky Wildcats star Anthony Davis, this year’s projected No. 1 draft pick.

Ewing, who is close friends with Jordan, is among the potential candidates whose name has been linked to the job. Former Trailblazers coach Nate McMillan, who previously worked with Cho in Portland; former New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni; Indiana Pacers assistant coach and former Magic player Brian Shaw; Magic assistant coach Steve Clifford; and Warriors assistant coach Michael Malone and former Warriors and Kings head coach Eric Musselman have all been mentioned in connection with the Bobcats job opening.

SI.com’s Sam Amick suggested it would be best to let Cho, a respected NBA executive, handle the search. Amick added the Bobcats should stay away from Jordan’s rolodex of NBA friends, including Ewing, because they may not be up for the challenge of leading a troubled team.

However, Ewing was rumored to be a close second for the Bobcats job when Jordan hired Silas in 2010 and a favorite to one day take over as the team’s head coach.

Ewing, a former Hall of Fame player for the New York Knicks, has been an Orlando Magic assistant coach since 2007.

It was a rough night for a beat up Orlando Magic team that prides itself on its toughness.

With All-Star center Dwight Howard out of the lineup and slew of injuries hobbling the remaining players on the roster, the Magic have to get by with heart, effort, grit and gumption.

However, the Indiana Pacers stole from the Orlando bag of tricks and out-worked Magic in the third quarter of Monday night’s game to cruise to a 93-78 win. The Pacers evened the series 1-1. Game 3 is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Amway Center.

At least the Magic can say they didn’t have the worst night in the NBA. That honor goes to Amare Stoudemire, who punched a fire extinguisher in frustration after the New York Knicks’ not-so-surprising second consecutive loss to the Miami Heat Monday night. Stoudemire’s gashed his hand, was sent to the hospital for stitches and it seems unlikely he’ll return to the Knicks lineup during the remainder of the playoffs.

Stoudemire’s antics dominated the national spotlight Monday night and Tuesday morning, but here’s a closer look at extensive coverage of the Orlando Magic-Indiana Pacers series:

– Orlando Sentinel: Orlando Magic fall apart in 3rd quarter, lose Game 2 to Indiana Pacers

– Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi: Pacers beat Magic, but Big Baby is playing like a grown man– Orlando Magic rewind: A closer look at what went right, wrong during Magic’s loss

– Magic GM will visit Dwight Howard in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday

– Indianapolis Star’s Bob Kravitz: Pacers rediscover how they earned No. 3 seed

– Indianapolis Star: NBA Playoffs 2012: Pacers thump Magic 93-78, even series

– Indianapolis Star: Pacers find a go-to player in David West

– Indianapolis Star Pacers notebook: Magic’s Glen Davis gives Roy Hibbert a challenge

– Indianapolis Star Blog: Huge third quarter blows the game open

– Indianapolis Star: Why don’t we give the Pacers more love?

– ESPN.com True Hoop: Pacers even the score with Magic

(Sports Network) – The Orlando Magic, seeded sixth in the East, will not have All-Star center Dwight Howard when they begin their first-round series against No. 3 Indiana on Saturday.

The Eastern Conference’s big bullies this time around figure to be Chicago and Miami with Boston and Rajon Rondo creating a little fear thanks to a late- season run and some impressive veteran leadership. An Orlando team anchored by Howard used to be among those East powers but these days the Magic are trying to press on without their cornerstone.

Howard had season-ending surgery last week on the herniated disc in his back and is expected to recover in four months.

While the big man’s absence has likely eliminated a serious distraction in the Orlando locker room revolving around his trade demands as well as his deteriorating relationship with coach Stan Van Gundy, it’s also magnified just how dominant the Howard was as a defender. Orlando was 4-8 overall without Howard and struggled mightily to stop teams from scoring.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are the “newbies” on the scene making significant noise for the first time since Reggie Miller was building his Hall of Fame resume in Indy.

In fact, Indiana has the type of length, and depth that could cause major headaches for anyone, something the injury-plagued Magic are sure to figure out quickly in this series.

The Pacers won 11 of 14 heading into the postseason and it’s always nice to enter the dance on a roll, just ask the St. Louis Cardinals over in Major League Baseball or the NFL’s New York Giants.

Coach Frank Vogel’s starting lineup features four players at 6-foot-8 or taller, making the half-court a virtual nightmare for opposing offenses.

“I think (the Magic’s) their chances are slim,” NBA TV analyst and former player Chris Webber said on a recent conference call. “I don’t think they can handle the inside presence of the Pacers’ players without the shot-blocking presence of Dwight Howard.”

On the injury front Orlando figures to get a lift with the return of forward , Hedo Turkoglu, who had cheekbone surgery for a facial fracture on April 7 and will play with a mask. Glen Davis, meanwhile, sprained an ankle last week but is expected to start at center for Howard in Game 1.

Indiana’s lone injury concern is reserve guard Leandro Barbosa, who is nursing a sprained left ankle and should be a game-time decision.

The Pacers, who finished behind the Bulls in the Central Division, haven’t moved past the first round of the playoffs since 2005. They’ve met the Magic twice in the postseason, the last time in 1995 with the Magic winning in seven games in the East finals.

NO. 3 PACERS (42-24) vs. NO. 6 MAGIC (37-29)

Season Series
Magic, 3-1.

Series Revolves Around …
Momentum. Nobody expects Indiana to lose this series, because Dwight Howard is in post-op, giving a 10-deep Indiana team a perfect opportunity to hit the ground running, put four quick victories in the bank, and convince themselves that they can compete with Miami in the second round.

Key Matchups
Roy Hibbert versus Whoever. Hibbert is a 7-2, 265-pound All-Star capable of the occasional dominant night, but this is just cruel: With Howard sidelined by back surgery, the Pacers center will match up initially with the 6-9 Glen Davis, who has a bad ankle; and then with Daniel Orton, who until April 7 had played 20 minutes in his NBA career.

Savvy Fan Is Watching
The clock, no doubt. Once this is over, Stan Van Gundy will effectively fire Orlando, take his talent to the TV booth for a year or two, and the Magic will go on about searching for someone (Donnie Walsh is ready, willing, and able) who might — might — restore their dignity.

Our Take
Pacers in 5

Today at Pacers 7 p.m. ESPN
Monday at Pacers 7:30 p.m. NBATV
Wednesday at Magic 7:30 p.m. NBATV
May 5 at Magic 2 p.m. ESPN
*May 8 at Pacers TBD TBD
*May 11 at Pacers TBD TBD
*May 13 at Pacers TBD TBD

The sprint to the NBA playoffs is over and the postseason lineup is one of the most intriguing ever.

A Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic face the Indiana Pacers. Then there’s LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony, the young and confident Oklahoma City Thunder looking for an early knockout against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, two Los Angeles teams shooting for one title and the venerable San Antonio Spurs looking for a second lockout-season title.

Yes, the shortened yet surprisingly successful regular season is the books and the playoffs promise to be even better.

Today, the Pacers host the Magic, whose playoff hopes may have left along with Howard, who is hobbled by a back injury that required surgery.

Howard averaged 23.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 69 percent from the field against Indiana this season and the Magic took three of four in the regular-season series.

Indiana coach Frank Vogel said Orlando’s offensive style, which focuses on spacing the floor and shooting 3-pointers, will present a challenge when their first-round playoff series opens tonight. Orlando led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted and was third in percentage (.375).

“Anybody that knows basketball knows that a 3-point shooting team like Orlando is extremely dangerous,” Vogel said. “It doesn’t matter who’s in the middle, they can get red hot and shoot you out of the game. Our antennas are going to be up, and well be ready to go.”

Orlando forward Ryan Anderson led the league with 166 3-pointers this season. Indiana will have to deal with a combination of Glen Big Baby Davis, Earl Clark and Daniel Orton inside.

That game precedes the Mavericks’ visit to the Thunder in the nightcap. But the action starts today with the Chicago Bulls, the overall No. 1 seed, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. Then it’s Miami against New York, with James and Anthony just a couple of the big names in a series loaded with star power.

And with history.

The teams met four straight years from 1997-00, the Knicks winning three of the series and earning a draw in the fights. The animosity doesn’t exist between these players — James and Anthony have known each other since high school before entering the league together in 2003 — but you bet it’s still around for the organizations and fans.

“Once the ball tips off, it’s a series that we’re both trying to win,” Miami’s Dwyane Wade said. “Obviously it makes great headlines and makes everyone in the organization really tuned in to what’s going on. It’s kind of like they’re looking at us like, ‘All right, go get it done for us.’ But when the ball tips off, it’s another game against a very talented opponent.”

Dallas eliminated Oklahoma City in five games last year on its way to the NBA championship. The teams ended up in the first round this season after the Thunder fell into the No. 2 seed with a late-season stumble, and the Mavericks could never put together a run to move up.

“It’s all we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant said. “It’s going to be a tough, tough series for us playing against the reigning champions. They cause so many problems on the offensive end and defensive end for us.”

The other four series start Sunday. San Antonio hosts Utah in the opener, followed by the Lakers against Denver. Boston visits Atlanta before Memphis welcomes the Clippers in the two 4-5 series at night.

The Celtics have the higher seed as Atlantic Division champions but the Hawks get home-court advantage based on their better record. The Grizzlies snatched home-court advantage from the Clippers by winning their final six games while Los Angeles dropped three of its final four.

Yet Chris Paul and Blake Griffin say they aren’t scared of the rugged Grizzlies, who were a game away from the West finals last year and are a trendy pick to get there this time.

“It’s just like any other NBA team,” Griffin said. “They’ve got good bigs, they’ve got good guards. You’ve got to be ready to play. We’re not intimidated by them by any means.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern has said the league didn’t know what to expect when it returned from a nearly five-month lockout that shortened the season to 66 games. Instead of a backlash from fans, TV ratings were up and attendance held steady.

For the first time since 2004, when they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the third-seeded Indiana Pacers will begin their playoff run at home. The Pacers will face the sixth-seeded Orlando Magic in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Magic will be without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who recently underwent surgery in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk. It is unlikely that he will attend any of his team’s playoff games. Howard’s surgeon has advised him not to travel and to spend the next three weeks in Los Angeles to undergo rehabilitation treatment.

At the start of April, Orlando held a one-and-a-half-game lead over the Pacers for third place in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Magic and Pacers have gone in opposite directions. With Howard out of the lineup for all but two games, Orlando suffered their first losing month of the season with a record of 5-9 during the month of April. The Pacers, powered by seven straight wins between April 9 and April 19, had the best month of their season by winning 12 of 15 contests.

Indiana Pacers versus Orlando Magic Eastern Conference First-Round Schedule

Game 1: Saturday, April 28, Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 2: Monday, April 30, Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Game 3: Wednesday, May 2, Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Game 4: Saturday, May 5, Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic, 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 5: Tuesday, May 8, Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6: Friday, May 11, Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7: Sunday, May 13, Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, TBD (if necessary)

The Magic and Pacers met four times during the regular season with Orlando winning the season series 3-1. Howard played in all four of those games. But since Superman will not even be in the building during this series, Orlando will have to get some magical performances from some of their non All-Stars if they hope to keep pace with Indiana during the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

Orlando will likely try to create that magic from behind the three-point line. During the regular season, the Magic made (10.2 per game) and took (27.0 per game) more three-pointers than any other team in the NBA. Their 37.5 percent three-point shooting percentage ranks third in accuracy from that distance.

However, many of those three-point shot opportunities were open looks that were created by opposing teams double-teaming Howard in the post. With Howard out of the lineup, it is unlikely that the Pacers will send many double teams during this series.

Indiana’s All-Star center, Roy Hibbert, who stands 7’2″, should have no problem defending the Magic’s 6’9″ Glen Davis (who will likely start in Howard’s absence) one on one. That will allow the Pacers’ wing players, namely Paul George and Danny Granger, to stay attached to Orlando’s three-point shooters.

Without Howard in the lineup, most of the Magic’s three-point shot opportunities will be contested. Unless Orlando’s three-point shooters can find a way to consistently make contested shots, the Magic will find it difficult to win even one game in this series.

Prediction: Pacers 4-0

Mark is a lifelong fan of the NBA who has loved the game of basketball ever since his first trip to an NBA arena. Mark has watched more basketball games than anyone can count and has more than 100 articles about the NBA published on the internet. Mark also shares his random NBA musings and game-by-game predictions on RandomNBAFan.com.

Information from NBA.com’s 2012 Playoffs Schedule; ESPN.com’s Surgeon for Dwight Howard of Orlando Magic ‘optimistic’ center will play next year, Orlando Magic 2012 Schedule, Indiana Pacers 2012 Schedule and 2011-12 Regular Season NBA Team Stats was used for this article.

“Obviously, a lot of people are kind of talking us down and telling us what we can’t do,” Magic power forward Ryan Anderson said. “And I think that that’s really fueling us. It is nice to start with a clean slate. I just think that we play really well with this group.”

You never would have guessed that the Magic consider themselves underdogs if you had stood outside Bankers Life Fieldhouse’s practice court Friday afternoon.

Players and coaches cheered and clapped when athletic trainer Keon Weise presented J.J. Redickwith a plaque for being the team’s most durable player during the regular season. What once was a group that was distracted by Howard’s trade request and Howard’s feud with coach Stan Van Gundy has become more united in recent weeks.

“I like being the underdog,” said center Glen Davis. “We have something to prove. We have nothing to lose.”

Davis’ situation is emblematic of the Magic’s underdog status.

He has a sprained right ankle. But even if he were healthy, he would face a significant height disadvantage. He has replaced Howard at center, and even though Davis is only 6-9, he will guard the Pacers’ 7-foot-2 All-Star center, Roy Hibbert.

But the third-seeded Pacers have more size than the sixth-seeded Magic almost across the board.

“We’re not going to overemphasize Roy Hibbert,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “We have matchups at a lot of different positions, mismatches that we feel like we can exploit. Roy is just one of those.”

Orlando has struggled terribly to defend without Howard, the reigning three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard served as a safety net of sorts on defense; if teams penetrated into the lane, Howard was there to deter opponents from driving to the hoop because of his strength and his explosive shot-blocking ability.

The Magic allowed opponents to shoot over 50.0 percent in eight of their first 11 games without Howard on the court.

Before the season began, it would have seemed inconceivable that Orlando would enter a playoff series depending heavily on 24-year-old Earl Clark and 21-year-old Daniel Orton.

Clark has played in only four playoff games in his brief pro career, while Orton has never played in a postseason. But they both are 6-10.

“Look, for us to win, particularly in the playoffs, we’re gonna need a lot of people to play well,” Van Gundy said.

“And that’s going to include guys like Daniel and Earl. They’re gonna have to play well, and they can’t be out there just fouling and playing undisciplined. They’ve got a tremendous, tremendous opportunity here on a big stage in the playoffs to prove that they’re solid NBA players that can help teams win, and they’ve got to take advantage of that.”

Yet this is the Magic’s situation: They are a dramatically different team. Defensively, they have no margin for error. Offensively, they no longer have a post-up game, and now they are even more heavily dependent on pick-and-rolls to free point guard Jameer Nelson to penetrate and dish to 3-point shooters.

Vogel said a team that shoots — and hits — as many 3s as the Magic always will be dangerous.

And in this series, Orlando must sink its long-distance shots.

“We understand that we’re still a good team, and people are going to put us as underdogs,” Nelson said. “But one thing we know is if we stick together, with the way we’ve been playing and the intensity we’ve been playing with, I think good things can happen for us.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com

Copyright © 2012, Orlando Sentinel

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“I think they don’t have a chance,” Webber answered. “You have a chance because you’re playing in the playoffs, but I think their chances are slim because of the inside presence of [Roy] Hibbert. Even though [Ryan] Andersoncan stretch the court, the inside presence of their players, the scoring inside, I don’t think they can handle it without the shot-blocking presence of Dwight Howard.

“Dwight Howard is the Orlando Magic’s team defensively,” Webber continued. “He’s been that way since they’ve had him; they’ve recycled players in and out. And so when he’s not there, the lane will be wide open for penetration, also for post-ups, also for rebounding, offensive and defensive, which will allow Indiana to control the pace.

“And mainly, there’s not an intimidation factor. Nobody fears Orlando without Dwight Howard. Some might even say they wouldn’t be there without Dwight Howard. So I would definitely say that Indiana has the upper hand.”

Smith agreed.

“Like Chris said, the blueprint for the Orlando Magic, through Otis Smith and through Stan Van Gundy on both ends, is funnel everything defensively into Dwight,” Steve Smith said.

“Now you don’t have that shot-blocker there. Big Baby’s playing center, and they definitely can stretch. But I think on the offensive end, the way Stan has played and the way Otis has acquired players, is for Dwight to get double-teamed and play four-out, one-in and live and die by the 3.

“But you can see right now they’ve struggled a lot with no double-team presence as far as an offensive guy without Dwight. All these guys have had to make plays on their own, and they’ve struggled a little bit.”

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Copyright © 2012, Orlando Sentinel

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ORLANDO, Fla. — With a roster that has seemingly gotten thinner by the game over the past month, no wins have come easy for the Orlando Magic down the stretch.

It’s why the Magic expected to get a strong effort from a woeful Charlotte Bobcats team that came in battling against all-time NBA futility.

The Bobcats hung tough, but the Magic made just shots from beyond the arc to hold on for a 102-95 victory Wednesday night, Charlotte’s 22nd consecutive loss.

J.J. Redick had six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points as the Magic snapped a three-game losing streak and more importantly secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Ryan Anderson added 24 points and 13 rebounds and Jason Richardson had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Magic, who lost forward Glen Davis to a sprained right ankle. He is the latest injury to strike the Magic’s roster and drain an already shallow pool of Orlando big men following Dwight Howard’s season-ending back surgery last week. Davis limped off the court, though initial X-rays taken on the ankle in the locker room were negative. His status is day-to-day.

“Obviously, it was good for us,” Redick said. “There was definitely some worry (about Davis). You immediately think to yourself ‘How are we going to go forward if he’s out for an extended period of time?’ But it sounds like he’ll be back this weekend. Hopefully he’ll have a great recovery.”

Richardson said while it was nice to lock up a first-round matchup with Indiana, it wasn’t at all their focus going into the game.

“We just wanted to play and wanted to win a game,” Richardson said. “We haven’t won in a while, had some tough games and a tough road trip. I don’t think anybody was thinking about what was going on with the playoffs. We just wanted to win.”

D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with 23 points, while Gerald Henderson had 17 and Derrick Brown 16.

Charlotte (7-58) heads into its season finale on Thursday needing to beat New York to avoid the worst winning percentage in NBA history. The longest losing streak in NBA history was the 26 games by Cleveland last season. Should the Bobcats lose their finale against the Knicks, their 7-59 record and .106 winning percentage would eclipse the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers and their mark at .110, when they went 9-73.

“Nobody in here is used to losing like we have lost this year,” Henderson said. “It just kind of humbles you and teaches you a lot about what it takes to be successful in this game. It also teaches you what it takes to have a good team in the NBA. It’s a learning process and hopefully we will come out with a win tomorrow.”

Bobcats coach Paul Silas said he was proud of his team’s effort.

“I was really happy with the way we played,” he said. “We just came up a little short, but we gave it our all.”

The Magic were active early offensively and beginning to cruise late in the first quarter when Davis stepped on Byron Mullens’ foot and rolled his ankle.

The injury couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time for Orlando, which has seen starters Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) and Howard both undergo surgery in the past month.

Howard, of course, is gone for the rest of the season as he continues rehabilitation in California. Turkoglu may return as early as Thursday’s regular-season finale against Memphis and be ready for the postseason, but that is still to be determined.

The Bobcats used the moment as a spark and rallied after Davis’ injury to cut what was a 17-point first-half deficit to 67-66 late in the third quarter.

Orlando got it back up to 10 points entering the fourth quarter before seeing one final push by Charlotte.

It was 89-84 when Henderson was whistled for his fifth personal foul and forced to the bench with just over 6 minutes to play. That was immediately followed by Richardson’s third 3-pointer of the game to give the Magic a little more breathing room.

A 3 a few possessions later by Redick made it 95-86 and following a Charlotte miss Redick nailed his final 3 of the game to push the lead back to 12 points with 4:26 to go.

The Magic kept around a 15-point lead throughout the first half before seeing the Bobcats close the gap to 10 at the break.

Orlando pulled away early by connecting on 10 of its 22 3-point attempts in the half, led by Redick’s five 3s and 16 points. Anderson added 14 points and Jameer Nelson eight points and seven assists.

“Basketball is a game of runs. They made their run and we made ours,” Nelson said. “We’re very fortunate to come out with a victory.”

Said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy: “It just keeps getting crazier by the day. … It was a good win even though the team you’re playing is 50 games under .500.”

Notes: The loss was Charlotte’s 11th straight on the road. … Brown left the game with a sprained right ankle in the fourth quarter. … The Magic improved to 25-5 when scoring 100 or more points. … Turkoglu has been cleared for contact by doctors after three weeks of rehab following surgery to repair facial fractures. He wore a new protective mask during the Magic’s morning walkthrough, but said it bothered him and needed to be adjusted before his return to action.

“I think they don’t have a chance,” Webber answered. “You have a chance because you’re playing in the playoffs, but I think their chances are slim because of the inside presence of [Roy] Hibbert. Even though [Ryan] Andersoncan stretch the court, the inside presence of their players, the scoring inside, I don’t think they can handle it without the shot-blocking presence of Dwight Howard.

“Dwight Howard is the Orlando Magic’s team defensively,” Webber continued. “He’s been that way since they’ve had him; they’ve recycled players in and out. And so when he’s not there, the lane will be wide open for penetration, also for post-ups, also for rebounding, offensive and defensive, which will allow Indiana to control the pace.

“And mainly, there’s not an intimidation factor. Nobody fears Orlando without Dwight Howard. Some might even say they wouldn’t be there without Dwight Howard. So I would definitely say that Indiana has the upper hand.”

Smith agreed.

“Like Chris said, the blueprint for the Orlando Magic, through Otis Smith and through Stan Van Gundy on both ends, is funnel everything defensively into Dwight,” Steve Smith said.

“Now you don’t have that shot-blocker there. Big Baby’s playing center, and they definitely can stretch. But I think on the offensive end, the way Stan has played and the way Otis has acquired players, is for Dwight to get double-teamed and play four-out, one-in and live and die by the 3.

“But you can see right now they’ve struggled a lot with no double-team presence as far as an offensive guy without Dwight. All these guys have had to make plays on their own, and they’ve struggled a little bit.”

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Copyright © 2012, Orlando Sentinel

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Ryan Anderson added 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who snapped a three-game losing streak and secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference but lost forward Glen Davis to a sprained right ankle. He is the latest injury to strike the Magic’s roster and drain an already shallow pool of Orlando big men following Dwight Howard’s season-ending back surgery.

D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with 23 points, while Gerald Henderson had 17 and Derrick Brown 16.

Charlotte (7-58) heads into its season finale today needing to beat New York to avoid the worst winning percentage in NBA history. The longest losing streak in NBA history was the 26 games by Cleveland last season.

The Magic were active early offensively and beginning to cruise late in the first quarter when Davis stepped on Byron Mullens’ foot and rolled his ankle.

He limped off the court, though initial X-rays taken on the ankle in the locker room were negative. His status is day-to-day.

The injury couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time for Orlando, which has seen starters Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) and Howard both under surgery in the past month.

Howard, of course, is gone for the rest of the season as he continues rehabilitation in California. Turkoglu may return as early as Thursday’s regular-season finale against Memphis.

The Bobcats rallied after Davis’ injury and cut what was a 17-point first-half deficit to 67-66 late in the third quarter.

Orlando got it back up to 10 points entering the fourth quarter before seeing one final push by Charlotte.

It was 89-84 when Henderson was whistled for his fifth personal foul and forced to the bench with just over 6 minutes to play. That was immediately followed by Jason Richardson’s third 3-pointer of the game to give the Magic a little more breathing room. He finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.

A 3 later by Redick made it 95-86 and following a Charlotte miss Redick nailed his final 3 of the game to push the lead back to 12 points with 4:26 to go.

If the Bobcats lose against the Knicks, their 7-59 record and .106 winning percentage would eclipse the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers and their mark at .110, when they went 9-73.BU2DMV15.V7U0426nc_magic$C1104/25/1222:05:14hoffmathoffmatBRDNC20120426B1READY20120425235025The Associated PressOrlando’s Jameer Nelson drives to the basket between Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin, right, and Byron Mullens on Wednesday in Orlando.Ledger Media GroupBARTOW — The Bartow softball team was just scraping along during its Class 7A regional quarterfinal game against the Plant City Raiders on Wednesday.

Then, the lights went out.

The 20-minute delay until the transformer cooled kept the Bartow players in their dugout.

When the lights came back on, so did the Bartow bats.

Bartow pounded out five hits of its seven hits in the fourth inning, including a two-run double by Taylor Wagner in a 4-0 win over Plant City at Bartow High School.

With the victory, the Yellow Jackets (24-4) will take on Riverview in the regional semifinals on Friday. The game, according to the FHSAA website, will be played at Bartow.

Bartow coach Glenn Rutenbar used to question his team’s intensity.

Not anymore.

“When the lights were out, they were in here singing and cheering,” Rutenbar said. “I told them to take it out to the field. They told me to don’t worry. They never told me that before.”

The lights went out in the bottom of the third inning. By the time the fourth inning came around, the Yellow Jackets took over.

Shelby Duncan hit a one-out single and advanced to second on an interference call by the first baseman.

Freshman Tonee Fabrizi laced a shot to left field that scored Duncan to break the scoreless tie.

After an infield single by Cheyenne Blaha and the second out of the inning, Taylor Wagner drilled a shot to left center.

Plant City’s Makensie McAvoy made a diving attempt but the ball popped out of her glove allowing two more Bartow runs. MacKenzie Brown followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0.

Pitcher Lauren West made the lead stand up. She allowed just four hits, walked one while striking out nine.

“This team works hard,” West said.

– RICK BROWN

7A: Riverview 7, Jenkins 6

RIVERVIEW — Riverview High School first baseman Taylor McCoy connected on a pair of home runs early, but it was the arm of Emily Gaitan that the Sharks rode on en route to a 7-6 win in the District 7 regional quarterfinals over George Jenkins.

Riverview now advances to the regional semifinals on Friday to play either Plant City or Bartow. The Sharks defeated Plant City in the District eight title game this past Saturday.

With Wednesday night’s game tied 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Jenkins relief pitcher Lauren Harris allowed a pair of walks before Sharks second baseman Cheyenne Horne poked a single up the middle, plating Jordan Phillips for the winning run.

– RYAN THOMAS

5A: Auburndale wins, Lake Wales falls

Auburndale advanced to the Class 5A regional semifinals while Lake Wales’ season ended on Wednesday in its regional quarterfinal softball game.

The Bloodhounds beat Merritt Island, 6-0, on Charles W. Johnson Field at Auburndale High while Lake Wales was defeated 2-0 at Titusville.

Auburndale (19-8) will travel to Titusville on Friday at 7 p.m. in its regional semifinal game.

Bloodhound freshman Brooke Hutto (12-2) pitched a complete game, two-hitter while striking out eight Mustang batters and walking one.

“Brooke did a heck of a job keeping them (the Mustangs) on their heels throwing the changeup and her slider was working well too,” Auburndale coach Mike Littles, who’s completing his fourth season as the Bloodhounds’ head coach, said. “I just told them, ‘We’ve just got to jump on ‘em early and put the pressure on ‘em.’”

That’s exactly what Bloodhound hitters did by chalking up four hits out of the gate to post three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Kelsee Cullop hit her first inside the park home run of the season in the second inning. Cullop’s liner sailed over the third baseman’s head and went past the Merritt Island left-fielder to bring home Kayla Grinslade while allowing ample time for Cullop to round the bases.

Cullop finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases while freshman Casey Grove and sophomore Meghan Lindall each went 2-for-3 to account for seven of Auburndale’s nine hits.

Littles’ daughter and senior Deanna scored the final Bloodhound run in the fifth to help Hutto’s cause.

“It (the win) builds my confidence up as being a freshman and gives me the confidence that if we keep going, I’ll be able to keep going,” Hutto said. “Everything really (went well) – especially my changeup because that’s normally the pitch I don’t throw well and it gave me the confidence to keep throwing it. It (the changeup) had ‘em off balance and they (the Merritt Island hitters) were not expecting it.”

Coach Littles, who reached the state semis with the Bloodhound girls in his first season, doesn’t know what to expect with the Titusville matchup on Friday but is confident in his ball club’s depth – especially in his bullpen.

“We’ve got a good pitching staff and you just gotta go with who has the hot hand at the time and ride the hot hand,” coach Littles said.Lake Wales (18-10) registered more hits than Titusville but did not win on the scoreboard as Kelsey Oller (11-7) penciled in the loss on the Mound for the Highlanders despite yielding one hit.

The Terriers scored both of their runs in an error-plagued bottom of the third-inning in which Oller hit a Titusville batter that later advanced home after a teammates’ bunt and an error in a subsequent play on the Lake Wales’ third baseman. The Highlanders committed a second error in the same frame and Oller yielded another bunt to give the Terriers’ a two-run advantage midway through the game.

The Highlanders were not able to show anything for their efforts as Freshman Devonna Moore was 2-for-2 while senior Carnesha Thompson and sophomore Tyra Hodge each went 1-for-3 to account for the Highlanders’ four hits.

Denton added: “We got better (this season). We grew and improved from where we were. We had up and down games but this (game against Titusville) is not a good game to not hit. Certainly our pitching staff grew from the beginning of the season.”

– B.J. PITZEN