TrueMagicFan07

Monday, April 14, 2014 - 8:00 P.M. - Chicago, IL United Center FoxSports FL and ESPN 580 Radio MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) PG Victor Oladipo__SG Arron Afflalo PF Kyle O'Quinn SF Maurice Harkless__C Dewayne Dedmon

MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) NETS STARTERS (Subject To Change)

Pedrosa, I meant to say I DID NOT design the map. I did not finish spelling the word "didn't"-- Instead, I wrote [ [did' ]

I disagree, FanInFresno. Now, if you have a magnifying glass handy, look closely at the southwest corner underneath the Lakers (It's shaped like a banana, white in the middle and red on each end). As you perhaps know, I did not design the map. :D/>

MAGIC - BULLS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Monday, April 14, 2014 The Chicago Bulls will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but their opponent -- and which side of the Eastern Conference bracket they'll be placed -- remains to be determined. Chicago looks to inch closer to securing the East's No. 3 seed while adding another defeat to the Orlando Magic's dismal road record Monday night. The Bulls (47-33) are tied with Toronto for third, but the Raptors hold the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the Atlantic Division. Chicago would have to win this contest and Wednesday's finale against Charlotte, while Toronto would have to drop one of its final two in order for the Bulls to finish with the third seed. Orlando (23-57) has dropped two straight and fell to 4-36 on the road with Sunday's 97-88 loss to Brooklyn. Tobias Harries came off the bench to score 18 points, while Oladipo added 14. "Any time we lose, whether it is on the road or at home, it bothers me," Harris said. "We're not in the playoffs, but I'm just going out there and playing my heart out like it's my last game." Orlando won the other meeting in Chicago 83-82 on Dec. 16, though it has lost 25 of 26 on the road since that contest. The Magic led 59-55 with seven minutes left in the third quarter, but the Nets went on a 15-0 run and put the game away. "(The road record) doesn't bother us. We just have to come out and play the same way we do (at home)," said forward Kyle O'Quinn, who had 10 points. "Things just didn't bounce our way." Center Nikola Vucevic tested his sore left Achilles prior to Sunday's contest, but he said the training staff decided he shouldn't play. He's missed the last six, and he's likely to sit out the final two as well. Orlando has lost 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Bulls, though both wins in that stretch have come in Chicago. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400490081

MAGIC - NETS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Sunday, April 13, 2014 After a huge victory over one of the league's elite teams, the Brooklyn Nets have dropped back-to-back contests against clubs much further down the Eastern Conference standings. They'll look to avoid a third straight disappointment Sunday night when they host the Orlando Magic, who knocked them off Wednesday. The Nets (43-36) won at current East leader Miami on Tuesday, with Mason Plumlee blocking LeBron James at the rim with two seconds left to preserve their sixth victory in seven games. They've since blown any chance at grabbing home-court advantage in the first round by losing to a pair of sub-.500 teams, 115-111 in Orlando and 93-88 to Atlanta on Friday. The Nets may find it relatively easy to start another streak at home with the Magic having lost 24 of 25 on the road in 2014. Orlando (23-56) struggled at home Friday in a 96-86 loss to Washington, going 4 of 19 from deep. The Magic had been 20 of 34 from 3-point range while averaging 107.5 points in back-to-back victories. Their 35 second-half points marked the team's third-lowest total of the season. They also committed 13 turnovers over the final 24 minutes after having five in the first half, which they concluded with a 51-45 lead. "You can't just be helter-skelter out there," guard Arron Afflalo said. "We've got to be decisive about what you want to accomplish. That comes with maturity and growth." LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400490072

MAGIC - WIZARDS PREVIEW ESPN.com Friday, April 11, 2014 The Washington Wizards' John Wall turned in a triple-double his last time out, but he also may have found himself in some controversy. Wall and the visiting Wizards have lost control of their destiny in the race for the No. 6 seed and will try to recover Friday night and complete their first season sweep of the Orlando Magic in 24 years. Washington (40-38) fell into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with Charlotte with Wednesday's 94-88 overtime home loss to the Bobcats. The Wizards trailed by 20 in the first half before rallying to force the extra period, but didn't have a field goal after regulation. Now the Wizards need help to finish ahead of the Bobcats, who own the tiebreaker. Both teams are trying to avoid finishing seventh, which would result in a first-round matchup with Indiana or Miami. The Wizards ended a seven-game losing streak at Orlando with a 105-101 overtime victory the last time these teams met March 14, as Wall scored 12 of his 21 points after the third quarter. That contest was part of a nine-game losing streak for the Magic, who are playing better now with victories in four of seven. Orlando won its second straight Wednesday, 115-111 over playoff-bound Brooklyn. "We're continuing to learn at the end of games and not panic," coach Jacque Vaughn said. "I want these guys to enjoy what they do for a living. We come to work, we get better. That's what we do." Arron Afflalo scored 25 points and has 43 in the back-to-back wins after a three-game stretch in which he averaged 7.7 points and 27.6 percent shooting. Magic center Nikola Vucevic has missed three straight games with a sore Achilles tendon. The club has dropped 18 of the 21 contests he has missed. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400490049

MAGIC - NETS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Wednesday, April 9, 2014 While the Brooklyn Nets have been unstoppable during their franchise-record home streak, they may be starting to build some confidence on the road after a game-saving block against the defending champs. That could be crucial since the Nets appear likely to open the Eastern Conference playoffs without home-court advantage. After sweeping the season series from Miami, Brooklyn looks to match a season high with its third straight road win Wednesday night when it takes on the Orlando Magic. The Nets (43-34) haven't lost at home since Jan. 31 while rattling off a franchise-best 15 straight wins, but they had been just 6-10 away from Barclays Center over that same stretch before winning the first two on this three-game trip. Following Saturday's 105-101 win at Philadelphia that snapped a three-game road skid, Mason Plumlee denied LeBron James' dunk attempt with two seconds left Tuesday as the Nets finished off a four-game sweep of Miami with an 88-87 victory. The Nets are expected to have Garnett in the middle after he sat out Tuesday to avoid playing in back-to-back games. The veteran big man finished with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes Saturday in his first game since missing more than five weeks with back spasms. The last-place Magic (22-55) had dropped 12 of 14 before shooting 54.4 percent from the field -- including 9 for 17 from 3-point range -- in a 100-92 home win over Minnesota on Saturday. Arron Afflalo broke out of his shooting slump with 18 points, Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris had 17 apiece as Orlando rallied from 13 down in the second half. Afflalo, averaging a team-high 18.5 points, had scored 10.0 per game while shooting 29.8 percent over his previous five. Now Vaughn's club might get a boost with the return of Nikola Vucevic, who has missed the past two games because of a sore Achilles. The 7-foot center had 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 107-86 home win over Brooklyn on Nov. 3, before sitting out a 101-90 road loss Jan. 21 because of a concussion. The Magic have dropped five of the last six meetings after a 10-game win streak in the series. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400490036

Wednesday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. EST - Orlando, FL Amway Center TV: ESPN and Fox Sports Florida MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) CAVALIERS STARTERS (Subject To Change)

MAGIC - CAVALIERS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Tuesday, April 1, 2014 While the Cleveland Cavaliers are 15 games below .500, they remain alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Getting All-Star Kyrie Irving back could help their chances of sneaking in. Irving may try to give it a go Wednesday night when the visiting Cavaliers seek a seventh consecutive win over the last-place Orlando Magic. After missing two weeks with a strained left biceps tendon, Irving was cleared to resume full-contact practice and could return as soon as Wednesday. Averaging a team-leading 21.2 points, Irving's status won't be determined until after the pregame shootaround. Cleveland (30-45) dropped its first three games without Irving before winning four of five. Dion Waiters led six Cavaliers in double figures with 19 points in Sunday's 90-76 victory over Indiana, and Tristan Thompson added 12 to go with 16 rebounds. Orlando (21-53) followed a nine-game skid with back-to-back wins over Portland and Charlotte before its struggles resumed in Sunday's 98-93 loss to Toronto. The Magic erased a 21-point deficit but couldn't keep up down the stretch. "We're kind of getting really known for digging ourselves a hole," rookie Victor Oladipo told the team's official website. "It's tough to always dig yourself out, but one thing going into the second half was knowing that we've done it before. We had all of the confidence in the world that we could come back and cut into the lead and get into the ball game. ... It's a learning lesson for us." The Magic shot 55.1 percent for their third-highest mark this season, but went 10 of 14 from the foul line while the Raptors were 26 of 27. Nikola Vucevic, averaging 22.7 points in the last three games, had 22 and 10 rebounds. Vucevic has scored at least 20 in three of his last five against the Cavaliers, though he's been held to six in each of the other two. Fellow big man Anderson Varejao won't play for Cleveland due to a sprained shoulder suffered Sunday. He had 18 points and a career-high 25 boards in an 87-81 overtime win over Orlando on Jan. 2. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489989

Thanks for the compliment, IBN. I have one more game thread that I have designed and completed. It's Wednesday night's game, April 2, between the Magic and Cavaliers. I would like to post it if you don't mind. Then others can do the threads for the remaining games. Thanks, TMF07

MAGIC Vs. RAPTORS MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) RAPTORS STARTERS

MAGIC - RAPTORS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Saturday, March 29, 2014 The Toronto Raptors just locked up a playoff spot, but they aren't ready to take their foot off the pedal just yet. Toronto looks to inch closer to the Atlantic Division title when it visits the last-place Orlando Magic, who try to avoid a seventh consecutive loss in the series Sunday. The Raptors (41-31) are headed back to the postseason after sweeping a home-and-home set against Boston with Friday's 105-103 win. DeMar DeRozan had 30 points and Amir Johnson made a tiebreaking layup with seven seconds left as Toronto improved to 30-2 when leading after three quarters. The Raptors have given the Magic fits since the start of last season, taking all six matchups while allowing 88.7 points per game. Kyle Lowry and DeRozan scored a combined 52 points and Toronto held a 50-32 rebounding edge in a 105-90 win Feb. 23 the last time these teams met. Lowry also thrived in this season's first matchup, posting a season-high 33 points and 11 assists in a 98-83 victory Jan. 29. Lowry had to be helped off the court after injuring his right ankle Friday, but he isn't expected to miss any time. Orlando (21-52) has followed a nine-game losing streak with back-to-back wins, 95-85 over Portland on Tuesday and 110-105 over Charlotte in overtime Friday. Nikola Vucevic led the way with 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds as the Magic stormed back from 16 down. "I knew it would turn around," Vucevic said. "A 15-16 point lead in this league is nothing. You have to keep fighting, grinding and that's what we did." Arron Afflalo finished with 17 points -- including a tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation -- and Jameer Nelson had 11 and eight assists in his first game back since missing four with a sore knee. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489969

Friday, March 28 @ 7:00 P.M.- EST, Orlando, FL Amway Center TV: Fox Sports Florida MAGIC Vs. BOBCATS MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) BOBCAT STARTERS

Orlando Sentinel Josh Robins Wednesday, March 26, 2014 Nik Vucevic and Victor Oladipo say they're developing chemistry on the court Victor Oladipo and Nik Vucevic set the tone for the Orlando Magic's 95-85 win Tuesday night over the Portland Trail Blazers on the game's opening possession. Oladipo drove toward the interior of the defense and passed the ball to Vucevic, who scored on a layup. In all, Vucevic scored four of his 10 baskets off assists by Oladipo. Both players said they've finally developed a chemistry for each other's games. "Early in the year, we couldn't really get it together as far as pick-and-rolls and stuff like that, which is normal," Vucevic said. "It's our first year playing together, and I just told him, 'Last year, I had the same issue with Jameer [Nelson] and J.J. [Redick]. It took some time to learn each other, how we move, and [Oladipo is] a little faster than me. "It just takes time, a lot of practice, a lot of work. I think now we have a pretty good chemistry pick-and-roll-wise when he drives . . . . So it's great. I think it'll be huge for us in the future." So far this season, no one has assisted on more of Vucevic's baskets than Nelson has. Nelson has recorded 71 assists on Vucevic baskets, according to the NBA's official statistics database. Arron Afflalo has assisted on 45 of Vucevic's baskets, and Oladipo's assist total to Vucevic now also is up to 45. Oladipo agreed with Vucevic that they had trouble running pick-and-rolls earlier in the season. "You guys should've seen us," Oladipo told reporters. "Even in practice, on pocket passes and pick-and-rolls we just could not read each other. "It could even get better now. I'm just going to continue to build the chemistry, not only with him but all these guys and learning their favorite spots on the floor, where they like the ball and just studying film." Win total tied With their win, the Magic improved their record to 20-52 with 10 games remaining. They finished last season 20-62. LINK: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-orlando-magic-news-0327-20140326,0,1072546.story

MAGIC - BOBCATS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Thursday, March 27, 2014 The Bobcats were a combined 28-120 in (Kimba) Walker's first two NBA seasons, but things have changed for the better this year. Charlotte (35-37) has the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference and appears destined for the postseason, sitting five games ahead of ninth-place New York with 10 remaining. "It's exciting. It's different," Walker said Thursday as the Bobcats prepared for Friday night's visit to Orlando. "This is what I have been dreaming of my whole life. I've been waiting for this opportunity." Charlotte's turnaround is in no small part due to the arrival of free agent center Al Jefferson and the improved play of Walker, who said he's beginning to realize how valuable he can be on the court even if he's not the team's leading scorer. He's averaging 5.8 assists, but the difference has been in the last 13 games when Walker is averaging 7.5. The Bobcats could be a tough out in the playoffs if they're able to move up in the standings and avoid a first-round showdown with Indiana or Miami. Like most teams, they simply match up better with Toronto and Chicago. The Magic (20-52) held Jefferson and Walker to 10 points apiece in a 92-83 win in Charlotte on Dec. 11, but Jefferson scored 30 and grabbed 16 rebounds while Walker added 19 points and 10 assists in a 111-101 road victory Jan. 17. Orlando enters this matchup after snapping a nine-game losing streak with a 95-85 victory over visiting Portland on Tuesday to match last season's win total with 10 games remaining. "Have not mentioned one time what our record is to the team," coach Jacque Vaughn said. "What I do mention to those guys, and (will) when we practice on Thursday, is let's come to work and get better. That's how we'll continue to judge each other and continue to push each other." LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489948

WALLPAPER (Screen Resolution 1918 x 1292) LINK: http://imageshack.com/a/img841/875/96jp.jpg SCREENSAVER (File Name) NOTE: I could not upload the file for the screensaver to an image hosting site. Also, it cannot be posted on this message board. With a screensaver software, you can make your own from the desktop (wallpaper) image I posted. See the link.

Tuesday, March 25 @ 7:00 P.M.- EST, Orlando, FL Amway Center TV: Fox Sports Florida MAGIC Vs. TRAILBLAZERS MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) TRAILBLAZERS STARTERS

MAGIC - TRAILBLAZERS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Tuesday, March 25, 2014 The slumping Portland Trail Blazers came up just short against the two-time defending champs, but they appear to have a good chance to regroup before leaving Florida. With LaMarcus Aldridge likely out again, Portland tries to hand the last-place Orlando Magic a season worst-tying 10th consecutive defeat Tuesday night. The Trail Blazers (45-26) are hoping to avoid their eighth loss in 11 games after falling 93-91 at Miami on Monday. Portland stormed back from 17 down in the fourth quarter, but Damian Lillard's potential game-tying layup with just over a second to go was blocked. Portland got all it could handle from the Magic before pulling away in a 110-94 win Jan. 8, outscoring them 39-19 in the fourth quarter. Orlando (19-52) has dropped nine in a row after falling 103-94 at the Lakers on Sunday. The Magic, who lost 10 straight Dec. 31-Jan.17, are in danger of recording two double-digit skids in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the franchise's 25-year history. "I want our guys playing well, and playing well on a consistent basis. But we're not there yet," coach Jacque Vaughn told the team's official website. "We're continuing to grow. The challenge is for us to be consistently locked in on every single possession." Rookie Victor Oladipo again started in place of injured point guard Jameer Nelson (knee), finishing with 21 points and 10 assists. He was also responsible for eight of the team's 20 turnovers, though. "It's frustrating when you are trying not to do the wrong thing and bad things just happen," said Oladipo, averaging 4.3 turnovers in his last 12 starts. "I'm getting more and more comfortable as the year goes along. I might have some lulls and some ups and downs, but if I keep working hard eventually I will be consistent." Oladipo could match up against Lillard, who is 9 for 39 (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc over his last five games. Orlando is allowing teams to shoot 37.5 percent from long distance, tied for the league's second-worst mark. LINK:__http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489931

MAGIC STARTERS (Subject To Change) LAKERS STARTERS

MAGIC - LAKERS PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Sunday, March 23, 2014 Fans of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic have mostly been accustomed to seeing their teams in the playoffs. This year, those fans are enduring what could wind up as the Lakers' worst season since moving to Los Angeles, while Orlando is languishing near the bottom of the East for a second straight year. Both teams set out to end their current losing streaks Sunday in a bid to find some momentum. The Lakers (22-46) have lost four in a row and seven of eight, while Orlando (19-51) has dropped eight in a row, inching closer to matching its season-long 10-game slide from Dec. 31-Jan. 17. The Magic, who won't be in the postseason for a second straight year after reaching the postseason the previous six, have also lost 22 of 23 on the road. A 101-90 win at Phoenix on Feb. 26 is their only victory away from home in the calendar year. Los Angeles, which will miss the playoffs for just the sixth time in the franchise's 66 seasons, needs to finish 9-5 to avoid matching the 30-52 mark of the 1974-75 team that is the Lakers' worst since moving west. As poor as the Lakers' defense has been, Orlando has also been inept offensively, scoring 93 or fewer in three straight following an 89-88 loss at Utah on Saturday night. The Magic fell to 4-33 on the road and could end up having the worst road record in franchise history, currently held by the inaugural 1989-90 team that went 6-35. Victor Oladipo scored 19 but was 5 of 14 and is 14 for 40 over his last three games, which were all on the road. The rookie is shooting 38.7 percent away from home compared to 44.0 percent in Orlando. Jameer Nelson sat out for the second straight contest to rest his sore left knee. He's averaging 18.4 points while shooting 51.5 percent over his last five matchups with Los Angeles. The Lakers lost 114-105 at Orlando on Jan. 24 despite going 12 of 22 from 3-point range. The 54.5 3-point percentage was the team's highest in a loss this season. Tobias Harris tallied 28 points and 20 rebounds for the Magic, who claimed a 51-40 rebounding advantage. LINK:__ http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489919

MAGIC - JAZZ PREVIEW ESPN GO.com Friday, March 21, 2014 It's been a long season for the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, who sit at the bottom of their respective divisions. Both teams still appear to have plenty of fight in them, though. Victor Oladipo and fellow rookie Trey Burke go toe-to-toe as the visiting Magic try to avoid a seventh straight loss to the Jazz on Saturday night. Orlando (19-50) has dropped seven in a row overall after falling 109-93 at Phoenix on Wednesday. Tobias Harris scored 23 points off the bench and Arron Afflalo added 20, but the Magic were outscored 56-34 in the paint and 25-7 in transition. Orlando, which was without starting point guard Jameer Nelson due to a sore knee, also lost center Nikola Vucevic late in the first quarter after he drew two quick technical fouls. "We should never use excuses to begin with. That's how it's got to be," Harris told the team's official website. "If we're not going to come to work and play hard, you are hurting your teammates and your team. We're not going to win blaming excuses." Oladipo finished with 14 points and nine assists, but he shot just 6 of 18 and committed six turnovers. The Magic have been consistently bad against the Jazz, dropping six straight in the series. However, the last four of those defeats have all come by six points or less or gone to overtime. The Jazz (22-47) have dropped 11 of 12, including six straight by an average of 14.0 points. Utah cut into what was an 18-point deficit but couldn't make it all the way back in Wednesday's 96-86 loss at Memphis. LINK:__ http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400489910

(Subject To Change)