Being Overlooked
Toronto,Ont – After the Orlando Magic’s last game, guard Jameer Nelson said he hoped the team was still getting overlooked in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Considering the way the Magic have rebounded from their first back-to-back losses since the first two games of the season, Nelson’s wish is less likely to happen.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Magic -6 point spread favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 64% of more than 214 bets for this game have been placed on the Magic -6
The Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic go for their third straight win Sunday when they visit the Toronto Raptors.
Orlando (35-10) quickly jumped to the top of the Southeast early this season, but spent much of the first two months in the shadows of the conference’s other two division leaders – Cleveland and reigning NBA champion Boston.
Despite losing to the Celtics last Thursday and following that game with a loss to Miami, the Magic are just as much a part of the conversation at the top of the East as anyone.
They followed those losses with a 135-111 rout of Indiana on Tuesday before defeating Cleveland 99-88 on Thursday night. Dwight Howard, who got a league-record vote total in being named an All-Star starter last week, had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Cavaliers.
Nelson and forward Rashard Lewis, both selected as All-Star reserves earlier Thursday, added 18 and 19 points, respectively.
"I hope we’re still under the radar," Nelson said. "Right now, it doesn’t make a difference what people say about us a team and as individuals. We just want to reach our goals at the end of the season."
They’ll have a good chance of accomplishing those long-term goals if they can continue to dominate opponents the way they have been since last week’s disappointing defeats.
Orlando shot 54.9 percent from the field and fell four points shy of its season high against Indiana, then outscored Cleveland 44-32 in the second half.
"In order for us to win, we have to play our game. We fall into playing the other team’s game, we tend to lose," Howard said Thursday. "We played our game tonight. We ran, played inside-out, shot the ball with confidence, and that’s what we have to do when we play against a good team."
Orlando’s been able to play its style remarkably consistently on the road, where the Magic are a league-best 17-6.
That doesn’t bode well for a Toronto team that’s lost four of five at home. The Raptors (19-29) had won three straight overall before suffering a letdown at Air Canada Centre in their last game.
They were held to 12 points in the third quarter and didn’t threaten again in a 96-85 loss to Milwaukee on Friday night.
"We told our guys we can’t be outworked and we were," coach Jay Triano said. "We got behind and that was it."
The Magic, who eliminated the Raptors from the playoffs in five games in the first round last spring, have split their first two meetings with them this season. Orlando had four players score at least 18 points in a 103-90 home victory Nov. 18 before falling 108-102 in Toronto on Jan. 4.
Howard has scored 28.5 points per game while connecting on 19 of 29 shots (65.5 percent) against Toronto this season. Raptors All-Star forward Chris Bosh has averaged 31.5 points and 14.5 boards while shooting 61.3 percent (19-for-31) in those games.
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Posted: 2/1/09 1:10AM ET