Wolves gameday

Last update: April 11, 2008 - 12:18 AM

Preview: The Magic has won its first division title since Shaquille O'Neal played in Orlando in 1996 and has secured the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. At 49-29, this is the Magic's first winning season since 2002-2003's 42-40 record. ... Go figure: The Magic won at Cleveland, then lost at New York in back-to-back games to begin the week, and then thumped Chicago 115-83 at home on Wednesday. ...The Wolves have lost six consecutive games and eight of their past nine, a stretch that has them aimed now, with their 19-59 record, at the third-most NBA draft lottery chances, behind Miami and Seattle. ...The Magic is 4-0 in overtime games. ... Dwight Howard had 28 points and 16 rebounds and Rashard Lewis scored 27 (including seven three-pointers) in the Magic's 111-103 victory at Target Center way back on Nov. 6, the season's third game.

Player to watch: The only player who has more double-double games this season than Wolves star Al Jefferson is Magic center Dwight Howard, whose 67 in 78 games is 15 more than Jefferson's 52. Howard also has had 20 points and 20 rebounds eight times this season. He leads the NBA in rebounding with 14.4 a game and leads the Magic in scoring with a 21-point average.

Did you know? The Magic has season award-winning candidates in Hedo Turkoglu for Most Improved Player and Stan Van Gundy for Coach of the Year, and you could make an argument for Howard as Most Improved, too, for how he has learned to dominate.

Injuries: Wolves forward Craig Smith strained the joint that connects his collarbone to his breastbone late in Wednesday's loss to New Orleans, did not practice on Thursday and is listed as day-to-day. A few days ago, it looked as if Sebastian Telfair might play tonight for the first time since spraining his ankle in Sacramento on March 7, but he did not accompany the team Thursday on this two-game trip to Orlando and Memphis.

JERRY ZGODA

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