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Pressure is on Magic against Sixers

Apr 18, 2009 - 6:50 PM Philadelphia at Orlando, Eastern Conference first round, 5:30 p.m. EDT

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy have mapped out a playoff plan. Now it's time for the Orlando Magic's star player and coach to put it to work.

A 59-win regular season has ballooned expectations and put pressure on the Magic's leading men to make a deep playoff push. That road begins Sunday against a Philadelphia 76ers team eager to break its own trend of early postseason exits.

"If we don't get as far as we need to go, the two people standing on the firing line are he and I," Van Gundy said.

The duo discussed the importance of staying focused, not worrying about the officials' calls and keeping the team motivated, Howard said.

"It's really on me and him," Howard said. "We're going to be the ones to really get our team over the hump or have to carry our team. As me and him go, the team will go."

With the prospect that the Boston Celtics may be without Kevin Garnett for the playoffs, many in Orlando feel the path is paved for the Magic to make it to at least the Eastern Conference finals. The 23-year-old Howard is already in his fifth year, but like many young All-Stars he hasn't made it past the second round.

Expectations for him have never been higher.

"This is what we've been waiting for. It's playoff basketball," Howard said. "It's time for us to really step our games up and try to build a legacy."

Philadelphia's plans are much more modest.

The Sixers (41-41) enter the playoffs having just ended their six-game losing streak with a shaky overtime win against a Cleveland team that rested LeBron James and most of its starters. The skid has sapped Philadelphia's confidence.

"I can't pinpoint it, but we just lost it mentally," Sixers guard Andre Miller said.

Getting back their groove against Howard and the Magic won't be easy.

One of the league's most dominant centers, Howard's inside muscle is surrounded with free-shooting perimeter players. That formula presents a major matchup dilemma for any team, but has particularly given fits to the Sixers, who have lost all three games against the Magic this season.

Philadelphia has not won a playoff series since beating New Orleans in the first round in 2003 and is simply hoping to end that slide.

"We can go out and prove ourselves," Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said. "Would we liked to have finished better? No question. We would have liked that momentum for the playoffs, but there's nothing we can do about that now. I think the team is in a good state of mind."

The Magic also begin the playoffs in somewhat of a funk.

They ended a season-high, three-game losing streak with a win over Charlotte on Wednesday. Injuries to starters Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu have thrown off Orlando's rhythm. The forwards will be in the lineup Sunday for the first time in more than a week.

Rusty or not, the Magic believe it's time they take the next step in the postseason. Veterans like Lewis and Turkoglu are especially mindful of not taking playoff appearances for granted.

"We have to take advantage of the window of opportunity," Lewis said.

Until last year, the Magic hadn't been past the first round of the playoffs since 1996. The franchise still hasn't made it beyond the second round since that year, when they were swept in four games by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals.

Finishing a win shy of tying the best record in franchise history this year, the pressure to show postseason progress is greater than ever, particularly on Howard.

The Magic's superstar is still the youngest player on the team and likely has years of title runs ahead of him. But he said he doesn't want to let any opportunity slip.

Part of his discussions with Van Gundy, Howard said, focused on starting to build a strong legacy. Howard said it wouldn't be a hole in his resume if never gets a championship, but quickly added, "It would be a hole in my heart."