But did anyone expect this much trouble? The Nuggets took control in the third quarter and cruised to an easy 101-74 win. The Magic wilted for the first time since the night of April 13, when it was announced publicly that Howard had a herniated disk in his lower back.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with running out of gas,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said, clearly disgusted. “Four times a guy [McGee] is gonna to start up to set up a pick and back-cut for a lob? That’s absurd. We ran out of focus. We ran out of competitiveness. That’s what we ran out of.’’

The Nuggets outscored the Magic 29-18 in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was worse.

“We didn’t do our defensive assignments,” Orlando wing Jason Richardson said. “We didn’t have energy. We didn’t do anything how we’ve been playing the last five or six games. You could blame it on whatever it was, but we just didn’t play like we should.”

Magic power forward Ryan Anderson scored a team-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting.

But without Nelson, one of the team’s most reliable scorers, the Magic shot just 37.3 percent from the field.

Nelson sustained his injury when he fought through a pick. He did not return to the game.

“No timetable on it,” said Nelson, who doesn’t think the injury is serious. “We’ll just take it day by day and continue to treat it and try to get back out there as soon as possible.”

Ish Smith and Chris Duhon split the point-guard duties in Nelson’s absence.

Smith scored six points, dished out two assists and turned the ball over twice.

Duhon finished with three points, three assists and no turnovers.

Orlando already has clinched a playoff spot, and its magic number to clinch the sixth seed is one.

The Magic only need a victory Wednesday against the atrocious Charlotte Bobcats at Amway Center or a road win Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Magic still would secure the sixth seed if they lose their remaining two games but the New York Knicks lose one of their two remaining games.

The sixth seed will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

But the Magic’s playoff run will be short if the team cannot improve its awful defense.

The Nuggets made 56.4 percent of their shots, the eighth time in 10 games without Howard that the Magic allowed an opponent to sink at least half of its shots.

“Yeah, 50 percent and 100 points,” Van Gundy said. “Mark it down. With Charlotte, you can mark it down: 100 points, 50 percent. Every game.”

On Saturday night, the injury-depleted Magic lost to the Utah Jazz 117-107 in overtime as Glen Davis played 45-plus minutes, Anderson played almost 42 minutes and Richardson played almost 40 minutes.

The Magic (36-28) expected their already thin roster to wear down as Sunday’s game progressed.

It did.

Denver (36-28) gained momentum after halftime, shooting 65.0 percent during the third period.

Andre Miller, who has bedeviled the Magic for years, threw perfectly placed alley-oop passes to McGee for dunks on two consecutive Nuggets possessions, putting Denver ahead 71-60.

“It was a lot of fun,” McGee said.

Five Nuggets players scored in double figures, including McGee, who took advantage of Orlando’s thin front line to score 17 points, most of them on dazzling dunks. Point guard Ty Lawson added 13 points and 10 assists.

How do the Magic improve their defense?

“I don’t know,” Nelson said. “I don’t know. We all say the same thing, but we all have to just figure it out and come up with a solution because we can’t win in the playoffs giving up 56 percent to teams.”

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.)

If the Orlando Magic are going to make a deep postseason run, they’ll have to do so without Dwight Howard.

Simply qualifying for the playoffs is the first step for the Utah Jazz.

Orlando will play its first game since receiving the news that Howard won’t play again until next season when it visits Utah on Saturday night.

Howard’s bad back requires surgery that will keep him out of the lineup through the postseason and this summer’s Olympics, meaning Orlando (36-26) must continue pushing forward without its superstar.

The Magic fell to 3-5 without Howard after a 102-98 loss to Boston on Wednesday. Glen Davis scored 27 points and Jameer Nelson added 21 for Orlando, which also has played the last seven without Hedo Turkoglu after he had surgery to repair three facial fractures.

The Magic, sixth in the Eastern Conference with a playoff berth clinched, play three of their final four regular-season games on the road.

Coach Stan Van Gundy said the team is rallying around each other down the stretch.

“What we’re saying right now is that this is our team in the regular season and in the playoffs,” Van Gundy told the team’s official website. “This is the team that we have and we have to do the things that allow this team to play well. It’s made us have to make some changes and made us strong but our group has been focused on making the adjustments we have to make to be good together.”

Davis, averaging 18.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in nine games since becoming a starter, said the effort was there Wednesday despite falling behind by as many as 13 points.

“There’s been multiple games where we’ve been down and we just went away,” Davis said. “I like how we fought today but, at the end of the day, we need to win the game.”

Victories are much more important for Utah during the stretch run.

The Jazz (33-30) are tied with Phoenix for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot, and they’ll host the Suns on Tuesday.

Utah is coming off back-to-back victories, beating Dallas in triple-overtime on Monday before a 112-91 victory at Portland on Wednesday. The starting backcourt of Devin Harris and Gordon Hayward combined for 97 points and 18 3-pointers in those wins.

“We feel great. We’re in the mix,” coach Tyrone Corbin said. “We’re just going to continue to take care of our business. We can’t afford to watch and see what anybody else is doing. We’ve got to make sure we win our games and whatever happens from there on happens.”

Utah will play its remaining three games at home, where it is 10-2 since the All-Star break with the only losses coming by a combined three points. Only one of its eight home defeats this season was by more than five points.

“We’ve got three games at home where we play well,” said Harris, averaging 25.3 points in his last three home games. “We’ve put ourselves in a nice position but we’ve still got to go out and play the games.”

The Jazz have won 11 of the last 15 home meetings with the Magic. These teams haven’t met since Orlando’s 117-105 loss in Utah on Dec. 10, 2010.

Hayward had 23 points and shot 8 for 11 from the field Wednesday, and he’s averaging 20.2 points while shooting 63.6 percent from 3-point range over his last five games.

The Orlando Magic will go into the postseason without their best player.

Dwight Howard is scheduled to have season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back Friday, team officials and Howard’s agent said Thursday night.

Robert Watkins, who will perform the surgery in Marina del Rey, Calif., and Magic team orthopedist Craig Mintzer both agreed that surgery was the best option for the perennial All-NBA center.

“Dwight went in for an MRI Thursday morning,” Dan Fegan, who represents Howard, told the Orlando Sentinel.

“When the results of that MRI came back, it appeared from that MRI that the problem had worsened, the tear. The doctors got on the phone. They consulted together and they both reached the same conclusion: that he was no longer a candidate for rehab, that surgery was required.”

Howard had received an epidural last Friday in the hope that it would help him manage the pain as he attempted to rehabilitate his back at the Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic’s location at RDV Sportsplex.

“After consulting with the two doctors, it’s in his best interests to have surgery sooner rather than later,” Magic General Manager Otis Smith told the Sentinel. “Basically, the situation is not getting better. I’m not saying it got worse. It’s just not getting better.”

The surgery also means that it is “almost a certainty” that Howard will not play for Team USA in the upcoming Summer Olympics in London, Fegan said.

Howard has missed the Magic’s last six games and eight overall. In his absence, the team has compiled a 3-5 record and has struggled on the defensive end of the court, allowing opponents to shoot at least 50.0 percent from the field in six of the eight games.

The news that Howard was having surgery caught at least some of his teammates by surprise.

Fegan disclosed the news to ESPN before Magic officials announced it formally.

The Magic rely on Howard as much as any team in the NBA relies on a single player. The 26-year-old center is the reigning three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league’s leading rebounder and the Magic’s leading scorer.

“It’s disappointing not to have a full roster, but it’s been that kind of season not just for us but for everybody: full of ups and downs,” Smith said. “We just have to continue to endure, continue to fight and continue to do the things we’ve been doing from Day One with the understanding that when your best player’s not on the floor, everybody else has to step up.”

In recent days, WKMG reported that Howard had called 86-year-old Magic owner Rich DeVos during a recent game against the Atlanta Hawks and told DeVos that he would no longer play for coach Stan Van Gundy. The report also strongly hinted that Howard would miss the playoffs even if he was healthy enough to play because he doesn’t want to play for Van Gundy.

Howard’s camp adamantly maintained that Howard wanted to play this postseason, and several NBA sources said the report that Howard had called DeVos was inaccurate.

Howard said he felt badly that he will have to undergo surgery.

“It hurts [emotionally],” Howard said, according to ESPN. “That’s the first thing — it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I’m quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it, and it just made my back worse.”

Howard missed games on April 1 and April 3 because of his back problems, but then he played two more games, including on April 7, aggravating his back in the process. Five days later, he practiced with the team and once again aggravated the injury.

That’s when he went to Watkins for a second opinion.

“He wants to play,” said Smith, who said he has spoken with Howard. “Sometimes the best interests of a player are not always what a player wants. Of course, he wants to play. He wants to be with his teammates.”

On March 15, the day of the NBA trade deadline, Howard waived his contract’s early-termination option after DeVos told him the team would trade him if he didn’t sign the waiver.

Howard remains under contract with the Magic through next season. But there is a possibility that he will ask for a trade this offseason.

Smith said he isn’t worried about Howard’s long-term Magic future right now.

“I’m more concerned about the player,” Smith said.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

The Orlando Magic will go into the postseason without their best player.

Dwight Howard is scheduled to have season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back Friday, team officials and Howard’s agent said Thursday night.

Robert Watkins, who will perform the surgery in Marina del Rey, Calif., and Magic team orthopedist Craig Mintzer both agreed that surgery was the best option for the perennial All-NBA center.

“Dwight went in for an MRI Thursday morning,” Dan Fegan, who represents Howard, told the Orlando Sentinel.

“When the results of that MRI came back, it appeared from that MRI that the problem had worsened, the tear. The doctors got on the phone. They consulted together and they both reached the same conclusion: that he was no longer a candidate for rehab, that surgery was required.”

Howard had received an epidural last Friday in the hope that it would help him manage the pain as he attempted to rehabilitate his back at the Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic’s location at RDV Sportsplex.

“After consulting with the two doctors, it’s in his best interests to have surgery sooner rather than later,” Magic General Manager Otis Smith told the Sentinel. “Basically, the situation is not getting better. I’m not saying it got worse. It’s just not getting better.”

The surgery also means that it is “almost a certainty” that Howard will not play for Team USA in the upcoming Summer Olympics in London, Fegan said.

Howard has missed the Magic’s last six games and eight overall. In his absence, the team has compiled a 3-5 record and has struggled on the defensive end of the court, allowing opponents to shoot at least 50.0 percent from the field in six of the eight games.

The news that Howard was having surgery caught at least some of his teammates by surprise.

Fegan disclosed the news to ESPN before Magic officials announced it formally.

The Magic rely on Howard as much as any team in the NBA relies on a single player. The 26-year-old center is the reigning three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league’s leading rebounder and the Magic’s leading scorer.

“It’s disappointing not to have a full roster, but it’s been that kind of season not just for us but for everybody: full of ups and downs,” Smith said. “We just have to continue to endure, continue to fight and continue to do the things we’ve been doing from Day One with the understanding that when your best player’s not on the floor, everybody else has to step up.”

In recent days, WKMG reported that Howard had called 86-year-old Magic owner Rich DeVos during a recent game against the Atlanta Hawks and told DeVos that he would no longer play for coach Stan Van Gundy. The report also strongly hinted that Howard would miss the playoffs even if he was healthy enough to play because he doesn’t want to play for Van Gundy.

Howard’s camp adamantly maintained that Howard wanted to play this postseason, and several NBA sources said the report that Howard had called DeVos was inaccurate.

Howard said he felt badly that he will have to undergo surgery.

“It hurts [emotionally],” Howard said, according to ESPN. “That’s the first thing — it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I’m quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it, and it just made my back worse.”

Howard missed games on April 1 and April 3 because of his back problems, but then he played two more games, including on April 7, aggravating his back in the process. Five days later, he practiced with the team and once again aggravated the injury.

That’s when he went to Watkins for a second opinion.

“He wants to play,” said Smith, who said he has spoken with Howard. “Sometimes the best interests of a player are not always what a player wants. Of course, he wants to play. He wants to be with his teammates.”

On March 15, the day of the NBA trade deadline, Howard waived his contract’s early-termination option after DeVos told him the team would trade him if he didn’t sign the waiver.

Howard remains under contract with the Magic through next season. But there is a possibility that he will ask for a trade this offseason.

Smith said he isn’t worried about Howard’s long-term Magic future right now.

“I’m more concerned about the player,” Smith said.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

ORLANDO – With 7 minutes, 28 seconds left in the third quarter, Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson casually drove the lane and lofted a nifty lob pass to center Daniel Orton, who deposited an easy layup with nary a 76ers defender in sight.

After the ball went through the basket, coach Doug Collins looked at assistant head coach Michael Curry and asked, “What do we do, coach?”

It was that perplexing of a night. Before the game, the Sixers coach talked of his team’s need to negate the three-point shooting of the Magic, particularly Ryan Anderson. He even thrust Thaddeus Young into the starting lineup to be quicker against an Orlando team that was missing star Dwight Howard (back injury) and his backup, Glen “Big Baby” Davis (right knee sprain). Collins spoke of not allowing the Magic to control the backboards and making sure that on pick-and-rolls the shooter always be covered.

He said all the right things before the game, but somewhere between his mouth and the basketball court, all seemed lost after the first quarter, and the severely shorthanded Magic laid a 113-100 loss Monday night on the Sixers, who dropped into a tie with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference. Both teams own 31-29 records, with the Knicks officially in seventh place, holding the tiebreak advantage, as they won two of three from the Sixers this season.

Anderson torched the Sixers for 26 points and 16 rebounds, made 11 of his 16 shots and both of his three pointers.

After building a six-point lead in the opening 12 minutes and limiting the Magic to a single triple, the Sixers defense became like Swiss cheese, allowing the Magic to post 40 second-quarter points and shoot 16 of 23 (69.6 percent) from the floor, including only one miss in six three-point attempts.

The Magic seemed nothing like the team that usually thrills fans at the Amway Center, and it wasn’t without Howard, Davis and Hedu Turkoglu (facial fracture). And the usually boisterous crowd was hardly up to snuff. But the results remained the same, as the Magic beat the Sixers for the 14th time in the teams’ last 16 regular-season meetings and improved to 36-25.

Despite missing Howard, the league’s leading rebounder at 14.5 a game, the Magic owned the backboards to the tune of 46-30, including a 13-4 advantage on the offensive glass.

“They are such a good three-point shooting team and getting those extra possessions hurt,” said Jrue Holiday, who led the Sixers with 18 points and dealt eight assists. “I mean, we’re in there, we’re just not grabbing the ball. On some of our assignments, we just didn’t execute. Their offensive rebounding, you’d think it would be easier without Dwight and Big Baby in there. And we didn’t contest their three-point shots. If anything, we need to run them off the line.”

All that information was talked about before the game, yet not executed. It’s becoming an all too familiar pattern for a team that has now lost 20 of its past 31 games, has blown away all hopes of winning the Atlantic Division and is getting dangerously close to losing out on a playoff berth. The Sixers are only two games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks, who host the Sixers next Wednesday.

“They just shot lights out, they really did,” Collins said of Orlando’s 48-for-90 from the floor. “The second quarter, we just couldn’t stop them. Ryan Anderson [had] eight offensive boards and then Jameer Nelson and J.J. [Redick] in their pick-and-roll game, they just strung us out. They made a ton of big shots. They’re just a tough team to guard, because they’re great shooters, they have four out around one, and you have to play to the end of the [shot] clock against these guys. They play as hard offensively at the end of the clock as any team in the NBA. Our guys would take that breath, thinking their guy was out of the play [and they'd hit a shot]. Whether it be Jameer Nelson on the weak side or J.J. hitting a couple. With Quentin Richrdson, we were supposed to make him dribble. We gave him three threes without dribbling the ball. And you can’t have those kinds of broken coverages against this team. You’ve got to make certain guys put that ball on the floor.

“The other night, I watched their game against Atlanta and they couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a handful of rice. They missed more shots but [Monday], they made them. That’s what happened. I watched the Atlanta game on tape and they had the same shots and missed them.”

Anderson made sure there was no repeat performance from that Atlanta game. As waves of Sixers players raced out after him when he spotted up at the three-point line, he calmly made his way to the basket and took care of things from there.

“They do a pretty good job of picking,” said Evan Turner, who contributed 13 points and five rebounds. “The guys set the pick, but the players are coming off hard so, even if the guys don’t set the best picks or it doesn’t get used, they’re still moving at a fast speed and when they’re making shots it’s even tougher.

“They were getting every last rebound. You have to start drawing the line sometimes and say that he [Anderson] isn’t going to get another one. Body up, man up, chest up and keep him off the glass. He’d be a Hall of Famer if he played against us every day. He knows how to work the system to his advantage.”

And Nelson orchestrated it all beautifully, dealing 13 assists to go along with 16 points and setting up Redick (18 points) and Jason Richardson (17) all evening.

Which left Collins to do a lot of head scratching and ask for guidance from Curry.

Six shots

Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams scored 15 each, and Spencer Hawes had 10 for the Sixers . . . Earl Clark came off the bench to collect 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic.

Contact Bob Cooney at cooneyb@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobCooney76. Read his Sixers blog, Sixerville, at www.philly.com/sixerville.

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.

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.

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Published: 4/15/2012 – Updated: 24 seconds ago

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — 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.

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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.

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 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.