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Sixers look to pull another Magic trick in Game Two

Apr 21, 2009 - 10:54 PM Philadelphia at Orlando, Eastern Conference first round, Philadelphia leads 1-0, 7 p.m. EDT

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Seldom-used Donyell Marshall's new nickname is "secret weapon," one his Philadelphia 76ers teammates greet with a laugh.

"If that's what you call playing once in 10 games," fellow Sixers reserve Kareem Rush joked.

For a team built around youth, Philadelphia leaned on aging veterans like Marshall to win the playoff opener against the Orlando Magic. The Sixers will likely need another strong performance from their bench if they have any chance for a repeat in Game 2 on Wednesday night.

A 15-year NBA veteran who has played sparingly this season, Marshall was perhaps the most important -- and surprising -- player during the Sixers' rally from 18 points down to win Game 1. Marshall's 11 points all came in the fourth quarter, including the tying 3-pointer in the final minute.

"Hey, I'm always going in with us down 15 points or whatever," Marshall said. "It's easy. I have no conscience."

Philadelphia coach Tony DiLeo used 11 players against Orlando. The Sixers bench outscored the Magic's reserves 42-13, a major reason why they now have home-court advantage.

Louis Williams had 18 points off the bench, and then there was 36-year-old Theo Ratliff banging with Dwight Howard to keep him from getting a few crucial rebounds late. Despite getting dunked on a few times by Howard, Ratliff's box-out ability was enough to earn him a nickname, too.

"Superbooty beats Superman," teammates teased him after the win.

"Dwight gets the ball down low it's usually two points," Ratliff said. "You got to do whatever you can."

The Magic simply want a better defensive effort.

Once heavy favorites to beat the Sixers, they now find themselves in a pressure-packed game on their home floor before the best-of-seven series shifts to Philadelphia. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said his team is still angry at the outcome but it's no time to panic.

"People are a little more upset than usual," Van Gundy said. "If you're not, there's something wrong with you. We didn't do our job and we lost home-court advantage. My overriding sense in the locker room is that it's a confident group who thinks we're a good team. They're determined to go after it in Game 2 knowing that it won't be easy."

The Sixers were able to take advantage of a pair of usually reliable Magic starters.

Forwards Hedo Turkoglu (sprained left ankle) and Rashard Lewis (right knee tendinitis) are still slowed by injuries, and it showed in Game 1. The Sixers went after the duo throughout, with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young scoring on them seemingly at will.

The poor play carried over on offense.

The usually sharp-shooting forwards are the Magic's leading scorers behind Howard but combined for just 21 points, with each clanking jumpers in the final minute that could have sealed a win. Turkoglu said he's not close to being healthy and likely would miss time if this was a regular-season game, and Lewis' knee problems are always a mystery.

Adding to it, Howard enters the game with his own injury.

Howard was inadvertently scratched in the eyes by Sixers center Samuel Dalembert late in the third quarter and has been feeling a "pulsating" sensation. Howard's eyes were still red and blurry Tuesday, but he said the injury won't be a problem.

"I always tell this story, but Samuel Dalembert had some kryptonite on his hands," Howard joked. "(General manager) Otis Smith gave me a drink from Krypton and it got all cleared up."

For the second straight year, the Sixers find themselves up 1-0 against a heavy favorite. They took Game 1 from Detroit a year ago before losing the series in six games.

Philadelphia believes this year's Game 1 was no fluke and they've learned from those mistakes.

"I think we're a year together," DiLeo said. "We have a year's experience. A lot of our players have grown. We have to have the right mind-set, and I think we will show it. I know we will."