Stan Van Gundy was not happy with Charlotte's clean-up crew Saturday night.

Finally, a close game for the Orlando Magic. The Magic defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 91-88 on Saturday night, their first down-to-the-wire game in more than five months.

The win, however, was marred by an injury to Vince Carter, who slipped on a wet spot on the floor and injured his hip. The links will explain.

1. Magic hold off Bobcats, but Vince Carter injured in wet floor mishap, Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel

The Buzz: Stan Van Gundy was “pissed off” after last night’s game because of the floor incident.

2. Vince Carter has a strained right hip flexor, Dan Savage, OrlandoMagic.com

The Buzz: Carter’s day to day, according to Savage’s Twitter.

3. Magic-Bobcats Postgame Analysis, John Denton, OrlandoMagic.com

The Buzz: Denton provides his analysis on the game last night.

4. Bobcats rally from 19, fall just short to Magic, Rick Bonnell

The Buzz: The Charlotte Observer’s story on the game.

Continue reading Orlando Magic and NBA News: Sunday, Nov. 7 »

The Orlando Magic’s 2010-2011 NBA season of the strange continued Saturday night in Charlotte, and I’m not even talking about the bizarre hip-flexor injury to Vince Carter.

The Charlotte Observer reports that a New York City murder suspect was arrested at the Magic-Bobcats game at Time Warner Cable Arena.

This from the Observer:

Continue reading Murder suspect arrested at Magic-Bobcats game »

If you’re reading this, you’re at the right place if you’re interested in chatting during the Magic/Bobcats showdown slated for 7 p.m. Come in and join! We don’t bite, and if we did it wouldn’t matter anyway because this is an Internet chat.

Mickael Pietrus, upset about playing time earlier in the week, sparked the Magic's victory Friday night. (Stephen M. Dowell, Orlando Sentinel)

After the Magic’s dominating second half propelled them to a victory over the Nets last night, they will play the Bobcats tonight at 7 p.m. in Charlotte. Let’s jump straight into some links to get us up to speed with all things Magic.

1. Twitter king Dwight Howard bests Nets’ Brook Lopez in win, Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel

The Buzz: Howard completely owned Lopez last night, forcing Lopez to miss his first 13 shots.

2. Workplace Tension In Orlando, Sekou Smith, NBA Hangtime

The Buzz: Coach-player friction isn’t always a bad thing, Smith says.

3. Lopez as Orlando Magic top New Jersey Nets, 105-90, Stefan Bondy, New York Daily News

The Buzz: A New York perspective of Howard’s ownage of Lopez last night. Lopez even left the game with a black eye.

4. Magic’s Gundy bothered by Villanueva’s tweets of in-game trash talking, Antonio Gonzalez, Associated Press

The Buzz: Van Gundy says he thinks players should handle their disputes privately, not through Twitter.

Continue reading Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Bobcats news: Saturday, Nov. 6 »

If Rashard Lewis plays small forward, he'll be tasked with defending super-athlete Gerald Wallace. (Josh Robbins/Orlando Sentinel)

Orlando Magic at Charlotte Bobcats, 7 p.m.
TV: FS Florida
Radio: 580 WDBO

Orlando projected starters (subject to change)
PG Chris Duhon (3.5 ppg, 2.3 apg)
SG Vince Carter (15.3 ppg, .529 3P%)
SF Quentin Richardson (4.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
SF Rashard Lewis (9.5 ppg, 7 rpg)
C Dwight Howard (22.5 ppg, 12.3 rpg)

Charlotte projected starters
PG D.J. Augustin (13.6 ppg, 6.2 apg)
SG Stephen Jackson (17.4 ppg, .448 FG%)
SF Gerald Wallace (17.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
PF Boris Diaw (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
C Nazr Mohammed (7.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Referees
Mike Callahan
Pat Fraher
Kevin Scott

Here are some of the highlights from the player’s availability after the Orlando Magic defeated the Charlotte Hornets 86-73 in a preseason game Thursday night.

Marcin Gortat talking about the foreign act of starting, and assessing his play:

Quentin Richardson talks about how well he fits in with his new teammates, and how the system is similar to Miami’s.

Continue reading Video: Orlando Magic players talk about Thursday night’s victory »

Marcin Gortat will receive a rare start tonight (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

The Orlando Magic will start Chris Duhon, J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Ryan Anderson and Marcin Gortat against the Charlotte Bobcats tonight, a team spokesman confirmed moments ago.

Dwight Howard confirmed in the Magic locker room a few minutes ago that he’ll have the night off. Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis also will have the night off, another team spokesman said. Stan Van Gundy wouldn’t reveal his team’s starters after shootaround this morning, and Magic officials kept mum until just recently.

Carter, Howard and Lewis are not injured.

Each Magic player can expect to have a night off this preseason.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

It appears that Carmelo Anthony's days with the Denver Nuggets will end sooner than later (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

It looks like the relationship between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets is beyond repair.

That’s according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, who writes that Anthony’s representatives have told Nuggets brass to go ahead and trade their client.

Here’s the important part of the story: Denver is looking for young players and draft picks, and it appears that the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers as the “two most probable destinations” for Anthony because the teams have good young players to offer. Wojnarowski also mentions the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and the Charlotte Bobcats as possibilities.

Notice that the Orlando Magic were not mentioned as a contender.

Wojnarowski’s piece occupies the second spot in our NBA links for this morning.

Here we go:

1. Single-game tickets for Amway Center preseason opener sold out, Orlando Sentinel, Josh Robbins
The Buzz: The Orlando Magic put tickets to their four home exhibition games on sale to the general public at noon Thursday. The 4,000 available tickets for the Oct. 10 preseason opener at Amway Center sold out by 4:20 p.m.

2. Anthony, Nuggets look ready to part ways, Yahoo! Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski
The Buzz: ” ‘Melo is on the market, and the bidding has begun,” Wojnarowski writes. The author also adds that the Nuggets are looking for young players and draft picks for Anthony. 

Continue reading Top Magic and NBA news: Friday, August 27 »

Rajon Rondo, shown here last Thursday with Mike Krzyzewski, has withdrawn from Team USA (Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

Team USA’s roster is now finalized as the world championships in Turkey approach.

Rajon Rondo withdrew from consideration on Tuesday after he did not play in Sunday’s exhibition against Spain.

The Rondo news leads off our daily links this morning.

Let’s get down to business:

1. Rajon Rondo withdraws from Team USA, ESPN.com, Chris Sheridan
The Buzz: Rondo did not play in Sunday’s exhibition against Spain. “It’s what’s best for the country,” Rondo said. “It’s part of it. We knew coming in it was still tryouts until we make the team that goes to Turkey.”

2. Rondo leaves Team USA camp, The Boston Globe, Julian Benbow
The Buzz: Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Rondo benefited from the experience with Team USA. “In a lot of ways, he gets the best of all of it,’’ Rivers said. “He got to compete against the other guards. He knows shooting was a premium on this team, so he clearly knows that’s an area he has to keep working on to improve, and he gets to come home and spend some time with the family.”

3. Nuggets’ Anthony, Magic’s Howard to star in movie by NBA and Shanghai Film Group, The Associated Press
The Buzz: Dwight Howard makes no secret of his interest in acting, and he recently visited Shanghai to film his part in a movie entitled “Amazing.”

Continue reading Top Magic and NBA news: Wednesday, August 25 »

Kwame Brown, shown here with the ball, is joining the Charlotte Bobcats (Harry E. Walker/KRT)

The Denver Nuggets are attempting to convince Carmelo Anthony to sign an extension with the team.

That’s one news item that’s highlighted in today’s NBA links.

Here we go:

1. Magic preseason tickets go on sale Thursday morning, Orlando Sentinel, Josh Robbins
The Buzz: The tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday, to be exact.

2. J.J. Redick never thought he’d last In Orlando, Dime Magazine, Jack Jensen
The Buzz: In this Q & A, Redick is asked whether he thinks he’s getting to the point where he should be the Magic’s starting shooting guard.

3. Bobcats sign Kwame Brown to one-year, $1.3 million deal, The Charlotte Observer, Ron Green Jr.
The Buzz: Michael Jordan used the first overall pick in 2001 to select Kwame Brown for the Washington Wizards. Now, M.J. and Brown are reuniting in Charlotte.

4. Kroenke’s son tries to woo Anthony, Yahoo! Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski
The Buzz: The son of the Nuggets’ owner met with Anthony over the weekend in Baltimore to try to convince the superstar small forward to sign an extension with the team.

5. On the Nuggets trading J.R. Smith and more Melo . . ., The Denver Post, Chris Dempsey
The Buzz: Dempsey writes that the Los Angeles Clippers could be a potential trade destination for Anthony.

Continue reading Top Magic and NBA news: Tuesday, August 24 »