Orlando Magic vs LA Clippers
When: 3/30/2021 10:00 PM
Where: Staples Center

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -550
PREDICTION: Orlando Magic, LA Clippers

Oddsmakers currently have LA Clippers listed as 10.5 point favorites versus Orlando Magic while the game’s total is sitting at 218.5.

In stride and feeling good about the road ahead, especially early in a stretch of nine consecutive home games, the Los Angeles Clippers will run into the definition of a trap game Tuesday when they face the Orlando Magic.

The Clippers, coming off an impressive 129-105 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, will play Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, who rode them out of last season’s playoffs.

In between, they will square off with the rebuilding Magic, who have lost 13 of their past 15.

Orlando is also 0-2 after Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Chicago Bulls and Evan Fournier was dealt with the Boston Celtics.

With the always-focused Kawhi Leonard leading the way, the chances of a Clippers letdown are slim. Leonard was at the heart of a balanced attack from the starters Monday as the Clippers defeated the Bucks without Serge Ibaka (back), Patrick Beverley (knee), and Paul George (foot).

Even newly acquired point guard Rajon Rondo was out with right adductor soreness while scoring backup guard Lou Williams was shipped off to the Atlanta Hawks.

Four Clippers starters had at least 20 points in Monday’s victory, with Marcus Morris Sr. scoring 25, Leonard 23, Luke Kennard 21, and Reggie Jackson 20. Morris was making just his ninth start of the season while Kennard was starting for the eighth time.

“We need everybody engaged, even guys who are not getting minutes,” Leonard said after Monday’s victory. “They’re watching the game, seeing details of what (they) need to get better at or whoever is on the floor. Just listen to what they’re saying and if I’m seeing the same thing when I’m out there.”

It is a commitment to unity that has helped the Clippers to seven victories in eight games, all without Ibaka on the floor.

“Everything we have been working on and was frustrated about earlier in the season, we’re finally starting to see it come together,” first-year Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said.

The Magic are a long way from executing at a high level. They will be playing their second consecutive game at Los Angeles after falling 96-93 to the Lakers on Sunday.

Orlando will have to improve on the effort it gave against the Clippers on Jan. 29, when the Magic were dominated at home 116-90. Vucevic and Fournier were on the floor in that contest, but the duo scored only a combined 18 points on 7-of-26 shooting.

Now the Magic need to have faith in newcomers such as Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and R.J. Hampton, all three of whom made their team debut off the bench Sunday against the Lakers.

Hampton scored 10 points, Carter had eight points with eight rebounds and Porter had five points.

“Everybody came out and competed, (it’s) just fine-tuning some little things,” Hampton said. “We got a lot of new guys. We are a very young team. Down the stretch, those key plays that we got to make, I think over the course of (the rest of) the season, we will definitely do that.”

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Orlando Magic vs Portland Trail Blazers
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Friday, January 13, 2017
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, KGW (Portland)
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 110, Magic 99

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers’ defense seems to be catching up to the offense, which is a good thing at the halfway point of the NBA season.

Portland (18-23) has put together strong back-to-back defensive performances heading into Friday night’s matchup with the Orlando Magic (16-24) at Moda Cener.

After limiting the Los Angeles Lakers to 38.6 percent shooting from the field in a 108-87 win at Staples Center on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers kept the Cleveland Cavaliers to a season-low 34.3 percent from the floor in a 102-86 romp on Wednesday at Moda Center.

“The last time we played them (a 137-125 loss at Cleveland on Nov. 23), they scored 80 in the first half,” point guard Damian Lillard said. “Tonight they barely got to 80 for the game. It’s a good measuring stick. Shows how much we’ve grown.”

Portland got the bulk of its offensive production against Cleveland from shooting guard CJ McCollum, who scored a game-high 27 points, and his backup, Allen Crabbe, who chipped in 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field.

McCollum has scored 25 points or more in seven straight games, the first Blazer to achieve that distinction since Clyde Drexler in 1987. Crabbe has made 25 of 34 shots from the field in the past three games.

A year ago, Portland hit the halfway point at 17-24 on its way to a 44-38 regular-season-record. The Blazers are a game ahead of that now, with hopes for a similar second-half surge.

“The last six or seven games, we’ve started playing basketball the way we want to play,” Lillard said. “We’ve continued to be true to who we are, we’ve kept working, and we’re finally starting to learn to be more consistent. It’s working in our favor.”

The Blazers believe they can begin to make a move up in the standings.

“It’s time to pick it up,” reserve forward Ed Davis said. “We have a schedule coming up where we can go eight out of 10, seven out of 10, nine out of 10 — something like that.”

There is less room for optimism for the Magic, who have lost four in a row, including the first two stops on their current six-game road trip.

“We knew it would be a tough trip,” guard Jodie Meeks said. “This isn’t the time to get down on ourselves. We have to keep competing and have faith that it will turn around. By no means are we out of the playoff hunt.”

Orlando’s 105-96 loss to the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday at Staples Center was frustrating in that the Magic led 75-73 after three quarters but was only 8 of 25 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“This is a make-or-miss league a lot of the time,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. “We didn’t make enough plays down the stretch.”

“It’s a game we should’ve won,” said forward Aaron Gordon, who scored a game-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field. “We had a couple of breakdowns here and there, a couple of lapses in defensive execution, a few too many turnovers. All those things lead to a loss.”

The Magic were hampered by the loss of power forward Serge Ibaka, who sat out the game with a sore right shoulder. Ibaka, who averages 16.6 points and 9.0 rebounds, is questionable.

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Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Clippers 103, Magic 91

LOS ANGELES — With Chris Paul back in the lineup and a renewed attention to defense, the Los Angeles Clippers are playing well again.

The Clippers will attempt to extend their four-game winning streak when they play the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Los Angeles (26-14) regrouped over the past four contests after dropping six in a row. The majority of those losses occurred without Paul, who was nursing a sore left hamstring, and Blake Griffin, who remains out after undergoing knee surgery last month.

However, Paul returned Friday in a 106-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings, hitting some clutch free throws to seal the win late, and was outstanding Sunday in a 98-86 win over the Miami Heat.

Although he isn’t completely up to speed physically, Paul finished with 19 points, 18 assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes against the Heat. Clippers coach Doc Rivers was able to rest Paul for much of the fourth quarter since his club increased a 13-point halftime edge to more than 20 points in the final period.

“I think (Paul) is good, but we are (regulating his minutes) anyway,” Rivers said. “Our whole thing (Sunday) was once we got a 20-point lead, Chris came out, and whenever Miami cut it, we put him back in. I knew we had two more days (off), so I figured we’d get him through this game, and it just gives us more time for him to get right.”

The Clippers have experienced plenty of success recently against the Magic (16-23). Los Angeles has won six in a row over Orlando, with the average margin of victories more than 15 points. The Clippers defeated the Magic 113-108 in their last meeting on Dec. 14 at Orlando.

The Magic, who lost 111-95 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, have had a few days in the City of Angels to work on their weaknesses. Losers of five of the past six, Orlando has been inconsistent on offense and lacking on defense.

Still, Magic coach Frank Vogel is perplexed by his team’s performances.

“It’s tough to figure out, and we just have to feel the game out better,” Vogel said. “When we’re too perimeter-oriented and the shots aren’t falling from the perimeter, we’ve got to drive the basketball more and get it inside and not settle. This team doesn’t pass the ball instinctually very well, and we preach it all the time.

“We show them the situations where they can improve, and they show flashes where they are making a real genuine effort and it looks good, but it leaves us for whatever reason.”

The Orlando players are exasperated.

“Very frustrating,” said forward Aaron Gordon, who managed just two points and missed all five of his field-goal attempts, including four 3-pointers, against the Lakers. “It’s January, a new year. We don’t expect to beat every team, but you are trying to make a push, trying to establish yourself with who you are in the league throughout the whole season, and (Sunday) we didn’t show it at all.”

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Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 6, 2017
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7 p.m. ROOT (Houston), FSN Florida (Orlando)
PREDICTION: Magic 113, Rockets 110

James Harden is the engine of the NBA’s most exciting offense.

The Houston Rockets entered Thursday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder as the third-ranked offense in the league, scoring 112.3 points per 100 possessions. Switching to raw statistics and the numbers look even more eye-popping – their 114.6 points per game is second in the league.

And Harden is a big part of that. In many ways, he is all of that.

Harden entered Thursday averaging 28.4 points per game with 8.2 rebounds per game and a league-best 11.9 assists per game. He posts a 33.7 percent usage rate – essentially meaning one-third of every Rockets possession ends with Harden taking a shot or turning it over.

Russell Westbrook is not the only one who is racking up triple-doubles. Harden’s 23-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game against the Washington Wizards marked his third straight triple-double.

The streak was just broken in Houston’s 116-114 win over Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Harden posted 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists, dishing out a free throw assist to Nene for the game-winning points.

That does not count to his assist total. But Harden is where the Rockets go first, second and third, trusting him to make the right play.

His statistical outbursts do not feel any different, it would seem, because coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense seems to be the perfect fit for Harden’s skills.

“I’ve never seen it done before,” Harden told the Houston Chronicle. “It felt no different. Obviously, I made shots. Just getting guys involved, guys made shots. And I still thought we could have played better.

“We had a couple opportunities we missed open 3s, missed layups, a dunk I never really miss. Overall, it felt like a normal game, other than I made more shots.”

Harden has nine triple-doubles this season, behind only Westbrook. He still has the ability to get to the line at will and score points in huge bunches. Now he has added the passing to go with that.

Triple-doubles are not easy to do. The league saw just 75 triple-doubles last year. The league has seen 42 this year nearing the midway point. Twenty-five of them are by Harden and Westbrook.

This is in the NBA. So seeing eye-popping numbers like this is both surprising and not surprising. These are the best players in the world, after all. With the way teams in the league play today with 3-point shooting and up-tempo offenses, it is not surprising in a way to see such gifted playmakers dominating box scores.

“The way the game is being played now with more shots, it gives guys a lot of opportunity to get rebounds and a lot of opportunity to get rebounds,” Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton said. “I’m not blown away because of the style of play that is being played in the league right now. It’s definitely tough, but there are a lot more opportunities out there with the game being played faster, with more shots and teams playing faster.”

But triple-doubles are hard to come by. Elfrid Payton has three triple-doubles to his name, including back-to-back triple doubles in his rookie year in 2015. No player has averaged a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson in 1962. To see two players flirting with it is nothing short of historic.

That will be part of the challenge the Magic’s struggling defense will take on when Harden and the Rockets come to town Fon riday night.

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Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Florida (Orlando)
PREDICTION: Magic 109, Hawks 106

Oddsmakers currently have the Hawks listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Magic, while the game’s total has not yet been posted.

There is usually a clear signal when the Orlando Magic are playing well. It does not take long to look at the box score to find that key missing ingredient or to watch a game and know something is different.

When young reserve point guard Elfrid Payton is playing well, the Magic are typically a much better team. The former 10th overall pick, who lost his starting spot but still plays the most minutes at point guard, is the key to the success for Orlando, which hosts the Atlanta Hawks at the Amway Center on Wednesday.

“He’s competing,” Magic coach Frank Vogel said about his young point guard last week. “It’s my job to figure out if it’s best to keep him where he is where he is having great success or move him back to the starting lineup.

“I would like to see him do this over a consistent stretch. And I may still keep him where it’s at because he has had success there.”

Payton, known for his passing ability more than anything else, has always been a bit difficult to figure out. He is averaging a career-best 11.4 points per game and dishing out 5.9 assists per game, but his shooting remains a concern.

Payton is shooting 45.3 percent from the floor but just 25.9 percent from beyond the arc. His two-point percentages have improved dramatically, making him a better offensive threat, but his play is still largely inconsistent.

In wins, Payton’s play is significantly better. He averages 13.7 points per game and 7.1 assists per game. He makes 51.4 percent of his field goals and 39.0 percent of his 3-pointers in wins. That includes scoring a career-high 26 points, dishing out 14 assists and making 9 of 12 shots in an 11-point win over the Hawks in mid-December.

As the point guard controlling the tempo and aggression for the team, no player probably has more effect over the Magic than Payton and the production he accumulates.

The same might be said of Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder.

Like Payton, Schroder came into the league known more for his defense and less for his shooting. The Hawks, though, turned the team over to their young point guard this season after trading longtime starter Jeff Teague.

Schroder is averaging a career-high 17.5 points and 6.3 assists per game thanks to the increased role. He is making 46.3 percent of his shots and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc, both career highs too.

In wins, Schroder averages 19.3 points per game and 6.2 assists per game while making 49.0 percent of his shots and 46.2 percent of his 3-pointers. Schroder also has a massive effect when he gets his offense going. That was proven in the Hawks’ overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

“I just try to help the team win games,” Schroder told Hawks.com after a recent overtime win over the New York Knicks. “I try to lead the team. Whatever it takes, I try to do it and try to help my teammates out.”

Schroder has done a good job leading the Hawks, putting them in good position in the already crowded Eastern Conference. His game already has taken itself to a new level.

Both the Magic and the Hawks are clearly better when their young point guards play at their best. All eyes will be on them Wednesday.

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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, FSN Florida (Orlando)
PREDICTION: Magic 98, Pelicans 95

Oddsmakers currently have the Magic listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Pelicans, while the game’s total is sitting at 204.

Anthony Davis is toiling on his own while putting up gaudy numbers to start the season for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The superstar forward averages 30.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game for the 2-9 squad. He is shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, impressive for a high-usage player such as Davis.

Davis, after a year dealing with injuries and his team’s own struggles, is reclaiming his spot atop the league as one of the most unique and singular talents.

Again though, the Pelicans’ injury issues and his team’s struggles are holding his stardom back.

New Orleans, which picked up its second victory of the season Monday night at home against the Boston Celtics, has only two other players averaging at least 10 points. The fourth-highest scorer, Lance Stephenson, was cut a week ago. The team is still hurting to score, averaging 98.9 points per 100 possessions.

Davis takes a lot of attention, but he needs help. The good news is he may very well get it soon.

New Orleans Stats:
Team record: 2-9 SU,4-7 ATS
New Orleans is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games
New Orleans is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of New Orleans’s last 15 games

Wednesday’s game in Orlando may very well be the last one for Davis without former All-Star guard Jrue Holiday running alongside him. Holiday has been out the entire training camp and preseason to be with his wife, U.S. Women’s Soccer star Lauren Holiday, after the birth of their child and surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.

The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Holiday will return to the team for Thursday’s practice and play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters Holiday has been working out twice per day and appears in great shape as he rejoins the team.

It is something the Pelicans desperately need.

“It will probably take him a couple of games to get back, but as long as he is on the floor it’s going to be good,” Davis told the New Orleans Times Picayune. “When you are missing one of your guys and they come back around, it’s always a happy feeling.”

Holiday averaged 16.8 points per game and 6.0 assists per game in 65 games last year for New Orleans. Adding him back to the lineup will be a major benefit and support to Davis and the Pelicans’ fledgling offense.

Until he returns, they can take solace in playing another team that is struggling as much as they are.

The Magic (4-7) scored only 69 points against the Indiana Pacers in a 19-point loss Monday. Their 33 percent shooting continued to crater their league-worst 41.0 percent shooting this season. Like the Pelicans, the Magic rank near the bottom of the league in points per 100 possessions.

Orlando Stats:
Team record: 4-7 SU,3-8 ATS
Orlando is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando’s last 7 games

“We had a few games now where we just can’t score, we can’t find a rhythm offensively,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic told the Orlando Sentinel following Monday’s game. “I don’t know the exact reason for it. We’re getting good shots. Maybe we can get better shots.”

Magic coach Frank Vogel called his team’s performance Monday “very disappointing,” especially after scoring 119 points in Oklahoma City the night before in an emotional victory.

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Orlando At Miami
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, April 13, 2015
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), Sun Sports (Miami)
PREDICTION: Heat 103, Magic 100
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Oddsmakers currently have the Heat listed as 9-point favorites versus the Magic, while the game’s total is sitting at 197½.

Miami guard Dwyane Wade had a philosophical view after Saturday’s loss to Toronto all but sealed Miami’s playoff fate. “It’s unfortunate but it’s a part of life,” Wade told reporters. “But I’m proud of every guy who came in here, from the D-League, from China, wherever they were and represented the Heat the right way this year.” Wade scored 30 points in the loss against the Raptors and has tallied 24 or more in three of the past five games.

Last time out for Miami, they were a 107-104 loser as they battled the Raptors at home. The Heat failed to cover in the match as a -3.5-point favorite, while 211 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 35-45 SU,34-43-3 ATS
Miami is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami’s last 6 games
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Guard Victor Oladipo scored 21 points against the Knicks but it was due more to hoisting up 25 shots (making eight) than being efficient. Oladipo is shooting just 35.8 percent over the last five games, beginning with a 4-of-19 effort against Minnesota on Apr. 3. Center Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 13 rebounds against New York after going three straight games without a double-double.

Orlando was a 80-79 loser in its last match at home against the Knicks. They failed to cover the -11-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 159 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 25-55 SU,41-38-1 ATS
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando’s last 6 games
Orlando is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road

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When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, November 9, 2014
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), YES (Brooklyn)
PREDICTION: Magic 105, Nets 100
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Oddsmakers currently have the Nets listed as 9½-point favorites versus the Magic, while the game’s total is sitting at 200.

Williams, who struggled with injuries most of the 2013-14 season, poured in 29 points and dished out six assists in the 110-99 victory over the rival New York Knicks on Friday. Healthier seasons for Williams and center Brook Lopez (16 points) will open up more room for Johnson to operate, and he is prospering so far while averaging 21.2 points. Veteran forward Kevin Garnett has been limited to a little more than 23 minutes per game, averaging eight points and 8.4 rebounds.

Team record: 3-2 SU,3-2 ATS
Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Brooklyn’s last 8 games
Brooklyn is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games at home
Brooklyn is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home

The Nets were a 110-99 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Knicks. They covered the -6-point spread as favorites, while the total score (209) made winners of OVER bettors.

Gordon made 6-of-9 from the field, including two 3-pointers, to score a season-best 17 and coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters “his energy was contagious.” Payton, a point guard who turned the ball over six times in his second game, had just one in 39 minutes against Minnesota and is averaging 6.5 assists. Harris has produced 18.7 points and 11 rebounds over the last three contests and 7-0 center Nikola Vucevic is among the league leaders with four double-doubles.

In their last action, Orlando was a 112-103 winner at home against the Timberwolves. They covered the +4-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (215) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 2-4 SU,2-4 ATS
Orlando is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Orlando is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Orlando is 5-18-2 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
Orlando is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games on the road

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“There’s been a lot of second pick busts,” Parker said Saturday morning, at the grand opening of the redesigned Jordan space inside Nike Chicago. “I’m just trying not to be that bust. Everyday that I step on the court, I just remind myself that I have a long ways to go. If I want to be one of those guys in the first tier of the NBA, like a LeBron, like a Kobe, like a [Blake Griffin], then I have to have that mentality starting off from the ground, and work my way up.”

Parker knows his history.

There is an unusually high amount of players who could rightfully be labeled as being busts that were taken second overall. The list is long, and includes names like Darko Milicic, Michael Beasley, and perhaps most famously Sam Bowie, who the Blazers took second in the 1984 draft, with Michael Jordan’s name still on the board.

In recent years, the players picked second don’t appear like they’ll amount to much, either, though there is still time. Victor Oladipo, last year’s number two pick, seems just fine. But Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Derrick Williams, Evan Turner and Hasheem Thabeet all appear to be miles away from living up to that level of expectation.

Parker is entering the league with a rebuilding Bucks team, and playing his whole life at winning programs like Duke University and Simeon Career Academy high school, he hasn’t experienced much losing. He seems prepared to handle whatever his first season may bring, however, and said his brief professional experience at Summer League in Las Vegas has helped prepare him to meet that challenge.

“I definitely learned that winning isn’t guaranteed, especially in the Summer League,” Parker said. “So I just have to have that gratitude, and just be grateful for every win that I get. If I have that attitude, then we’ll bring some good things to Milwaukee, and hopefully bring those out into the playoffs if we get the chance.”

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That’s how long it took Carmelo Anthony to show he was back, pulling up comfortably for a 3-pointer on New York’s first possession.

“Big-time relief,” the Knicks coach said. “I mean, lets me know that Melo’s being Melo.”

And the Knicks looked like the Knicks from earlier in the season, before Anthony’s struggles halted their momentum.

Anthony scored 21 points after missing the previous three games with a knee injury, and the Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 106-94 on Wednesday night.

J.R. Smith had 22 points for New York, still short-handed in the frontcourt but looking much better with Anthony back. The NBA’s second-leading scorer hadn’t played since leaving the Knicks’ road trip last week to have fluid drained from the back of his right knee. He said it felt better right after going to the hospital after he had been feeling discomfort for weeks.

“I feel good, I feel healthy,” Anthony said. “I’m glad I went and got that procedure done so I put that behind me now.”

He moved well and shot 7 of 14 while grabbing eight rebounds as the Knicks closed in on a playoff spot they could wrap up this week.

“Any time you have a great scorer like that, it’s going to be tough for you. Not one person in the league, in the world can guard him 1-on-1,” Magic guard Jameer Nelson said. “So you’ve got to do different things and try to get him out of his rhythm. I thought he did a great job by being patient and taking shots when he wanted to or needed to, and passing it when the double-team came.”

The Knicks shot 53 percent and won their second straight after dropping the first four games of their five-game trip. All-Star center Tyson Chandler is expected to miss about a week with a bulging disk, and reserve forwards Amare Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas all could miss the rest of the regular season. But New York had no trouble despite using a small lineup that featured 6-foot-9 Kenyon Martin as the center.

Iman Shumpert, who joined Anthony, Martin, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni in the lineup, sat out after hurting his knee late in the first half. He said he was scared after hearing a pop, having torn up his knee last spring, but trainers told him it was likely scar tissue. He sat on the bench in uniform and Woodson said he could have returned, but kept him out as the Knicks blew it open.

Tobias Harris and Andrew Nicholson each scored 14 points for the Magic in their fifth straight loss. They played without center Nikola Vucevic because of an illness in the second night of a difficult back-to-back, after falling by 22 at Indiana on Tuesday.

New York beat Orlando for the sixth straight time and swept the season series for the first time since 1997-98.

Anthony said he was feeling pain just before the All-Star break, more than a month ago. The knee became worse when the Knicks had games on back-to-back nights against Miami and Cleveland on March 3-4, and he fell to the court without contact while trying to catch a pass in the second game.

He missed the next three games, then came back. But he was clearly limited in losses at Golden State and Denver, totaling just 23 points, and he finally realized the knee needed more than just rest.

“I was worried because I didn’t really know what was the cause of it, what was going on,” he said. “I knew for sure that it wasn’t no ligament damage or anything like that, so I just wish that I could have gotten to the bottom of it quicker or we could’ve got to the bottom of it quicker.”

He had rejoined the team on the West Coast following the procedure but didn’t want to rush back, and determined he was ready Wednesday after feeling good over the last couple of days.

New York built a 22-7 lead after consecutive 3-pointers by Smith and Chris Copeland capped a 10-0 run. They led 26-15 after one, but Orlando got untracked with a 31-point second quarter, cutting it to 51-46 at the half.

The Knicks put it away midway through the third, getting two free throws and a follow shot by Anthony to start a 10-2 burst that extended a 10-point lead to 78-60.

“I think they’re the hardest team to defend in the NBA. With Melo and his ability to score and play the 4 and then with four shooters all around him, it’s hard to help out and get back. You saw tonight they made a lot of 3s,” Harris said. “They’re definitely a tough match-up team and that’s what makes them so good.”

Game notes

Woodson said he didn’t expect the Knicks to make any moves to fortify the frontcourt because Wallace and Thomas could be back around the start of the playoffs. And he said he still “absolutely” believes in the Knicks’ decision to load up on older players over the summer, believing the injuries happened because the veterans played more minutes than expected because of injuries to other players. … Thomas said he’d had a stress fracture in his foot in 2006 while playing for Phoenix and had learned recently it didn’t completely heal. … The Knicks wished director and leading fan Spike Lee a happy birthday between the first and second quarters. … Magic coach Jacque Vaughn was ejected from Tuesday’s game and said he didn’t want to discuss his feelings about Indiana’s physical play for fear of losing more money, smiling that his wife was mad about the fines that come with the two technical fouls he received during the loss to the Pacers.

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