Magic going through tough stretch

In 10 games since, however, the Magic have won just twice and posted a season- high five-game losing streak. The club allowed over 100 points in five of those games while topping the century mark just twice themselves. Five of Orlando’s setbacks came on the road, where the team is just 9-13.

Consequently, the club is now 24-22 on the season — seventh in the East — and is 3 1/2 games back of the streaking Washington Wizards, who have won seven of their last nine.

Despite the rough stretch, Magic center Dwight Howard continues to be a force. He leads the team in scoring (16.8 points) and rebounds (12.1) and on Thursday earned his first trip to the All-Star Game when he was named a reserve for the East.

The third-year center is the first Magic player to participate in the contest since Grant Hill in 2005.

Hill suffered a setback himself this week when he sprained his right knee in a win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. An MRI the next day revealed a sprained medial collateral ligament. Hill is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks.

The oft-injured Hill, who is Orlando’s second leading scorer with 15.1 points per game, has played in 60 or more games just twice in his pervious seven seasons.

Orlando hosts New Jersey and New York in back-to-back home tilts beginning Friday to close out a three-game homestand and will also play Milwaukee and Toronto next week on the road. It will serve as a good stretch to get back on track as only one of those teams (Toronto) has a better record than the Magic.