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Magic-Rockets Preview

Feb 23, 2010 - 11:23 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Orlando (38-19) at Houston (28-27), 8:30 p.m. EDT

Beating the team with the best record in the NBA should have served as a reminder that the Orlando Magic are the reigning Eastern Conference champions. Now, the Southeast Division leaders will try to avoid a letdown.

The Magic look to sweep the season series from the struggling Houston Rockets for the first time in eight years Wednesday night.

Orlando (38-19) is second in the Eastern Conference, five games back of the league-leading Cavaliers, whom the Magic defeated in six games in last year's conference finals.

A playoff rematch is very possible, and Orlando got the better of visiting Cleveland on Sunday, beating them 101-95.

"Sometimes people do forget that we're the defending Eastern Conference champions," said forward Rashard Lewis, who had 15 points Sunday. "That's OK. We just got to keep playing hard, because we know we might see them again."

Dwight Howard will try to help the Magic build on Sunday's win when they visit Houston (28-27), loser of four of five and on the outside of the top eight in the West standings.

Howard had 22 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks Sunday, giving him averages of 28.0 points, 16.3 boards and 5.3 blocks the last three games. The All-Star center leads the NBA with 13.5 rebounds per game and 2.8 blocks.

"He's playing as well as anybody in the league," coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Howard pulled down 20 boards while adding 13 points and four blocks in a 102-87 home win over the Rockets on Dec. 23 after Orlando dropped 12 of the previous 14 meetings since sweeping the season series in 2001-02.

Houston is still trying to find some cohesion after making a three-team, seven-player deal prior to Thursday's trade deadline. The move landed Kevin Martin with the Rockets and sent Tracy McGrady to New York.

Martin, who averaged 19.8 points in 22 games with Sacramento, scored 13 points on 5 of 12 from the field in a 102-94 loss at New Orleans on Sunday. That was an improved shooting performance from the guard's team debut a night earlier, when he made 3 of 16 shots for 14 points in a 125-115 loss to Indiana as Houston's home slide reached three games.

The Rockets haven't dropped four in a row at Toyota Center since a five-game skid March 13-26, 2006.

"It's like starting over," said rookie swingman Chase Budinger, who scored 18 against the Hornets. "We have new faces on the team and we are just trying to get used to one another. \2026 The next few days are going to be very important for us."

Martin was held to a season low-tying five points in his last meeting with Orlando, a loss with the Kings on Jan. 22.

Budinger has provided solid scoring off the bench lately, averaging 13.3 points on 15 of 22 shooting in the last three games. A sprained ankle sidelined him for the last meeting with Orlando.