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Slumping Sixers host Magic team mired in controversy

Apr 7, 2012 - 2:39 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of teams limping toward the postseason will try to stop free falls in Philadelphia on Saturday when the slumping Sixers host an Orlando Magic team engulfed in the latest Dwight Howard-related controversy.

The Magic lost their fifth straight on Thursday when Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Knicks earn a 96-80 victory over Orlando at Amway Center.

Howard returned for the Magic after missing two straight with back spasms, but went scoreless in the first half and finished with just eight points. Jason Richardson poured in 16 points to lead the way for Orlando.

The Magic are mired in a five-game losing streak for the first time since January of 2007 and now occupy the sixth spot in the East, one-half game behind Atlanta.

All that paled in comparison to went on off the court, however. Howard, who went scoreless in a half for just the second time this year, was at the center of a media whirlwind on Thursday, after rumors swirled that Howard requested the removal of head coach Stan Van Gundy.

"I know he has [asked that I be fired]," remarked Van Gundy as he addressed the situation at Thursday's afternoon shootaround. "That's just the way it is. Again, I've been dealing with that all year. It's not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job."

Howard denied that and went on to dispel any rumors about his discontent with Van Gundy, saying, "I am a player for the Magic. I am not the GM. I haven't said anything to anybody about anything. Our main concern is winning. So all the other stuff should stop."

The Sixers, meanwhile, continued their collapse on Wednesday, getting routed by lowly Toronto, 99-78.

Jrue Holiday and Elton Brand scored 20 points apiece, but Holiday had just three in the second half as the Sixers fell to 4-8 in their last 12 games.

Philadelphia started the season 20-9 but has gone just 9-16 since and is teetering on the brink. The Sixers are just one-game behind Boston for the Atlantic Division lead but are just 2 1/2 clear of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff slot.

The Sixers, currently sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference, were 3-for-20 against Toronto in the fourth quarter, including 13 straight missed shots from the 9:15 mark until Evan Turner hit a jumper in the final minute.

The loss came one night after the Sixers played the Miami Heat tough on the road in a 99-93 loss Tuesday.

"We just have to fight through it," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "This is who we've been. We play a decent game, then come back and have a tough one."

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala wore protective glasses in the first half after getting poked in the left eye by Mario Chalmers in Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat. He went 0-for-2 wearing the glasses, then 2-for-4 in the second half without them, scoring six points.

Orlando, which is hoping to have second-leading scorer Ryan Anderson back after he sat out the previous two games with a sprained right ankle, has won four of five over Philly.