ducks
04-06-2005, 11:08 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic are running out of time to make a playoff push.
Kirk Hinrich scored 25 points, Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 22 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls beat Orlando 102-101 on Wednesday night to deal the Magic's postseason hopes a serious blow.
Combined with Philadelphia's win over Charlotte, Orlando is 2 1/2 games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff berth with seven games remaining. The Magic have lost three of four, and Grant Hill is out indefinitely with a sore left shin.
``It may look bleak, but I've seen stranger things happen,'' Orlando coach Chris Jent said. ``But we can't keep saying that.''
Hill, who has missed three straight games, underwent a CT scan earlier Wednesday and the team hopes to know the results Thursday.
Orlando general manager John Weisbrod said the pain in the shin isn't related to the ankle woes that sidelined Hill for most of the previous three seasons.
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The Bulls' victory came on the heels of a loss at Miami on Tuesday, which snapped their nine-game winning streak. Chicago now has a one-game lead over Washington for fourth place after the Wizards lost 105-93 to Detroit.
After Ben Gordon missed a runner on Chicago's final possession, Antonio Davis rebounded and was fouled by Kelvin Cato on the put-back try. Davis, shooting 74 percent from the line this season, missed the first then swished the second.
``After missing the first one you don't feel good about the second one,'' said Davis, finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. ``But you step up, relax and shoot it the same way.
``Once it went down I felt good, but you have to play defense because Stevie Francis has shown time and time again that he can score the ball with 1.9 seconds or whatever the case may be.''
But Francis never got the ball. Orlando's bid for victory in its first overtime game of the season didn't come close, as Jameer Nelson's wild 3-pointer missed everything.
Francis had 28 points and 11 assists for the Magic, while Nelson added 18 points and eight rebounds.
Dwight Howard had 14 points, 15 rebounds and a season-high seven blocks. The Magic blocked 15 shots, a season best.
Photo
AP - Apr 6, 10:47 pm EDT
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Orlando, running and rebounding with vigor, opened an early 16-point lead. Howard had a three-point play off a fast break, and followed that with a fast-break dunk for a 23-7 lead.
Meanwhile, Chicago missed 16 of its first 19 shots.
``That first quarter was about as bad as we've played,'' Chicago coach Scott Skiles said.
Howard had eight rebounds early in the second quarter, only to pick up his second and third fouls over the next two minutes. That sent him to the bench, and the Bulls took advantage with a 23-10 tear over the next eight minutes to take the lead.
The teams were tied 49-all at halftime.
Notes
The Bulls are 3-1 in overtime. ... Orlando was the last team in the league to play an overtime game this season ... Chicago center Eddy Curry (irregular heartbeat) missed his fourth consecutive game, while Othella Harrington (wife giving birth) wasn't with the team for a second straight game. ... The last time Orlando lost a season series to Chicago was the 1997-98 season. Also, the Bulls hadn't won three straight games in Orlando since January 1991-January 1993, when they took four in a row. ... Francis was hit with a technical foul, his 21st, midway through the third quarter. ... Later in the period, Cato received a technical for shoving Andres Nocioni.
Kirk Hinrich scored 25 points, Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 22 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls beat Orlando 102-101 on Wednesday night to deal the Magic's postseason hopes a serious blow.
Combined with Philadelphia's win over Charlotte, Orlando is 2 1/2 games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff berth with seven games remaining. The Magic have lost three of four, and Grant Hill is out indefinitely with a sore left shin.
``It may look bleak, but I've seen stranger things happen,'' Orlando coach Chris Jent said. ``But we can't keep saying that.''
Hill, who has missed three straight games, underwent a CT scan earlier Wednesday and the team hopes to know the results Thursday.
Orlando general manager John Weisbrod said the pain in the shin isn't related to the ankle woes that sidelined Hill for most of the previous three seasons.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bulls' victory came on the heels of a loss at Miami on Tuesday, which snapped their nine-game winning streak. Chicago now has a one-game lead over Washington for fourth place after the Wizards lost 105-93 to Detroit.
After Ben Gordon missed a runner on Chicago's final possession, Antonio Davis rebounded and was fouled by Kelvin Cato on the put-back try. Davis, shooting 74 percent from the line this season, missed the first then swished the second.
``After missing the first one you don't feel good about the second one,'' said Davis, finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. ``But you step up, relax and shoot it the same way.
``Once it went down I felt good, but you have to play defense because Stevie Francis has shown time and time again that he can score the ball with 1.9 seconds or whatever the case may be.''
But Francis never got the ball. Orlando's bid for victory in its first overtime game of the season didn't come close, as Jameer Nelson's wild 3-pointer missed everything.
Francis had 28 points and 11 assists for the Magic, while Nelson added 18 points and eight rebounds.
Dwight Howard had 14 points, 15 rebounds and a season-high seven blocks. The Magic blocked 15 shots, a season best.
Photo
AP - Apr 6, 10:47 pm EDT
More Photos
Orlando, running and rebounding with vigor, opened an early 16-point lead. Howard had a three-point play off a fast break, and followed that with a fast-break dunk for a 23-7 lead.
Meanwhile, Chicago missed 16 of its first 19 shots.
``That first quarter was about as bad as we've played,'' Chicago coach Scott Skiles said.
Howard had eight rebounds early in the second quarter, only to pick up his second and third fouls over the next two minutes. That sent him to the bench, and the Bulls took advantage with a 23-10 tear over the next eight minutes to take the lead.
The teams were tied 49-all at halftime.
Notes
The Bulls are 3-1 in overtime. ... Orlando was the last team in the league to play an overtime game this season ... Chicago center Eddy Curry (irregular heartbeat) missed his fourth consecutive game, while Othella Harrington (wife giving birth) wasn't with the team for a second straight game. ... The last time Orlando lost a season series to Chicago was the 1997-98 season. Also, the Bulls hadn't won three straight games in Orlando since January 1991-January 1993, when they took four in a row. ... Francis was hit with a technical foul, his 21st, midway through the third quarter. ... Later in the period, Cato received a technical for shoving Andres Nocioni.