[Tersk]

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Orlando Magic (32-35) vs Charlotte Bobcats (13-53)

Starting Lineups:

vs.

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Key Reserves

Battie| Stevenson | Augmon | Kasun

Hart | Caroll | Alexander | Ely


Key Matchup:

vs

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[Tersk]

NBA.com Preview

ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- The Orlando Magic head into a critical homestand looking for payback when they host the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday.

The Magic blew a 16-point lead in a 102-97 loss to the Bobcats on Monday.

The setback was Orlando's eighth in nine games. Along with the defeat, the Magic also lost swingman Hedo Turkoglu for the remainder of the regular season with a fractured wrist.

Also out for Thursday's game is star guard Steve Francis, who will be serving the final game of a three-game suspension for kicking a sideline photographer in a loss at Seattle last week.

The Magic, who enter Thursday one game behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, will lean more on veteran Grant Hill and rookie Dwight Howard, who combined for 46 points and 22 rebounds in Monday's loss.

Thursday's game marks the first of five straight games at home for Orlando.

The Bobcats snapped a 10-game slide with Monday's win but suffered a difficult 120-105 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Charlotte trailed by as many as 29 points in the second quarter.

Jason Hart led six players in double figures with 21 points but the Bobcats were outrebounded, 55-44.

Charlotte earned its first win over the Magic and leads the season series, 2-1.

 

[halfbreed]

Cats 103
Magic 100

Okafor 20 pts, 10 boards, 3 blks

Howard 15 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk

 

[Drewbs]

Okafors shot blocking has steadily been improving.

 

[The Future7]

The Cats really play hard and I think the Magic will underestimate them.
97-93 Cats

 

[MJG]

I'm late on my prediction (first quarter is underway), but I think the Bobcats take a close one.

 

[Tersk]

Gerald Wallace is back 5/6 in 13 minutes

Jameer Nelson has 8/2/7 (assists)

Bobcats up 36-33

 

[BBB]

Okafor vs Howard...

12 pts, 5 rebs, 1blk vs 6 pts, 6 rebs

 

[YoYoYoWasup]

Congrats on yet another victory against us, I'm going to go get drunk now.

 

[Tersk]

Woot! Woot!

To complete this day, Utah needs to win and so do my Mavericks

108-94

Brevin Knight: 15/3/15/8steals

New Bobcats franchise high?

Nice to see Gerald Wallace back -- 21/9/4

 

[BBB]

Am I the lucky charm for the Bobcats?

1-0 since I started posting on this board.

 

[Drewbs]

Okafor with 16 fta. I like seeing that in the stat sheet, it means that hes being aggressive and not playing like a pansy going to his midrange jumper so often.

 

[BBB]

Match Report

The Orlando Magic's slide keeps getting worse. Gerald Wallace scored 22 points and rookie Emeka Okafor registered his 36th double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Charlotte Bobcats to a 108-94 win over Orlando on Thursday as the Magic lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

The expansion Bobcats beat the Magic for the second time in four days and won on the road for just the third time.

 

[Kunlun]

Nice win Bobcats! Orlando has been terrible lately and I'm really happy about that because the Sixers moved up into their place for the playoffs.

 

[jaja]

Okafor with 16 fta. I like seeing that in the stat sheet, it means that hes being aggressive and not playing like a pansy going to his midrange jumper so often.

I agree. He was very low in getting fouls because he played too far from the basket. With more foul shooting his points and efficiency will increase.

And now he's second in blocks among rookies. Let's see if he assits can increase a bit

 

[Turkish Delight]

The Bobcats did a good job of getting Orlando out of the game early in the 4th quarter.
Okafor with another monster game, 23 and 10.