• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Magic top Bobcats, clinch East's sixth seed

Apr 26, 2012 - 2:55 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - J.J. Redick scored a career-high 31 points and the Orlando Magic clinched the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 102-95 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats are left with one more chance to avoid finishing with the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

The Magic will finish the regular season Thursday at Memphis, then play No. 3 seed Indiana in the first round of the playoffs.

"We needed this win," said Redick. "I don't think any of us wanted to go into that Memphis game with the uncertainty of who we're going to be playing. So it was an important game -- and it was our last home game, so it was nice to give the fans something to cheer for."

Redick made 6-of-10 three-pointers, hitting three in a big first quarter and two on consecutive trips down the court late in the fourth to double Orlando's lead to 12.

Ryan Anderson added 24 points and 13 rebounds, but Glen Davis left the game with a sprained right ankle after stepping on the foot of Bobcats forward Byron Mullens late in the first quarter. Davis has been starting for injured center Dwight Howard.

The Bobcats, led by D.J. Augustin's 23 points, remained prone to setting a dubious NBA record.

At 7-58, they will have to beat the Knicks at home on Thursday to avoid the worst record by percentage in league history. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers hold the current record at 9-73 for a .110 winning percentage.

Charlotte has lost a franchise-record 22 games in a row.

The Magic carried a 10-point lead into the third quarter and it was still 10 entering the fourth. In between, they had to fight to stay ahead.

The Bobcats used an 11-2 run to pull within 67-66 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the quarter. But Orlando scored seven straight, getting a key three-pointer from Jameer Nelson, and stayed in the lead.

The Magic were up 83-73 going into the fourth, but led by only six before Redick hit his back-to-back three-pointers. The second gave Orlando a 98-86 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left and is was never closer than the final margin.

Redick knocked down three of the Magic's seven three-pointers in the first quarter, including one that gave them their first double-digit lead at 22-12.

The Magic led by as many as 16 in the quarter and carried a 37-24 advantage into the second.

They were 7-of-11 on threes in the first -- Redick went 3-for-3 and scored 13 -- but cooled off in the second quarter, shooting under 39 percent and just 3- for-11 from beyond the arc.

The Bobcats trimmed a 17-point deficit to 10 in the last 5 1/2 minutes and went to the locker room down 57-47.

Game Notes

Bobcats forward Derrick Brown was helped off the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury...The Magic are 4-5 in Howard's latest absence. He had season-ending back surgery last week...Orlando snapped a three-game losing streak...The Bobcats beat the Magic on March 6 for one of their seven wins this season, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series.