Pelicans at Magic
The Orlando Magic remain in the fight for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and are winning the games they're supposed to win at home with back-to-back victories over teams out of the race. The Magic will try to make it three such victories in a row when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Orlando sits 1 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat in the East and won its last four home games after shutting down Cleveland and Atlanta to begin the current five-game homestand. "From one-to-15 (players) today, I think everybody came with a focus to take care of business because we all know what’s on the line," Magic forward Wesley Iwundu told the team's website after Sunday's 101-91 triumph over the Hawks. "In this part of the season, we're fighting for the playoffs, man, so it's either win or pretty much fall further behind. So, we all know what's at stake." The Pelicans are no longer in the fight for a postseason spot but are making some individual noise with point guard Elfrid Payton, who is riding a streak of five straight triple-doubles. Payton recorded 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in Monday's 129-125 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks to join Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to record five consecutive triple-doubles.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (31-42): Payton is averaging 15.6 points, 12.8 assists and 12 rebounds over the last five games. "To be a point guard and be able to come up with double-digit rebounds night after night, that is really tough to do," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "Any time they mention you in the same breath as (Russell) Westbrook, you have to feel really good about it. If they mention you in the same breath as Oscar Robertson, that is another whole area. He's doing a good job not trying to force anything. He has really taken the rebounds that have come and making the plays that are there and the shots, also." Payton's prolific run did not result in a win until Monday, which snapped a six-game slide.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (33-38): All-Star center Nikola Vucevic collected 27 points and 20 rebounds on Sunday in his seventh consecutive double-double and is averaging 20.7 points and 12.1 boards as he tries to guide the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. "In past years, this time of year we'd already be planning our vacations, unfortunately," Vucevic told reporters. "It's much different now and much more fun. As a basketball player and a competitor, you want to be in this situation, fight for something, play for something and be in the big moments. So, it's up to us to respond." Vucevic is getting some help in the frontcourt from power forward Aaron Gordon, who averaged 21.5 points in the last two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic PF Jonathan Isaac went 0-of-7 from the floor on Sunday and is 3-of-16 over the last two contests, including 1-of-11 from 3-point range.
2. Pelicans PF Julius Randle is averaging 28.4 points over the last five contests.
3. Orlando breezed to a 118-88 victory at New Orleans on Feb. 12 behind 25 points and 17 rebounds from Vucevic.