Despite the fact that they were playing at home, few fans could have envisioned a second Orlando win in a row. Why? Because Orlando’s 113-100 victory over Philadelphia was accomplished during the absence of starters Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, and super sub Glen Davis, all who are still nursing injuries. And while the heroes of Sunday night’s game against Cleveland were mainly Jameer Nelson, and the seldom used Daniel Orton, tonight’s win came courtesy of a different set of heroes. Here then are five Magic players who made a major impact in tonight’s victory.

Ryan Anderson (PF)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the play of Ryan Anderson, not that the Magic’s power forward has been anything short of fantastic this season, it’s just that over the past few games Anderson has been slow to fully recover from an ankle injury. Aside from that, Howard’s absence tonight was supposed to create a match up problem for the former University of California player. However Anderson was up for this one, scoring 26 points (on 11 out of 16 shooting), and grabbing 8 offensive rebounds and 16 in total. It’s nice to see Anderson rounding back into playoff shape.

Earl Clark (F-C)

Though it was Daniel Orton who started at center, it was Clark coming off the bench that gave Orlando the bigger boost. Clark enjoyed a career game scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of play. Together with Anderson, Clark helped control the boards for Orlando, who ended up out rebounding their foes 46-30. If Dwight Howard is not able to come back from the herniated disc which has recently sidelined him, it would be comforting to know that the trio of Glen Davis, Daniel Orton and Clark might be able to get the job done during the post season.

J.J. Redick (SG)

Redick’s shooting continues to improve, especially since being inserted into the starting lineup courtesy of Orlando’s recent rash of injuries. Tonight in 36 minutes of play Redick scored 18 points, and dished out 4 assists. A long range bomber, the former Duke star has been hitting on 41.4% of his 3-pointers this season, and added to that by hitting on 2 out of 4 shots from beyond the arc in this one.

Jason Richardson (SF)

Richardson was part of the driving force behind a 40 point Magic second quarter, getting 13 out of his 17 points tonight during that period. Though he stayed in the game for only 27 minutes, the ten year veteran still played a vital role in the win. For Orlando to go deep into the post season, they will need Richardson to be on top of his game.

Chris Duhon (PG)

Though Jameer Nelson ended the night with 13 assists, his shooting was off, and he turned the ball over 6 times, before ending the game with only a +1 (+/- rating). Duhon on the other hand, who Stan Van Gundy played over Ishmael Smith, ended the night with a +12 rating, collecting 3 assists and not turning the ball over in 13 minutes of play. Come playoff time, Duhon’s experience over Smith may make the difference on who gets to backs up Nelson.

About this writer: A resident of Orlando, FL, the writer has been a fan of the Orlando Magic since their inaugural season in the NBA. The writer lists Scott Skiles and Hedo Turkoglu among his all-time favorite Magic playe rs.

Source: Sun Sports Live Television Broadcast, Monday 4/16/2012, 7 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s no secret that Dwight Howard probably won’t be walking through the Orlando Magic locker room door the rest of the regular season.

Not an ideal situation, for sure. But for team that has already locked up a playoff berth, it has at least eliminated the daily guessing game going into this final stretch of the regular-season.

The bottom line is the Magic will have to win with the players they’ve got. And for the second straight game they embraced the hand they’ve been dealt.

Ryan Anderson had 26 points and 16 rebounds, J.J. Redick scored 18 points and the Magic held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-100 on Monday night.

The Magic won their second straight game and played their fifth consecutive without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. He has missed seven games overall with the injury, and Orlando improved to 3-4 in his absence.

“This is what the NBA and team sports are all about,” said forward Quentin Richardson, who scored 13 points. “Guys go down, that’s unfortunate, but it gives other guys opportunities that they never had before. Daniel (Orton) and Earl (Clark) — guys are making the most of it… This is one of the best victories I’ve been a part of in a while.”

Glen Davis joined Howard and Hedo Turkoglu (out for regular season with facial fracture) on the inactive list Monday, sitting out with a sprained right knee.

Davis suffered the injury during the Magic’s win at Cleveland on Sunday, ending a string of eight consecutive starts he made in place of either Howard or Anderson.

The good news for the injury-plagued Magic, though, was there was no structural damage shown in an MRI taken on Davis’ knee.

With Davis out, Daniel Orton made his first career start. Other than a pair of starts at the Magic’s D-League affiliate last season, it was Orton’s first start since the state championship game his senior year of high school in Oklahoma. He followed up a career scoring night against Cleveland with six points and six rebounds against the Sixers.

Clark was equally active, tying a career-high with 14 points and setting a new one with 11 rebounds. It was his first-ever double-double.

Jameer Nelson also had a double-double with 16 points and 13 assists. The last time the Magic had three double-doubles in a game was Nov. 4, 2009, at home against Phoenix.

“That’s was just tremendous team effort,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “And it’s two games in a row now, this against a playoff team needing a win. Obviously we want to get guys and get them healthy, but it’s not about one or two guys, it’s about a team. And that’s what we’ve been the last two nights is a team.”

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 18 points and Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams each finished with 15.

Both teams shot 50 percent for the night, but the Magic were aided by a 46-30 rebounding advantage.

The Sixers lost their second straight game. They continue their second back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season Tuesday against Indiana.

“They just shot the lights out,” Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. “They really did.”

Evan Turner said it seems like Anderson perks up when he plays against them.

“He’d be a Hall of Famer if he played against us every day,” Turner said. “He knows how to work the system to his advantage. It seems like he never misses versus us.”

To counter the Magic’s small lineup, the Sixers started Elton Brand at center, though foul trouble limited his effectiveness.

The shorter lineups produced fast-paced basketball on each end. It led to a game played on the perimeter with Orlando shooting 11 for 18 (61 percent) from beyond the arc. The Sixers were 9 for 18 on 3-pointers.

The Magic led by 15 in the third quarter before having their lead trimmed to seven on a 3 by Williams with just under 3 minutes to play.

It was 106-99 after a jumper by Turner before Nelson’s back-to-back baskets pushed the lead back to 11 to seal it. Nelson finished with 16.

Brand was forced to the bench less than 9 minutes into the game after picking up his second foul and sat the rest of the first half as the Magic took a six-point lead into halftime.

Orlando also got help from six 3s in the half.

Anderson led the scoring wave with 15 points. He was followed by Richardson, who scored all of his eight points in succession during a 12-2 Magic spurt to start the second quarter.

As strange as it might sound, Jason Richardson said Howard is the last thing the team is thinking about.

“We’re just playing ball,” he said. “When he gets back it’ll be great. We definitely want him back because we know how dominant he is on both ends of the floor. But right now we’re just going with whoever is on the floor.”

NOTES: The Magic improved to 24-4 when scoring 100 or more points. … Davis said he is expecting to be ready to play the Magic’s game at Boston on Wednesday. “Luckily I’ve got big bones,” Davis joked in the locker room before the game. Before he had the streak broken against Cleveland Sunday, Davis had seven straight games in double-figures. … Collins said that he isn’t dwelling on the inopportune timing of his team’s second back-to-back-to-back of the season. He said having the New York Knicks on their heels for the seventh spot also helps them focus on each game. “It’s one of those mental things and we just gotta fight through it. We’ve got too much at stake,” Collins said.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) It’s no secret that Dwight Howard probably won’t be walking through the Orlando Magic locker room door the rest of the regular season.

Not an ideal situation, for sure. But for team that has already locked up a playoff berth, it has at least eliminated the daily guessing game going into this final stretch of the regular-season.

The bottom line is the Magic will have to win with the players they’ve got. And for the second straight game they embraced the hand they’ve been dealt.

Ryan Anderson had 26 points and 16 rebounds, J.J. Redick scored 18 points and the Magic held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-100 on Monday night.

The Magic won their second straight game and played their fifth consecutive without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. He has missed seven games overall with the injury, and Orlando improved to 3-4 in his absence.

”This is what the NBA and team sports are all about,” said forward Quentin Richardson, who scored 13 points. ”Guys go down, that’s unfortunate, but it gives other guys opportunities that they never had before. Daniel (Orton) and Earl (Clark) – guys are making the most of it… This is one of the best victories I’ve been a part of in a while.”

Glen Davis joined Howard and Hedo Turkoglu (out for regular season with facial fracture) on the inactive list Monday, sitting out with a sprained right knee.

Davis suffered the injury during the Magic’s win at Cleveland on Sunday, ending a string of eight consecutive starts he made in place of either Howard or Anderson.

The good news for the injury-plagued Magic, though, was there was no structural damage shown in an MRI taken on Davis’ knee.

With Davis out, Daniel Orton made his first career start. Other than a pair of starts at the Magic’s D-League affiliate last season, it was Orton’s first start since the state championship game his senior year of high school in Oklahoma. He followed up a career scoring night against Cleveland with six points and six rebounds against the Sixers.

Clark was equally active, tying a career-high with 14 points and setting a new one with 11 rebounds. It was his first-ever double-double.

Jameer Nelson also had a double-double with 16 points and 13 assists. The last time the Magic had three double-doubles in a game was Nov. 4, 2009, at home against Phoenix.

”That’s was just tremendous team effort,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ”And it’s two games in a row now, this against a playoff team needing a win. Obviously we want to get guys and get them healthy, but it’s not about one or two guys, it’s about a team. And that’s what we’ve been the last two nights is a team.”

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 18 points and Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams each finished with 15.

Both teams shot 50 percent for the night, but the Magic were aided by a 46-30 rebounding advantage.

The Sixers lost their second straight game. They continue their second back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season Tuesday against Indiana.

”They just shot the lights out,” Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. ”They really did.”

Evan Turner said it seems like Anderson perks up when he plays against them.

”He’d be a Hall of Famer if he played against us every day,” Turner said. ”He knows how to work the system to his advantage. It seems like he never misses versus us.”

To counter the Magic’s small lineup, the Sixers started Elton Brand at center, though foul trouble limited his effectiveness.

The shorter lineups produced fast-paced basketball on each end. It led to a game played on the perimeter with Orlando shooting 11 for 18 (61 percent) from beyond the arc. The Sixers were 9 for 18 on 3-pointers.

The Magic led by 15 in the third quarter before having their lead trimmed to seven on a 3 by Williams with just under 3 minutes to play.

It was 106-99 after a jumper by Turner before Nelson’s back-to-back baskets pushed the lead back to 11 to seal it. Nelson finished with 16.

Brand was forced to the bench less than 9 minutes into the game after picking up his second foul and sat the rest of the first half as the Magic took a six-point lead into halftime.

Orlando also got help from six 3s in the half.

Anderson led the scoring wave with 15 points. He was followed by Richardson, who scored all of his eight points in succession during a 12-2 Magic spurt to start the second quarter.

As strange as it might sound, Jason Richardson said Howard is the last thing the team is thinking about.

”We’re just playing ball,” he said. ”When he gets back it’ll be great. We definitely want him back because we know how dominant he is on both ends of the floor. But right now we’re just going with whoever is on the floor.”

NOTES: The Magic improved to 24-4 when scoring 100 or more points. … Davis said he is expecting to be ready to play the Magic’s game at Boston on Wednesday. ”Luckily I’ve got big bones,” Davis joked in the locker room before the game. Before he had the streak broken against Cleveland Sunday, Davis had seven straight games in double-figures. … Collins said that he isn’t dwelling on the inopportune timing of his team’s second back-to-back-to-back of the season. He said having the New York Knicks on their heels for the seventh spot also helps them focus on each game. ”It’s one of those mental things and we just gotta fight through it. We’ve got too much at stake,” Collins said.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – April 16, 2012 (WPVI) —
Ryan Anderson had 26 points and 16 rebounds, J.J. Redick scored 18 points and the Orlando Magic held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-100 on Monday night.

The Magic won their second straight game and played their fifth consecutive without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. He has missed seven games overall with the injury, and Orlando improved to 3-4 in his absence.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 18 points and Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams each finished with 15. Both teams shot above 50 percent, but the Magic were aided by a 46-30 rebounding advantage.

The Sixers dropped their second straight game. They continue their second back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season Tuesday against Indiana.

Glen Davis joined Howard and Hedo Turkoglu (out for regular season with facial fracture) on the inactive list Monday, sitting out with a sprained right knee.

Davis suffered the injury during the Magic’s win at Cleveland on Sunday, ending a string of eight consecutive starts he made in place of either Howard or Anderson.

The good news for the injury-plagued Magic, though, was there was no structural damage shown in an MRI taken on Davis’ knee.

With Davis out, Daniel Orton made his first career start. Other than a pair of starts at the Magic’s D-League affiliate last season, it was Orton’s first start since the state championship game his senior year of high school in Oklahoma.

To counter the Magic’s small lineup, the Sixers started Elton Brand as center, though foul trouble limited his effectiveness.

The shorter lineups produced fast-paced basketball on each end, with both teams’ field goal percentages hovering above 50 percent throughout the night. Orlando also shot a robust 11 for 18 (61 percent) from beyond the arc. The Sixers were also 9 for 18 from 3.

The Magic led by as many as 15 in the third quarter before having their lead trimmed to seven on a 3-pointer by Williams with just under three minutes to play.

It was 106-99 after a jumper by Evan Turner before Jameer Nelson’s back-to-back baskets pushed the lead back to 11 to seal it. Nelson finished with 16.

Brand was forced to the bench less than nine minutes into the game after picking up his second foul and sat the rest of the first half as the Magic took a six-point lead into halftime.

Orlando also got help from six 3s in the half.

Anderson led the scoring wave with 15 points. He was followed by Quentin Richardson, who scored all of his eight points in succession during a 12-2 Magic spurt to start the second quarter.

Holiday struggled in the Sixers’ February loss in Orlando, going just 1 for 8 from the field and committing five turnovers while watching his counterpart Nelson have a huge night with 14 assists.

It was clear early on Monday, though, that Holiday wanted to erase those memories.

Holiday hit his first four shots, scoring 10 of the Sixers first 12 points. He also had blocked a Nelson shot on the other end.

NOTES: The Magic improved to 24-4 when scoring 100 or more points. … Davis said he is expecting to be ready to play the Magic’s game at Boston on Wednesday. “Luckily I’ve got big bones,” Davis joked in the locker room before the game. Before he had the streak broken against Cleveland Sunday, Davis had seven straight games in double-figures. … Sixers coach Doug Collins said that he isn’t dwelling on the inopportune timing of his team’s second back-to-back-to-back of the season. He said having the New York Knicks on their heels for the seventh spot also helps them focused on each game. “It’s one of those mental things and we just gotta fight through it. We’ve got too much at stake,” Collins said.

(Copyright ©2012 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla.
– Ryan Anderson had 26 points and 16 rebounds, J.J. Redick scored 18 points and the Orlando Magic held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-100 on Monday night.

The Magic won their second straight game and played their fifth consecutive without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. He has missed seven games overall with the injury, and Orlando improved to 3-4 in his absence.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 18 points and Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams each finished with 15.

Both teams shot above 50 percent, but the Magic were aided by a 46-30 rebounding advantage.

The Sixers dropped their second straight game. They continue their second back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season Tuesday against Indiana.

Glen Davis joined Howard and Hedo Turkoglu (out for regular season with facial fracture) on the inactive list Monday, sitting out with a sprained right knee.

Davis suffered the injury during the Magic’s win at Cleveland on Sunday, ending a string of eight consecutive starts he made in place of either Howard or Anderson.

The good news for the injury-plagued Magic, though, was there was no structural damage shown in an MRI taken on Davis’ knee.

With Davis out, Daniel Orton made his first career start. Other than a pair of starts at the Magic’s D-League affiliate last season, it was Orton’s first start since the state championship game his senior year of high school in Oklahoma.

To counter the Magic’s small lineup, the Sixers started Elton Brand as center, though foul trouble limited his effectiveness.

The shorter lineups produced fast-paced basketball on each end, with both teams’ field goal percentages hovering above 50 percent throughout the night. Orlando also shot a robust 11 for 18 (61 percent) from beyond the arc. The Sixers were also 9 for 18 from 3.

The Magic led by as many as 15 in the third quarter before having their lead trimmed to seven on a 3-pointer by Williams with just under three minutes to play.

It was 106-99 after a jumper by Evan Turner before Jameer Nelson’s back-to-back baskets pushed the lead back to 11 to seal it. Nelson finished with 16.

Brand was forced to the bench less than nine minutes into the game after picking up his second foul and sat the rest of the first half as the Magic took a six-point lead into halftime.

Orlando also got help from six 3s in the half.

Anderson led the scoring wave with 15 points. He was followed by Quentin Richardson, who scored all of his eight points in succession during a 12-2 Magic spurt to start the second quarter.

Holiday struggled in the Sixers’ February loss in Orlando, going just 1 for 8 from the field and committing five turnovers while watching his counterpart Nelson have a huge night with 14 assists.

It was clear early on Monday, though, that Holiday wanted to erase those memories.

Holiday hit his first four shots, scoring 10 of the Sixers first 12 points. He also had blocked a Nelson shot on the other end.

NOTES: The Magic improved to 24-4 when scoring 100 or more points. … Davis said he is expecting to be ready to play the Magic’s game at Boston on Wednesday. “Luckily I’ve got big bones,” Davis joked in the locker room before the game. Before he had the streak broken against Cleveland Sunday, Davis had seven straight games in double-figures. … Sixers coach Doug Collins said that he isn’t dwelling on the inopportune timing of his team’s second back-to-back-to-back of the season. He said having the New York Knicks on their heels for the seventh spot also helps them focused on each game. “It’s one of those mental things and we just gotta fight through it. We’ve got too much at stake,” Collins said.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, with Jameer Nelson dribbling the basketball, the crowd inside Amway Center gave the team a standing ovation.

“If you’re a Magic fan and didn’t enjoy tonight, then I don’t understand it,” said coach Stan Van Gundy, who began his postgame press conference with a wide smile. “Our guys gave everything they had.”

Ryan Anderson scored 26 points and collected 16 rebounds, both game highs. Nelson added 16 points and dished out a game-high 13 assists. Earl Clark chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

And J.J. Redick, Jason Richardson and Quentin Richardson also scored in double figures.

“I definitely am proud,” Quentin Richardson said. “This is one of the best victories I’ve been a part of in a long while.”

The Magic (36-25) could have wilted after Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Glen Davis suffered recent injuries. Instead, those absences seem to have brought the team together.

“It’s all about energy,” Anderson said. “Stan’s been saying that to us the whole year, but especially now that those guys are out.”

The rebounding numbers reflected Orlando’s energy level. The Magic outrebounded the Sixers 46 to 30, with Orlando grabbing 13 of its rebounds off the offensive boards.

The offense, which has been hit or miss all season, also clicked.

Howard’s absence has left the Magic with no post-up options. But it has meant that the ball movement no longer stagnates. Centers also are running more pick-and-rolls, which creates opportunities.

The Sixers entered the night ranked second in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 42.3 percent shooting this season.

But Orlando shot 53.3 percent.

With the win, the Magic now have the same record as the fourth-place Boston Celtics and the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks.

The Magic also extended their lead over the seventh-place New York Knicks and the eighth-place Sixers to 3½ games, which is critical because the Magic do not want a first-round matchup against the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat.

Philadelphia (31-29) lost for the sixth time in its last eight games.

“They made tough shots,” Philly’s Andre Iguodala said. “That was tough to swallow.”

Philly closed the gap to 101-94 with 3:23 to go, but Nelson followed with a 3-pointer. A minute later, Clark blocked a shot by Spencer Hawes.

“We played with a lot of heart tonight,” Nelson said. “We’re not in it for moral victories: ‘well, you played hard’ or ‘you’ll get ‘em next time.’ Nah, we want to win and we have enough guys in the locker room to win games.”

Van Gundy wants his players to prepare as if Howard and Turkoglu will not return from their injuries in time for the playoffs, which begin April 28.

It seems like the Magic are doing that.

“Guys have risen to the challenge,” Jason Richardson said. “We’re not feeling sorry for ourselves.”

They proved that Monday night.

“When you have a purity and you’re just going out to play hard and play together and try to win, energy’s a lot easier than when it becomes about individual things,” Van Gundy said. “And these guys have put all that aside now, and they’re just trying to play and win. Guys are doing whatever it takes. There’s no selfishness whatsoever. There’s no agendas.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com

Copyright © 2012, Orlando Sentinel

All comments are filtered for vulgar language, for web addresses and for e-mail addresses. Those will cause comments to generate an error message or not to post. Registration on OrlandoSentinel.com is required to comment. The Sentinel makes no guarantee of comments’ factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link. (Here are the full legal terms you agree to by posting a comment.)

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic realize they have a long road ahead of them, but they chose to enjoy a moment of celebration Sunday night.

Orlando clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 100-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a win that allowed coach Stan Van Gundy and his players to briefly forget about their team’s growing injury list, which seems to expand by the day.

“A lot of these guys have been in the playoffs every year and you can take it for granted, but it’s nice to have it done with six games left,” Van Gundy said. “This was a really, really, really good win for us. Tonight was very satisfying.”

Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and Orlando led from wire-to-wire despite the continued absence of Dwight Howard, who missed his fourth straight game with a herniated disk in his back. Van Gundy said before the game he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without his star center, who is averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Forward Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) has missed the last five games, leading Van Gundy to say he would consider it a bonus if the two players are available for the postseason.

Orlando took another injury hit in the first quarter when Glen Davis, who had played well at center with Howard sidelined, sustained a sprained right knee and didn’t return. He will undergo a further examination Monday prior to the Magic’s home game with Philadelphia.

“He hyperextended his knee, so my guess would be that he’d not play,” Van Gundy said. “I haven’t been told anything officially, though.”

“Nobody got discouraged or rattled when “Big Baby” went down,” Nelson said. “We just executed well, and when we take care of the basketball, we get good shots.”

While Orlando could go into the playoffs without several key weapons, its players chose to feel good about themselves Sunday.

“We haven’t had the best of luck with injuries, so this is great tonight,” said forward Ryan Anderson. “Making the playoffs is big for us, but the way we did it was even better. Everybody stepped up and we played team basketball.”

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, which had five players in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 13.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Donald Sloan scored a career-high 15.

Cleveland completed its only set of back-to-back-to-back games this season. The Cavaliers lost in Indiana on Friday and picked up a road win in Washington on Saturday. Cleveland coach Byron Scott admitted his team, which committed 18 turnovers, was dragging.

“I thought so, which is understandable,” he said. “Our guys tried to fight through it and keep playing hard. You, all of a sudden, have a little bit of a lack of focus when you’re tired. We don’t use that as an excuse.”

The Cavaliers again played without rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained right shoulder. Scott ruled Irving out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, but added it’s possible he’ll return Wednesday night when Cleveland hosts Philadelphia.

Scott said there’s “a chance that Kyrie doesn’t come back this season, but I think there is a better chance that he plays.”

It’s uncertain if center Anderson Varejao will return this season. He hasn’t played since sustaining a fractured right wrist on Feb. 10. Varejao’s possible return remains up in the air because the coach said his wrist was “still sore, so we’re going to have our doctors take a look at it in the next few days.”

Orlando was in control throughout in the battle of short-handed teams in extending its winning streak over Cleveland to nine games. The Cavaliers scored 15 points in each of the first two quarters and shot 28.9 percent in the first half.

The Magic originally said Howard had back spasms, but an examination in Los Angeles revealed the disk injury. He will rest the injury for 10 days and will then be re-evaluated. Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but remained at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He accompanied the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Monday.

Davis was injured when he went up for a shot and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He crumpled to the floor and was down for a couple of minutes. Davis walked with a noticeable limp to the locker room. He had six points and two rebounds in seven minutes.

Earl Clark and Daniel Orton filled in at center when Davis left the game. Clark scored a season-high 13 points while Orton added a career-high 11. Orton had appeared in only nine career games going into Sunday, playing 45 minutes with six points and 10 rebounds. He was Orlando’s No. 1 pick in 2010, but didn’t appear in a game last season and is technically a rookie.

Orton’s performance was rewarded when Davis dumped water over his head in the locker room following the game.

“I got a little winded at times, but the adrenalin kept me going,” Orton said.

NOTES: Anderson had a game-high 13 rebounds. … The Magic haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since Feb. 11, 2010, a 115-106 defeat in Cleveland. … Moondog, the Cavaliers’ floppy-eared mascot returned to the court. He sustained an eye injury after being accidentially punched in the mask by Indiana’s David West on Wednesday.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic realize they have a long road ahead of them, but they chose to enjoy a moment of celebration Sunday night.

Orlando clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 100-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a win that allowed coach Stan Van Gundy and his players to briefly forget about their team’s growing injury list, which seems to expand by the day.

“A lot of these guys have been in the playoffs every year and you can take it for granted, but it’s nice to have it done with six games left,” Van Gundy said. “This was a really, really, really good win for us. Tonight was very satisfying.”

Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and Orlando led from wire-to-wire despite the continued absence of Dwight Howard, who missed his fourth straight game with a herniated disk in his back. Van Gundy said before the game he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without his star centre, who is averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Forward Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) has missed the last five games, leading Van Gundy to say he would consider it a bonus if the two players are available for the post-season.

Orlando took another injury hit in the first quarter when Glen Davis, who had played well at centre with Howard sidelined, sustained a sprained right knee and didn’t return. He will undergo a further examination Monday prior to the Magic’s home game with Philadelphia.

“He hyperextended his knee, so my guess would be that he’d not play,” Van Gundy said. “I haven’t been told anything officially, though.”

“Nobody got discouraged or rattled when “Big Baby” went down,” Nelson said. “We just executed well, and when we take care of the basketball, we get good shots.”

While Orlando could go into the playoffs without several key weapons, its players chose to feel good about themselves Sunday.

“We haven’t had the best of luck with injuries, so this is great tonight,” said forward Ryan Anderson. “Making the playoffs is big for us, but the way we did it was even better. Everybody stepped up and we played team basketball.”

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, which had five players in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 13.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Donald Sloan scored a career-high 15.

Cleveland completed its only set of back-to-back-to-back games this season. The Cavaliers lost in Indiana on Friday and picked up a road win in Washington on Saturday. Cleveland coach Byron Scott admitted his team, which committed 18 turnovers, was dragging.

“I thought so, which is understandable,” he said. “Our guys tried to fight through it and keep playing hard. You, all of a sudden, have a little bit of a lack of focus when you’re tired. We don’t use that as an excuse.”

The Cavaliers again played without rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained right shoulder. Scott ruled Irving out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, but added it’s possible he’ll return Wednesday night when Cleveland hosts Philadelphia.

Scott said there’s “a chance that Kyrie doesn’t come back this season, but I think there is a better chance that he plays.”

It’s uncertain if centre Anderson Varejao will return this season. He hasn’t played since sustaining a fractured right wrist on Feb. 10. Varejao’s possible return remains up in the air because the coach said his wrist was “still sore, so we’re going to have our doctors take a look at it in the next few days.”

Orlando was in control throughout in the battle of short-handed teams in extending its winning streak over Cleveland to nine games. The Cavaliers scored 15 points in each of the first two quarters and shot 28.9 per cent in the first half.

The Magic originally said Howard had back spasms, but an examination in Los Angeles revealed the disk injury. He will rest the injury for 10 days and will then be re-evaluated. Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but remained at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He accompanied the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Monday.

Davis was injured when he went up for a shot and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He crumpled to the floor and was down for a couple of minutes. Davis walked with a noticeable limp to the locker room. He had six points and two rebounds in seven minutes.

Earl Clark and Daniel Orton filled in at centre when Davis left the game. Clark scored a season-high 13 points while Orton added a career-high 11. Orton had appeared in only nine career games going into Sunday, playing 45 minutes with six points and 10 rebounds. He was Orlando’s No. 1 pick in 2010, but didn’t appear in a game last season and is technically a rookie.

Orton’s performance was rewarded when Davis dumped water over his head in the locker room following the game.

“I got a little winded at times, but the adrenalin kept me going,” Orton said.

NOTES: Anderson had a game-high 13 rebounds. … The Magic haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since Feb. 11, 2010, a 115-106 defeat in Cleveland. … Moondog, the Cavaliers’ floppy-eared mascot returned to the court. He sustained an eye injury after being accidentially punched in the mask by Indiana’s David West on Wednesday.

 

CLEVELAND (AP)

Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and the Orlando Magic clinched a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with a 100-84 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.

Orlando led from wire-to-wire despite playing without star center Dwight Howard, who has missed the last four games with a herniated disk in his back.

The news the Magic made the postseason took a back seat to the team’s injury list, which seems to grow by the day. Howard and forward Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) are sidelined indefinitely. Coach Stan Van Gundy said before the game he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without the two players.

Orlando took another injury hit in the first quarter when Glen Davis, who had played well at center with Howard sidelined, sustained a sprained right knee and didn’t return. He will undergo a further examination Monday.

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, which had five players in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 13.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Donald Sloan scored a career-high 15.

Cleveland completed its only set of back-to-back-to-back games this season. The Cavaliers lost in Indiana on Friday and picked up a road win in Washington on Saturday.

The Cavaliers again played without rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained right shoulder. Coach Byron Scott ruled Irving out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, but said it’s possible he’ll return Wednesday night when Cleveland hosts Philadelphia.

It’s uncertain if center Anderson Varejao will return this season. Varejao hasn’t played since sustaining a fractured right wrist on Feb. 10.

Orlando was in control throughout in the battle of short-handed teams in extending its winning streak over Cleveland to nine games. The Cavaliers scored 15 points in each of the first two quarters and shot 28.9 percent in the first half.

Howard missed his fourth straight game. The Magic originally said he had back spasms, but an examination in Los Angeles revealed the disk injury. Howard will rest the injury for 10 days and will then be re-evaluated.

Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but remained at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He accompanied the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Monday.

Van Gundy said before Sunday’s game that he would consider it a bonus if Howard and Turkoglu return this season.

Davis was injured when he went up for a shot and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He crumpled to the floor and was down for a couple of minutes. Davis walked with a noticeable limp to the locker room. He had six points and two rebounds in seven minutes.

Earl Clark and Daniel Orton filled in at center when Davis left the game. Clark scored 13 points while Orton added a career-high 11.

NOTES: The Magic haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since Feb. 11, 2010, a 115-106 defeat in Cleveland. … Orton had appeared in only nine career games going into Sunday, playing 45 minutes with six points and 10 rebounds. … Cleveland assigned F Luke Harangody to Canton of the NBA Development League. He recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds Saturday. Harangody started in place of Antawn Jamison, who was given the night off. … Moondog, the Cavaliers’ floppy-eared mascot returned to the court. He sustained an eye injury after being accidentially punched in the mask by Indiana’s David West on Wednesday.

How far will Orlando go in the playoffs? Well, that depends on how they bounce back from the rash of injuries they have had of late. While Orlando’s early season was spent in the daily drama that surrounded Dwight Howard’s future, April has seen the team ravished by injuries. Power forward Ryan Anderson has never regained his scoring touch after sitting out a few games with an ankle injury, while his front court playmate shooting forward Hedo Turkoglu has been lost for the rest of the year after a facial injury. As for mega star Dwight Howard, he has now missed 6 games with a herniated disc on his back. Turkoglu’s and Howard’s injuries have left Orlando in a lurch, anf coach Stan Van Gundy has begun to prepare his team to go the rest of the season without either starter.

As if that wasn’t enough, Orlando lost Glen “Big Baby” Davis today to another injury. Davis, who has been playing outstanding basketball as Dwight Howard’s backup, got off to a great start against Cleveland today (6 points in 7 minutes) before going down with a sprained knee in the first quarter.

Yet despite losing Davis, Orlando still pulled off a 100-84 victory against the Cavaliers, clinching a playoff spot. So with two starters and a key backup out for Orlando, how did the Magic pull off the victory? Here’s how.

Jameer Nelson Leads Way:

Earlier this season Jameer Nelson was the player most affected by the daily circus that surrounded Dwight Howard. However, over the past 10 games he has averaged 16.7 points a game, a whopping +5.2 points per game higher than his season average. Against Cleveland, Nelson spearheaded Orlando’s attack, leading the team with 21 points and 9 assists, while adding 7 rebounds to his totals. Nelson was at his best in the third quarter when he scored 9 points and contributed 3 assists to Orlando’s effort. If the team is going to survive in the playoffs, Nelson would need to continue this level of play for the rest of the season.

Daniel Orton Steps Up:

Losing Davis tonight forced coach Stan Van Gundy to go deep into his bench, giving an opportunity for 2010 first round pick Daniel Orton to finally get some decent playing time. The 6-10 power forward from Kentucky came through for Orlando in a big way, getting 11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 block shots in 29 minutes of play. Not a shabby night for a player who had only played a total of 38 minutes in last 18 games, games in which he only scored 4 points. As long as Davis remains injured Orlando is going to need Orton to step up and continue to rapidly develop into a key contributor.

Great Outside Shooting:

Though they were outrebounded (39-47) without Howard and Davis in the game, Orlando’s shooters were still up to the task hitting 11 out of 29 shots from outside the arc. Leading the way was Jason Richardson (4 out of 7 from 3-point range) with 18 points and J.J. Redick (3 out of 8 from 3-point range) with 13 points. Since the team is heavily reliant on their outside shooters, Orlando will need to continue to shoot well from beyond the arc with or without Dwight Howard.

About this writer: A resident of Orlando, FL, the writer has been a fan of the Orlando Magic since their inaugural season in the NBA. The writer lists Scott Skiles and Hedo Turkoglu among his all-time favorite Magic players.

Source: Fox Florida Sports Live Television Broadcast, Sunday 4/15/2012, 6 p.m.

CBSSports.com wire reports
April 15, 2012

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic realize they have a long road ahead of them, but they chose to enjoy a moment of celebration Sunday night.

Orlando clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 100-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a win that allowed coach Stan Van Gundy and his players to briefly forget about their team’s growing injury list, which seems to expand by the day.

“A lot of these guys have been in the playoffs every year and you can take it for granted, but it’s nice to have it done with six games left,” Van Gundy said. “This was a really, really, really good win for us. Tonight was very satisfying.”

Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and Orlando led from wire-to-wire despite the continued absence of Dwight Howard, who missed his fourth straight game with a herniated disk in his back. Van Gundy said before the game he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without his star center, who is averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Forward Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) has missed the last five games, leading Van Gundy to say he would consider it a bonus if the two players are available for the postseason.

Orlando took another injury hit in the first quarter when Glen Davis, who had played well at center with Howard sidelined, sustained a sprained right knee and didn’t return. He will undergo a further examination Monday prior to the Magic’s home game with Philadelphia.

“He hyperextended his knee, so my guess would be that he’d not play,” Van Gundy said. “I haven’t been told anything officially, though.”

“Nobody got discouraged or rattled when “Big Baby” went down,” Nelson said. “We just executed well, and when we take care of the basketball, we get good shots.”

While Orlando could go into the playoffs without several key weapons, its players chose to feel good about themselves Sunday.

“We haven’t had the best of luck with injuries, so this is great tonight,” said forward Ryan Anderson. “Making the playoffs is big for us, but the way we did it was even better. Everybody stepped up and we played team basketball.”

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, which had five players in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 13.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Donald Sloan scored a career-high 15.

Cleveland completed its only set of back-to-back-to-back games this season. The Cavaliers lost in Indiana on Friday and picked up a road win in Washington on Saturday. Cleveland coach Byron Scott admitted his team, which committed 18 turnovers, was dragging.

“I thought so, which is understandable,” he said. “Our guys tried to fight through it and keep playing hard. You, all of a sudden, have a little bit of a lack of focus when you’re tired. We don’t use that as an excuse.”

The Cavaliers again played without rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained right shoulder. Scott ruled Irving out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, but added it’s possible he’ll return Wednesday night when Cleveland hosts Philadelphia.

Scott said there’s “a chance that Kyrie doesn’t come back this season, but I think there is a better chance that he plays.”

It’s uncertain if center Anderson Varejao will return this season. He hasn’t played since sustaining a fractured right wrist on Feb. 10. Varejao’s possible return remains up in the air because the coach said his wrist was “still sore, so we’re going to have our doctors take a look at it in the next few days.”

Orlando was in control throughout in the battle of short-handed teams in extending its winning streak over Cleveland to nine games. The Cavaliers scored 15 points in each of the first two quarters and shot 28.9 percent in the first half.

The Magic originally said Howard had back spasms, but an examination in Los Angeles revealed the disk injury. He will rest the injury for 10 days and will then be re-evaluated. Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but remained at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He accompanied the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Monday.

Davis was injured when he went up for a shot and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He crumpled to the floor and was down for a couple of minutes. Davis walked with a noticeable limp to the locker room. He had six points and two rebounds in seven minutes.

Earl Clark and Daniel Orton filled in at center when Davis left the game. Clark scored a season-high 13 points while Orton added a career-high 11. Orton had appeared in only nine career games going into Sunday, playing 45 minutes with six points and 10 rebounds. He was Orlando’s No. 1 pick in 2010, but didn’t appear in a game last season and is technically a rookie.

Orton’s performance was rewarded when Davis dumped water over his head in the locker room following the game.

“I got a little winded at times, but the adrenalin kept me going,” Orton said.

Notes

• Anderson had a game-high 13 rebounds.
• The Magic haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since Feb. 11, 2010, a 115-106 defeat in Cleveland.
• Moondog, the Cavaliers’ floppy-eared mascot returned to the court. He sustained an eye injury after being accidentially punched in the mask by Indiana’s David West on Wednesday.

CLEVELAND (AP) Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and the Orlando Magic clinched a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with a 100-84 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.

Orlando led from wire-to-wire despite playing without star center Dwight Howard, who has missed the last four games with a herniated disk in his back.

The news the Magic made the postseason took a back seat to the team’s injury list, which seems to grow by the day. Howard and forward Hedo Turkoglu (facial fracture) are sidelined indefinitely. Coach Stan Van Gundy said before the game he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without the two players.

Orlando took another injury hit in the first quarter when Glen Davis, who had played well at center with Howard sidelined, sustained a sprained right knee and didn’t return. He will undergo a further examination Monday.

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, which had five players in double figures. J.J. Redick scored 13.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Donald Sloan scored a career-high 15.

Cleveland completed its only set of back-to-back-to-back games this season. The Cavaliers lost in Indiana on Friday and picked up a road win in Washington on Saturday.

The Cavaliers again played without rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained right shoulder. Coach Byron Scott ruled Irving out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit, but said it’s possible he’ll return Wednesday night when Cleveland hosts Philadelphia.

It’s uncertain if center Anderson Varejao will return this season. Varejao hasn’t played since sustaining a fractured right wrist on Feb. 10.

Orlando was in control throughout in the battle of short-handed teams in extending its winning streak over Cleveland to nine games. The Cavaliers scored 15 points in each of the first two quarters and shot 28.9 percent in the first half.

Howard missed his fourth straight game. The Magic originally said he had back spasms, but an examination in Los Angeles revealed the disk injury. Howard will rest the injury for 10 days and will then be re-evaluated.

Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but remained at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He accompanied the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Monday.

Van Gundy said before Sunday’s game that he would consider it a bonus if Howard and Turkoglu return this season.

Davis was injured when he went up for a shot and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He crumpled to the floor and was down for a couple of minutes. Davis walked with a noticeable limp to the locker room. He had six points and two rebounds in seven minutes.

Earl Clark and Daniel Orton filled in at center when Davis left the game. Clark scored 13 points while Orton added a career-high 11.

NOTES: The Magic haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since Feb. 11, 2010, a 115-106 defeat in Cleveland. … Orton had appeared in only nine career games going into Sunday, playing 45 minutes with six points and 10 rebounds. … Cleveland assigned F Luke Harangody to Canton of the NBA Development League. He recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds Saturday. Harangody started in place of Antawn Jamison, who was given the night off. … Moondog, the Cavaliers’ floppy-eared mascot returned to the court. He sustained an eye injury after being accidentially punched in the mask by Indiana’s David West on Wednesday.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and playoffs without injured star Dwight Howard.

Howard will miss his fourth straight game with a back injury Sunday against the Cavaliers. He was diagnosed with a herniated disk last week. Howard will rest the injury for 10 days and then be re-evaluated.

Van Gundy said before Sunday’s game that he would consider it a bonus if Howard or forward Hedo Turkoglu, who is sidelined with a facial fracture, return at some point this season. The playoffs begin April 28.

“We’re approaching it that the 13 (healthy) guys we have now are who we’re going to have the rest of the season and in the playoffs,” Van Gundy said.

Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but a team spokesman said he would remain at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He will accompany the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Friday.

Orlando, which is sixth in the Eastern Conference, can clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday. The Magic were 1-4 without their standout center going into the game.

Howard has missed six games overall with the injury. The team initially said he had back spasms. He hasn’t played since scoring 20 points and grabbing 22 rebounds on April 7 against Philadelphia. Howard was diagnosed with the herniated disk on Friday in Los Angeles.

Before this season, Howard had only missed two games in his career because of injury.

Howard is averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Turkoglu, who has started 52 games, hasn’t played since April 5. He’s averaging 10.7 points and is shooting 34.9 percent on 3-pointers.

With Howard and Turkoglu sidelined, Van Gundy said he will keep his current lineup intact with Glen Davis at center with Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson at forward. J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson start in the backcourt.

“You never know, but that’s who I plan to start the rest of the way,” Van Gundy said.

Howard’s injury is the latest drama in the Magic’s ongoing soap opera that has grabbed more attention than the team’s record. Howard has been the subject of season-long trade rumors until declaring his intention to remain in Orlando for one more year. The controversy continued earlier this month when Van Gundy acknowledged that Howard asked team management to fire him. Howard has since denied that.

Copyright 2012 USA TODAY

CLEVELAND (AP) Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says he’s preparing to play the rest of the regular season and playoffs without injured star Dwight Howard.

Howard will miss his fourth straight game with a back injury Sunday against the Cavaliers. He was diagnosed with a herniated disk last week. Howard will rest the injury for 10 days and then be re-evaluated.

Van Gundy said before Sunday’s game that he would consider it a bonus if Howard or forward Hedo Turkoglu, who is sidelined with a facial fracture, return at some point this season. The playoffs begin April 28.

”We’re approaching it that the 13 (healthy) guys we have now are who we’re going to have the rest of the season and in the playoffs,” Van Gundy said.

Howard joined his teammates in Cleveland, but a team spokesman said he would remain at the Magic’s hotel during the game. He will accompany the team back to Orlando, where the Magic host Philadelphia on Friday.

Orlando, which is sixth in the Eastern Conference, can clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday. The Magic were 1-4 without their standout center going into the game.

Howard has missed six games overall with the injury. The team initially said he had back spasms. He hasn’t played since scoring 20 points and grabbing 22 rebounds on April 7 against Philadelphia. Howard was diagnosed with the herniated disk on Friday in Los Angeles.

Before this season, Howard had only missed two games in his career because of injury.

Howard is averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds.

Turkoglu, who has started 52 games, hasn’t played since April 5. He’s averaging 10.7 points and is shooting 34.9 percent on 3-pointers.

With Howard and Turkoglu sidelined, Van Gundy said he will keep his current lineup intact with Glen Davis at center with Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson at forward. J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson start in the backcourt.

”You never know, but that’s who I plan to start the rest of the way,” Van Gundy said.

Howard’s injury is the latest drama in the Magic’s ongoing soap opera that has grabbed more attention than the team’s record. Howard has been the subject of season-long trade rumors until declaring his intention to remain in Orlando for one more year. The controversy continued earlier this month when Van Gundy acknowledged that Howard asked team management to fire him. Howard has since denied that.