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Magic, Bucks face each other with dwindling playoff hopes

Mar 5, 2007 - 4:44 PM Milwaukee (22-38) at Orlando (28-33) 7:00 pm EST

ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- A pair of teams with dwindling playoff hopes meet Monday when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Orlando Magic.

The Bucks are tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference, six games out of the final playoff spot. The Magic are tied for ninth, one-half game out but hurtling in the wrong direction.

In late December, the Bucks were 16-15 and in contention in the deep Central Division. However, injuries to guards Michael Redd and Mo Williams and forward Charlie Villanueva sent the team into a tailspin that saw Milwaukee lose 22 of 25 games and fall out of the playoff picture.

Redd returned and fueled a three-game winning streak that was stopped Sunday with a 126-121 overtime loss to Chicago. The Bucks squandered an 18-point fourth-quarter lead and wasted a 52-point eruption by Redd, who made 18-of-32 shots, including eight 3-pointers.

Milwaukee is 0-2 this season when Redd scores 50-plus points. The Bucks also lost to Utah on November 11, when Redd exploded for a career-high 57 points.

While the Bucks can point to injuries, the Magic do not have a ready-made excuse as their season has unraveled amid sloppy play.

On January 10, Orlando was 22-14 and atop the weak Southeast Division. But the Magic have lost 19 of 24 games, with slides of five games (once), four (twice) and three (twice).

On Saturday, Orlando put up a strong fight in Dallas before succumbing, 103-98, for its third straight loss and seventh in eight games. All-Star forward Dwight Howard had 25 points and 10 rebounds, but the Magic committed a pair of key turnovers down the stretch.

With Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson as the prime culprits, Orlando averages a league-worst 17 turnovers per game.

The teams have split two games this season, with each winning on its home floor. Milwaukee has lost its last three visits to Orlando.