Dec 8: Magic 95, Clippers 88

The AP reports: “It was a weird game, but we’ve got to learn how to close things out,” said Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who had 23 points, 22 rebounds, six blocks and four assists… Orlando took a big lead early, fell behind, then came back in the fourth quarter. Baron Davis, who finished with 27 points, hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 75-66 lead, their biggest margin of the game… Rashard Lewis added 18 points for Orlando and Jameer Nelson had 15. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Marcus Camby had 17 rebounds.

Magic waive Jeremy Richardson

The Orlando Magic have waived Jeremy Richardson, General Manager Otis Smith announced today.

Richardson appeared in just one game this season for the Magic and did not score in two minutes.  He played in three preseason contests, averaging 4.0 ppg. in 8.0 minpg.

Orlando’s roster now stands at 14 players.  The Magic begin a five-game, eight-day road trip on Monday, December 8 @ L.A. Clippers.  Orlando’s next home game is Thursday, December 18 vs. San Antonio.  Game time is 8 pm ET.

Dec 3: Magic 100, Wolves 89

The AP reports: Dwight Howard had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Lewis also scored 23 points to lead the Magic to a 100-89 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Turkoglu added 22 for the Magic, who have won two of three despite missing their top three guards with injuries. Al Jefferson had 19 to lead the Timberwolves. The Magic’s starting backcourt of J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson combined for only seven points, but rookie Courtney Lee came off the bench to score a season-high 16. Lee shot 8-of-10 from the field and made all three 3-pointers.

Dec 1: Celtics 107, Magic 88

The AP reports: Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter to lead the Boston Celtics to their ninth straight win, 107-88 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night… Ray Allen added 21 points, Rondo had 16 points with 12 assists and Kevin Garnett scored 15 points for the Celtics (17-2) in a win over a top Eastern Conference rival… Rashard Lewis paced Orlando (13-5) with 30 points. Turkoglu had 19 and Dwight Howard, the NBA’s leading rebounder, had 14 points with 15 boards and four blocked shots… The Magic were without their starting backcourt for the second consecutive game.

Nov 29: Magic 110, Pacers 96

The AP reports: Dwight Howard had a season-high 32 points and 21 rebounds and added four blocks against the Pacers, who tried everything but shackles against the Magic center. It was his first 20-rebound performance this season and fourth time in his career that he had 30-plus points and 20-plus rebounds… Rashard Lewis finished 24 points, Turkoglu 22 and Johnson a season-high 16 for the Magic, who had a 14-point lead in the middle of the second quarter and were never seriously challenged in the second half… Danny Granger and Marquis Daniels tried to help the Pacers keep up with the Magic, but the Pacers could never get enough defensive stops to overcome the a 14-point second quarter and 22-point third quarter deficits. Granger finished with 27 points, Daniels had 21, Troy Murphy added 13 and Roy Hibbert had 10.

Nov 27: Magic 105, Wizards 90

The AP reports: The Washington Wizards were helpless against Dwight Howard. The NBA’s leading rebounder, Howard had 26 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks to help the Orlando Magic beat the Wizards 105-90 on Thursday night. Orlando has won eight of its last nine games and six in a row on the road. Howard toyed with four Washington defenders—scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the first 8:45 as the Magic took a 25-11 lead… Caron Butler scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half for Washington, and Antawn Jamison had 17 points and 12 rebounds… Hedo Turkoglu added 20 points and had a season-high 10 rebounds… Rashard Lewis, who gave Orlando a victory Wednesday night in Philadelphia with a late 3-pointer, added 17 points, and Mickael Peitrus also had 17. Anthony Johnson had a season-high 12 assists.

Nov 24: Magic 108, Bucks 101

The AP reports: Dwight Howard was still standing, and that’s all that mattered for the Orlando Magic. Howard had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 108-101 Monday night in a matchup of injury-depleted teams. Richard Jefferson scored 25 points to lead Milwaukee, which lost Andrew Bogut to a knee bruise in the third quarter. The Bucks were already missing Michael Redd and Luke Ridnour, their starting backcourt, to injuries. Hedo Turkoglu, forced to play some point guard when Jameer Nelson went out with a groin pull, and Rashard Lewis each added 22 points for the Magic. Howard picked up his fourth foul halfway through the third quarter but played eight minutes in the final quarter, scoring 7 points but making only 5 of 11 free throws.

Keith Bogans out 4-6 weeks

Orlando Magic guard-forward Keith Bogans will miss approximately four-to-six weeks of action due to a fractured left thumb, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. Bogans suffered the injury during the Magic’s game against Houston on Saturday, November 22.

Bogans (6’5”, 215, 5/12/80) has played in all 13 games (one start) this season for Orlando, averaging 6.4 ppg. and 3.5 rpg. in 24.4 minpg.  He is shooting .362 (17-of-47) from three-point range and has scored in double figures three times.

Last season, Bogans appeared in all 82 games for the Magic, averaging 8.7 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 26.8 minpg., including 35 starts.  He shot .362 (148-of-409) from beyond the three-point arc.  Bogans also played in all 10 playoff outings, averaging 7.3 ppg., 4.2 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 29.3 minpg.

Nov 22: Rockets 100, Magic 95

The AP reports: Yao Ming, Houston’s 7-foot-6 All-Star, outplayed Dwight Howard in nearly every phase Saturday night, scoring 22 points and taking down 13 rebounds while carrying a tired Houston Rocket team to a 100-95 victory over Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Rockets got 17 points each from Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston, and 11 apiece from Ron Artest and Carl Landry. Houston shot 54 percent in the second half to break open a close contest and win for the fourth time in the last five games… Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 21 points and six assists, and Lewis added 18 points, but the Magic shot only 40.7 percent. Howard had three fouls in the first half and got his fourth less than a minute into the third period in trying to defend Yao. Howard finished with 13 points and nine rebounds… Magic F Hedo Turkoglu sat out the game because of the flu.

Nov 18: Magic 103, Raptors 90

The AP reports: Stan Van Gundy predicted at the morning shootaround that Toronto forward Chris Bosh would score 40 points against his Orlando Magic. The Magic coach turned out to be right—and he still got to smile about it. Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis had 22 points apiece as the Magic overcame Bosh’s 40-point, 18-rebound night in a 103-90 win in a rematch of first-round NBA playoff foes. Bosh, matching up at times with Lewis and All-Star center Dwight Howard, made 14 of 19 field goals and 12 of 16 free throws… Toronto, playing without injured point guard Jose Calderon, was done in by 24 turnovers and by a strong Orlando second quarter, in which the Magic turned a 10-point deficit into a 45-45 halftime tie.