Pacers at Magic
THE STORY: The Orlando Magic have been at their Jekyll-and-Hyde finest this week, losing to the worst team in the NBA and then beating the best. If they play like they did Thursday at the Chicago Bulls, the Magic could keep Dwight Howard and make another run at the Finals. If they are more like the team that lost at Charlotte on Tuesday, it might be time to blow things up. The Magic will get another test Sunday when they host the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have dropped three straight and are coming off an overtime loss at Miami on Saturday.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSIN (Indiana), SUN (Orlando)
ABOUT THE PACERS (23-15): Indiana is not faring well against the difficult portion of its schedule. After winning six straight against losing teams, the Pacers have lost consecutive games to Chicago, Atlanta and the Heat. They put up a better fight on Saturday, forcing overtime before falling 93-91 on a last-second jumper by Dwyane Wade. Indiana has dropped two of the first three meetings with Orlando but cruised in the previous trip to Amway Center 106-85 on Jan. 29. Danny Granger went for 24 points and Darren Collison handed out 10 assists in that one.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (26-15): With the trade deadline looming on Thursday, Orlando has lees than a week to decide what to do with Howard, who demanded a trade all the way back in training camp. Howard has done nothing to diminish his value of late, averaging 28.2 points and 14.2 rebounds in five games this month. The Magic are currently sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference but are enduring the roughest part of their schedule, with the Heat and San Antonio Spurs up before the deadline and Miami and Chicago again shortly after. Orlando on Sunday will be without Hedo Turkoglu, who was suspended one game for making contact with an official.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Orlando has taken seven of the last eight in the series.
2. Howard has put up 21.7 points and 10.0 rebounds against Indiana this season.
3. Pacers C Roy Hibbert has been in a slump this month, averaging 6.0 points on 6-for-27 shooting in the last four games.