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The Orlando Magic were able to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats by the score of 89-77 to snap their two-game losing streak. This was, admittedly, a boring game to watch and it seemed the fans at the Amway Center agreed because there was absolutely no life in the building. Given that the Magic played the Bobcats in April, in a game that meant nothing, that’s no surprise. Orlando will be entering the 2011 NBA Playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, so at this point they’re just trying to stay healthy and develop momentum entering the postseason. The Magic were led by a balanced attack, as five players scored in double-figures. Dwight Howard was his usual dominant self, finishing with 26 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Jameer Nelson played relatively well, contributing with 15 points, six assists, and two steals. Quentin Richardson, returning from back spasms that didn’t allow him to participate in the last several games, came back and put up 14 points and five rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu and Brandon Bass finished with 12 points each. With Gilbert Arenas, Chris Duhon, and J.J. Redick sidelined with injuries, head coach Stan Van Gundy was forced to play with a seven-man rotation that featured odd lineups. Clearly Orlando would like to have rest heading into the playoffs but with injuries piled up, that doesn’t seem possible.
There’s almost nothing to point out in the Magic’s victory.
Aside from Dante Cunningham doing his best David West impression by scoring at will on the perimeter with his mid-range jumpshooting, nothing was out of the ordinary for Orlando against their divisional rival. The Magic are better than the Bobcats and there’s nothing more to it. Is Orlando 10 points better?
Probably, when taking into account that both teams didn’t have key players available. For Charlotte, they were without the services of Tyrus Thomas, Joel Przybilla, Stephen Jackson, Sean Livingston, just to name a few. This is when the regular season becomes a drag because teams like the Bobcats have little to play for.
