By Sam Gardner
FOXSportsFlorida.com

By SAM GARDNER
FOXSportsFlorida.com Magic writer
March 16, 2011Dwight Howard’s ears surely perked up when the Milwaukee Bucks announced in the hours before Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic that starting center Andrew Bogut wouldn’t be playing.

After all, with Bogut on the bench nursing a painful migraine headache, Milwaukee would be forced to send out Larry Sanders – an unproven rookie out of Virginia Commonwealth – to defend the league’s pre-eminent center.

Howard said that he would have approached the game the same way whether Bogut was in the lineup or not, but if the thought of dominating Sanders in the paint didn’t make Howard salivate, nothing would.

And just like you would have expected, Howard went to town on the wide-eyed rookie, scoring 31 points and grabbing 22 rebounds as the Magic escaped the Bradley Center with a 93-89 overtime win.

Howard’s 30-20 game was the fifth of his career and the first since Nov. 29, 2008, against Indiana, but the victory wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty.

Orlando turned the ball over 19 times, missed 20 3-pointers and missed 15 free throws – 11 of which came off the hands of Howard, who was 13-of-24 from the line on the night.

But it was the type of win you expected to see from a lethargic team on the last night of a long road trip.

“We did about everything wrong we could do at the end,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said, “Another game with 19 turnovers. We didn’t make any free throws. We couldn’t stop them, but we got out with a win, so I’m happy.”

Orlando led by as many as 14 in the second quarter and took a nine-point lead into the half, but Milwaukee outscored the Magic 42-33 in the second half, and Brandon Jennings hit three free throws after a Jameer Nelson foul with four seconds left to send the game to overtime.

With the Magic leading 85-81 with 1:47 left in overtime, Nelson fouled Jennings on another 3-point attempt, and this time the shot fell as well. Jennings’ free throw knotted the score at 85.

But Howard scored his final two points of the night on a rim-rocking dunk on the ensuing possession, and the Magic held on for the four-point win, which clinched Orlando a playoff spot for the fifth straight year.

Along with Sanders, the Bucks used the 1-2 punch of Jon Brockman and Earl Barron to try to slow down Howard, but their efforts were in vain. Howard hit 9 of 12 field-goal attempts and was ruthless on the glass, outrebounding Milwaukee’s trio of big men 22-11 (8-4 on the offensive boards).

Really, the only thing Milwaukee’s bigs had going for them Wednesday was the fact that they had six fouls apiece, and they used them liberally. Sanders and Brockman both fouled out, and Barron had five infractions in 20 minutes.

“They came at him hard,” Van Gundy said. “They used a lot of fouls, and he struggled to make free throws tonight, so it ended up being a good strategy”

Milwaukee’s mishmash front court baited Howard all night long, using hard hacks across the arms, shoulders and head to try to rattle the All-Star center, but Howard never gave in and was able to avoid picking up his 17th technical foul of the season.

“I just try to keep my composure and not allow the fouls to make me retaliate or do something stupid,” Howard said.

Orlando finished its five-game road swing 3-2, with the losses coming to Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic’s next game is Friday night against Denver, which has won nine of 11 games since trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.

“Denver’s been playing great since the trade,” Howard said. “They’re one of the hottest teams out in the West, (so) we’ve got our hands full.”

If the Magic want to come away from Friday’s game with a win – and more important, if they want to make a run at an NBA title – they’re going to need to take better care of the ball. Orlando has had at least 18 turnovers in three of its past five games and averaged 16.2 turnovers per game on the road trip.

“It’s going to be very hard to win playoff games continuing to turn the ball over 18, 19 times,” Van Gundy said. “We just don’t seem to have any value on taking care of the ball.”

But that’s a problem for another day. Right now, the best thing the Magic can do is go home and get a good night’s sleep.

“It’s been a long road trip,” Howard said. “I’m glad to go home and get in my bed.”

Be sure to follow @FSMagic on Twitter for Magic news, analysis and more all season long.

By Dean Pantazi

Mad Ants Gain Player From Milwaukee

NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2011 – Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Sanders was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Bucks’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the 40th time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Sanders, a rookie out of Virginia Commonwealth.

Sanders (6-11, 235) has appeared in 36 games (eight starts) this season with the Bucks, averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. Sanders has scored in double figures four times this season, highlighted by a 15-point, eight-rebound performance against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 5.

Milwaukee chose Sanders as an early entry candidate in the first round (15th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. In three seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, Sanders averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over 101 games. An All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team selection as a junior in 2009-10, Sanders was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

Sanders is expected to join the Mad Ants for the team’s home game against the Springfield Armor on Tuesday. Bucks fans can keep track of Sanders and the Mad Ants by logging onto nba.com/dleague to watch every game live, online, for free.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2011 – Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Sanders was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Bucks’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the 40th time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Sanders, a rookie out of Virginia Commonwealth.

Sanders (6-11, 235) has appeared in 36 games (eight starts) this season with the Bucks, averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. Sanders has scored in double figures four times this season, highlighted by a 15-point, eight-rebound performance against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 5.

Milwaukee chose Sanders as an early entry candidate in the first round (15th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. In three seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, Sanders averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over 101 games. An All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team selection as a junior in 2009-10, Sanders was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

Sanders is expected to join the Mad Ants for the team’s home game against the Springfield Armor on Tuesday. Bucks fans can keep track of Sanders and the Mad Ants by logging onto nba.com/dleague to watch every game live, online, for free.

• Discuss this story on the NBA Development League message board…
• Digg this story
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Magic beat Milwaukee

Thursday, January 6, 2011 11:15 AM CST

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Magic coach Stan Van Gundy tried his best to highlight all the good he could after his team’s 97-87 victory over the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

But he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: While he is pleased with his club’s seven-game winning streak, he hasn’t liked what he’s seen over the past two victories.

“We’re starting to back off in some areas,” Van Gundy said. “I think some people, after a while, start to take some things for granted. … I don’t like the way we’ve approached the last two games. It’s only two games and I’m not going crazy, but I don’t like it.”

Orlando got 28 points and 13 rebounds from Dwight Howard and placed six players in double figures, but for the second straight game played only one complete half of basketball. The Magic had a poor first half in a 20-point win over Golden State on Monday and this time nearly gave up a 19-point lead in the second half against Milwaukee.

Corey Maggette scored 21 points to lead the Bucks. Larry Sanders had 15 and John Salmons 13.

The Magic’s lead was cut to 84-79 on a jumper by Salmons with 4:06 remaining. But a basket by Howard and 3-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu got the lead back to 10 and helped Orlando secure the win despite shooting just 5 of 22 from beyond the arc.

Orlando guard Jason Richardson said that though this new incarnation of the Magic has only been together about two weeks since it was overhauled in last month’s blockbuster trades, finding a way to put away teams will be paramount.

“We had a chance to bury them, but we didn’t,” Richardson said. “But right now you just want to get wins. It’s a new team. We learned something about ourselves tonight. We learned that we have to bury teams no matter what. We have to put them away. … Championship-caliber teams find a way to do that.”

Bucks coach Scott Skiles said he was pleased overall by the effort of his team, which is trudging along without three of its top five scorers.

Milwaukee guard Brandon Jennings (broken left foot), guard Carlos Delfino (concussion symptoms) and forward Drew Gooden (plantar fasciitis in his left foot) all remain out. Skiles lamented a 15-of-32 performance from the free throw line that doomed the Bucks during their comeback effort Wednesday.

“You have to give our guys credit for hanging in and trying to battle through it,” Skiles said. “We finally started making some plays, but once you get to that point you have to make every free throw. You feel like you have to make every shot and against a team of their quality it’s very difficult to do.”

Orlando avenged an 11-point loss at Milwaukee on Dec. 4 in which it played without Howard, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick, who were all sidelined by the flu. With Howard out last month, Bucks big man Andrew Bogut had an easy time in the paint, scoring 31 points and grabbing 18 rebounds opposite Magic reserve Marcin Gortat, who is no longer with the team.

But with Howard back in the middle Wednesday, Bogut settled for more mid-range jumpers early on and often opted to kick the ball to the perimeter instead of challenging him. Bogut finished with six points and fouled out with 9:26 left.

Orlando led 49-33 at halftime as Howard stayed out of foul trouble and used an assortment of running hooks and short jumpers to post a team-high 17 points. He also mixed in some easy dunks, including one at the halftime buzzer.

Magic forward Brandon Bass, who for now has opted not to have surgery on his sore left knee, didn’t look to be in any discomfort. He scored six of the Magic’s first 14 points and his five first-half rebounds helped Orlando keep a 27-23 edge on the glass in the opening 24 minutes.

Bogut went to the bench with his third found at the 3:17 mark in the second quarter and Milwaukee struggled to find cohesion without him as an eight-point first-quarter deficit quickly grew to double digits.

Maggette had eight points off the bench in the first half, but the Bucks got only four points combined out of the starting backcourt of Salmons and Keyon Dooling as they shot just 34 percent from the field as a team.

NOTES: The Magic host Houston on Friday night before traveling to Dallas on Saturday to begin a four-game road trip. … Milwaukee returns home to host Miami on Friday. … Orlando F Ryan Anderson cut his right pinkie on a dunk in the fourth quarter, but said afterward that he was fine.

MILWAUKEE (87)

Mbah a Moute 2-5 2-4 6, Ilyasova 2-10 0-0 5, Bogut 2-5 2-10 6, Dooling 0-4 0-0 0, Salmons 5-17 2-2 13, Boykins 4-14 2-2 12, Maggette 7-9 6-8 21, Brockman 1-2 0-2 2, Sanders 7-10 1-4 15, Douglas-Roberts 3-8 0-0 7. Totals 33-84 15-32 87.

ORLANDO (97)

Turkoglu 5-8 2-5 13, Bass 4-8 2-2 10, Howard 9-16 10-15 28, Nelson 3-9 3-4 10, J.Richardson 6-13 1-2 13, Anderson 2-5 2-3 7, Redick 4-9 2-2 10, Arenas 2-9 0-0 6. Totals 35-77 22-33 97.

Milwaukee 17 16 24 30 – 87

Orlando 25 24 22 26 – 97

3-Point Goals-Milwaukee 6-14 (Boykins 2-2, Maggette 1-1, Douglas-Roberts 1-1, Ilyasova 1-2, Salmons 1-5, Dooling 0-3), Orlando 5-22 (Arenas 2-2, Turkoglu 1-3, Anderson 1-4, Nelson 1-4, Redick 0-4, J.Richardson 0-5). Fouled Out-Bogut. Rebounds-Milwaukee 65 (Sanders 8), Orlando 56 (Howard 13). Assists-Milwaukee 11 (Boykins, Dooling, Bogut 2), Orlando 23 (Nelson 9). Total Fouls-Milwaukee 27, Orlando 19. A-18,846 (18,500).

ORLANDO, Fla. — Magic coach Stan Van Gundy tried his best to highlight all the good he could after his team’s 97-87 victory over the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

But he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: While he is pleased with his club’s seven-game winning streak, he hasn’t liked what he’s seen over the past two victories.

“We’re starting to back off in some areas,” Van Gundy said. “I think some people, after a while, start to take some things for granted. … I don’t like the way we’ve approached the last two games. It’s only two games and I’m not going crazy, but I don’t like it.”

Orlando got 28 points and 13 rebounds from Dwight Howard and placed six players in double figures, but for the second straight game played only one complete half of basketball. The Magic had a poor first half in a 20-point win over Golden State on Monday and this time nearly gave up a 19-point lead in the second half against Milwaukee.

Corey Maggette scored 21 points to lead the Bucks. Larry Sanders had 15 and John Salmons 13.

The Magic’s lead was cut to 84-79 on a jumper by Salmons with 4:06 remaining. But a basket by Howard and three-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu got the lead back to 10 and helped Orlando secure the win despite shooting just 5 of 22 from beyond the arc.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles said he was pleased overall by the effort of his team, which is trudging along without three of its top five scorers.

Milwaukee guard Brandon Jennings (broken left foot), guard Carlos Delfino (concussion symptoms) and forward Drew Gooden (plantar fasciitis in his left foot) all remain out. Skiles lamented a 15-of-32 performance from the free throw line that doomed the Bucks during their comeback effort Wednesday.

“You have to give our guys credit for hanging in and trying to battle through it,” Skiles said.

MILWAUKEE (87)

Mbah a Moute 2-5 2-4 6, Ilyasova 2-10 0-0 5, Bogut 2-5 2-10 6, Dooling 0-4 0-0 0, Salmons 5-17 2-2 13, Boykins 4-14 2-2 12, Maggette 7-9 6-8 21, Brockman 1-2 0-2 2, Sanders 7-10 1-4 15, Douglas-Roberts 3-8 0-0 7. Totals 33-84 15-32 87.

ORLANDO (97)

Turkoglu 5-8 2-5 13, Bass 4-8 2-2 10, Howard 9-16 10-15 28, Nelson 3-9 3-4 10, J.Richardson 6-13 1-2 13, Anderson 2-5 2-3 7, Redick 4-9 2-2 10, Arenas 2-9 0-0 6. Totals 35-77 22-33 97.

Milwaukee 17 16 24 30 — 87

Orlando 25 24 22 26 — 97

3-Point Goals — Milwaukee 6-14 (Boykins 2-2, Maggette 1-1, Douglas-Roberts 1-1, Ilyasova 1-2, Salmons 1-5, Dooling 0-3), Orlando 5-22 (Arenas 2-2, Turkoglu 1-3, Anderson 1-4, Nelson 1-4, Redick 0-4, J.Richardson 0-5). Fouled Out — Bogut. Rebounds — Milwaukee 65 (Sanders 8), Orlando 56 (Howard 13). Assists — Milwaukee 11 (Boykins, Dooling, Bogut 2), Orlando 23 (Nelson 9). Total Fouls — Milwaukee 27, Orlando 19. A — 18,846 (18,500).

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —

Dwight Howard had 28 points and 13 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic held off the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks 97-87 on Wednesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Milwaukee lost for the seventh time in 10 games, trudging on without three of its five top scorers in guard Brandon Jennings (broken left foot), guard Carlos Delfino (concussion symptoms) and forward Drew Gooden (plantar fasciitis in his left foot).

Orlando avenged an 11-point loss at Milwaukee on Dec. 4 in which it played without Howard, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick, who were all sidelined by the flu. With Howard out last month, Bucks big man Andrew Bogut had an easy time in the paint, scoring 31 points and grabbing 18 rebounds opposite Magic reserve Marcin Gortat, who is no longer with the team.

But with Howard back in the middle Wednesday, Bogut settled for more mid-range jumpers early on and often opted to kick the ball to the perimeter instead of challenging him. Bogut finished with six points and fouled out with 9:26 left.

The Magic led by as many as 19 before their lead was cut to 84-79 on a jumper by John Salmons with 4:06 remaining. A basket by Howard and 3-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu got the lead back to 10 and helped the Magic secure the win despite shooting just 5 of 22 from beyond the arc.

Corey Maggette led Milwaukee with 21 points. Larry Sanders had 15 and Salmons 13.

Orlando led 49-33 at halftime as Howard stayed out of foul trouble and used an assortment of running hooks and short jumpers to post a team-high 17 points. He also mixed in some easy dunks, including one at the halftime buzzer.

Magic forward Brandon Bass, who for now has opted not to have surgery on his sore left knee, didn’t look to be in any discomfort. He scored six of the Magic’s first 14 points and his five first-half rebounds helped Orlando keep a 27-23 edge on the glass in the opening 24 minutes.

Bogut went to the bench with his third found at the 3:17 mark in the second quarter and Milwaukee struggled to find cohesion without him as an eight-point first-quarter deficit quickly grew to double digits.

Maggette had eight points off the bench in the first half, but the Bucks got only four points combined out of the starting backcourt of Salmons and Keyon Dooling as they shot just 34 percent from the field as a team.

NOTES: The Magic host Houston on Friday night before traveling to Dallas on Saturday to begin a four-game road trip. … Milwaukee returns home to host Miami on Friday.

The Milwaukee Bucks knew that Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center would present different challenges than their 96-85 win over the Magic back on Dec. 4.

A month ago, a nasty stomach bug kept C Dwight Howard, PG Jameer Nelson, SF Mickael Pietrus and SG J.J. Redick out of action. PF Ryan Anderson was injured.

Of the eight players the Magic used in that contest last month, only one of those players, PF Brandon Bass, was certain at Wednesday’s tipoff to play on Wednesday. The rest of the players have dropped out of the rotation or been traded or are hurt.

Bucks C Andrew Bogut benefitted from Howard’s absence in December, scoring 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting.

An hour before Wednesday’s tipoff, a reporter suggested to Bucks coach Scott Skiles that Bogut would face “a little bit different” task against Howard.

“Well,” Skiles responded, “nothing against Gortat, but it’s more than a ‘little bit different’ between he and Dwight.”

Heatles fan

LeBron James recently called the Miami Heat the “Heatles” because the team fills opponents’ arenas with fans and creates excitement, just like the Beatles did in their heyday.

When asked about the nickname, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy didn’t sound very entertained.

“They’re pretty impressed with themselves,” Van Gundy said Wednesday. “Maybe some places that’s what turns out. I know here it’s not. We’re selling out no matter who we play, so we don’t need to bring them in to get people in our arena. But other places that may the case.”

Van Gundy later added: “I’m not disputing that there are some places in the league where they don’t draw well and they only come out to see the [Los Angeles] Lakers and the Heat and things like that. That may be true in some places, but it’s not true here. They’re not raising our attendance.”

No-coach’s land

Skiles hasn’t played in the NBA since the 1995-96 season, but on Tuesday night, he found himself on the court during a game. Literally, during a game.

Late in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 101-89 loss to the Heat, Skiles inadvertently stepped onto the right corner of the court as he was trying to get a referee’s attention. Problem was, Skiles made contact with Miami’s Carlos Arroyo as Arroyo collected a pass.

Skiles was called for a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul.

“There are a lot of the coaches that actually step onto the court to actually coach when the game may be going on on the other end or whatever,” Skiles said before Wednesday’s tipoff. “And I don’t.”

Layups

• Four members of the Magic’s 1989-90 club, the franchise’s inaugural team, were inside Amway Center on Wednesday: Skiles, Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith, Magic Community Ambassador Nick Anderson and New Orleans Hornets scout Sam Vincent.

• Gilbert Arenas is celebrating his 29th birthday today.

• ‘N Sync’s Joey Fatone attended Wednesday’s game. A live conversation between in-game emcee Scotty B and Fatone appeared on Amway Center’s video board during a Milwaukee timeout with 1:49 remaining in the first half.

Read Josh Robbins’ blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and e-mail him at [email protected] Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

This picture was taken when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic on Dec. 4. Of the four Magic players shown here, only Brandon Bass (left) is certain to play against the Bucks tonight (Morry Gash, Associated Press)

On Dec. 4, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 96-85 at the Bradley Center.

The Magic will look almost completely different when the teams face each other again tonight.

Orlando used eight players in that initial meeting. Of those eight, only one, Brandon Bass, is certain to receive playing time this evening.

With Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson suffering from a stomach bug, coach Stan Van Gundy employed the following starting lineup back on Dec. 4.

Chris Duhon PG
Vince Carter SG
Quentin Richardson SF
Rashard Lewis PF
Marcin Gortat C

Bass, Malik Allen and Jason Williams came off the bench that night, because Ryan Anderson had a sprained foot and Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick suffered from the same stomach bug that plagued Howard and Nelson.

The Magic look much different now.

• Carter, Lewis, Gortat and Pietrus have been traded.
• Anderson, Howard, Nelson and Redick are healthy.
• Gilbert Arenas, Earl Clark, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu have arrived in trades.
• Allen is injured.
• Duhon and Quentin Richardson are no longer in the eight-man rotation.

Barring any unexpected developments, Van Gundy will start Nelson, Jason Richardson, Turkoglu, Bass and Howard tonight. None of them started for the Magic against the Bucks back on Dec. 4.

The Bucks also are a bit different. Starting point guard Brandon Jennings — who scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the teams’ initial game — will not play tonight because he’s recovering from surgery on his left foot.

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

This picture was taken when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic on Dec. 4. Of the four Magic players shown here, only Brandon Bass (left) is certain to play against the Bucks tonight (Morry Gash, Associated Press)

On Dec. 4, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 96-85 at the Bradley Center.

The Magic will look almost completely different when the teams face each other again tonight.

Orlando used eight players in that initial meeting. Of those eight, only one, Brandon Bass, is certain to receive playing time this evening.

With Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson suffering from a stomach bug, coach Stan Van Gundy employed the following starting lineup back on Dec. 4.

Chris Duhon PG
Vince Carter SG
Quentin Richardson SF
Rashard Lewis PF
Marcin Gortat C

Bass, Malik Allen and Jason Williams came off the bench that night, because Ryan Anderson had a sprained foot and Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick suffered from the same stomach bug that plagued Howard and Nelson.

The Magic look much different now.

• Carter, Lewis, Gortat and Pietrus have been traded.
• Anderson, Howard, Nelson and Redick are healthy.
• Gilbert Arenas, Earl Clark, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu have arrived in trades.
• Allen is injured.
• Duhon and Quentin Richardson are no longer in the eight-man rotation.

Barring any unexpected developments, Van Gundy will start Nelson, Jason Richardson, Turkoglu, Bass and Howard tonight. None of them started for the Magic against the Bucks back on Dec. 4.

The Bucks also are a bit different. Starting point guard Brandon Jennings — who scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the teams’ initial game — will not play tonight because he’s recovering from surgery on his left foot.

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

The Orlando Magic shoot for their seventh consecutive victory tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center.

(Sports Network) – The Orlando Magic shoot for their seventh consecutive victory tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center.

Orlando has won six in a row since losing four straight and eight of nine games. It’s coming off Monday’s 110-90 triumph over the Golden State Warriors in which it recorded a 66-37 difference in the second half.

Dwight Howard finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds, while Hedo Turkoglu posted a triple-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. It was Turkoglu’s third career triple-double. Jason Richardson added 20 points for Orlando, which is 2-0 on a four-game homestand and 13-5 in the Magic Kingdom this season.

“We’re in a situation here where we could be a contender for a championship,” Richardson said. “Got some great players here. We know every night we step on the floor [that] if we play well we have a chance.”

The Magic will also host Houston and has won four straight at home.

Milwaukee has lost three of four and six of its last nine games. In Tuesday’s 101-89 setback in Miami, Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 34 points and LeBron James went for 25 points and nine assists for the Heat.

John Salmons had a team-high 18 points, while Andrew Bogut donated 16 points and eight boards for the Bucks, who got 14 points from Keyon Dooling.

“We played pretty hard tonight,” Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. “Whenever we were trying to keep contact with them in the second half, it got away from us.”

The Bucks will close out their tour through the Sunshine State tonight and are 5-12 as the visitor this season.

Milwaukee defeated Orlando, 96-85, on Dec. 4 this season at the Bradley Center to snap a three-game slide in the series, but the Magic are 13-5 in the previous 18 matchups between the teams.

An MRI on Monday confirmed Gallinari sprained the knee and the Italian sharp- shooter, who is averaging 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33 games this season, is expected to miss two-to-three weeks of action.

The Spurs have won nine of their last 10 meetings with the Knicks and have swept the home-and-home season series between the two clubs in four of the previous five seasons.

© 2011 The Sports Network

National Basketball Association

Preview

Milwaukee at Orlando

When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

THE STORY: The biggest problem surrounding the Orlando Magic when they were going through a bit of a slump at the beginning of December was in regards to the offensive balance of the team. Dwight Howard was forced to assume too much of the scoring burden, limiting other parts of his game and allowing other teams to more easily defend Orlando’s perimeter shooters. Howard is still racking up the points, but now he has a lot more help. The Magic will be looking to secure their seventh straight victory when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSWI, FSFL

ABOUT THE MAGIC (22-12): Two weeks ago Orlando was scrambling for answers during a stretch of eight losses in nine games beginning December 4. The Magic front office decided it was time to shake things up in the midst of that slump, making a pair of trades involving eight players. In came Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson and with them instant scoring. After two more losses while the new players acclimated, Orlando went out and beat the two best teams in the NBA – San Antonio and Boston – and have not lost since. The scoring balance was evident on Monday, when eight players reached double-figures in a 110-90 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Howard collected 22 points and 17 rebounds in that contest while Turkoglu turned in a triple-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and Richardson scored 20. The Magic shot 15 of 32 from 3-point range in the rout.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (13-19): Milwaukee fell at Miami, 101-89, on Tuesday, squandering a halftime lead as Dwyane Wade went off for 17 points in the fourth quarter. The Bucks made the scorching Heat work for it, holding within single digits into the fourth quarter, but could overcome another sub-40 percent shooting effort. John Salmons scored 18 points and Andrew Bogut added 16 but could not grab more than eight rebounds as Milwaukee was dominated on the glass, 47-34.

WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Turkoglu has reached double figures in all but one of the last six games. Richardson has reached 20 points in two of the last three, draining four 3-pointers in both of the 20-point outbursts. After going off for 16 points and 17 rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks, Ersan Ilyasova slumped to seven and three on Tuesday.

KEY STATISTIC: 90. The Bucks have not managed to score more than 90 points in any of their last seven losses and rank last in the NBA in scoring average.

SEASON SERIES: The Bucks helped kick-start Orlando’s slump in December, claiming a 96-85 victory on December 4. Bogut thoroughly dominated with 31 points and 18 rebounds while Howard, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick each sat out with a stomach virus that was ripping through the locker room at the time. Jennings added 27 points for Milwaukee while Vince Carter led the Magic with 20. Orlando took all three meetings between the teams last season.

KEY INJURIES: MILWAUKEE: G Brandon Jennings (foot); F Drew Gooden (plantar fasciitis); G Carlos Delfino (concussion). ORLANDO: F Malik Allen (ankle); G Jason Williams (foot).

LAST WORD: “He can certainly fill the stat sheet.” – Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy following Turkoglu’s third career triple-double. Turkoglu also had a season-high five steals in the win.

Stats and Records