This was a complete butt kicking as the Magic outrebounded the Hawks 53-35 which was a big reason for the win last night. But it was also a combination of good offense and defense as the Magic shot 52.4% from the floor while holding the Hawks to 34.6% shooting which helps explain the scoreboard. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic in this game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocked shots. Vince Carter (20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists) and Jameer Nelson (19 points, 1 rebound and 5 assists) both also had very solid games for the Magic last night. The Magic are up 1-0 in this series.

This will be a interesting series as the Hawks had a dogfight on there hands before disposing of the Bucks in 7 games while the Magic swept the Bobcats in the first round. I have a feeling that the Hawks were looking past the Bucks and I expect them to be ready for this series. Here is a closer look at the matchups in this series:

POINT GUARD: Mike Bibby might be ancient but he had some good games in the first round of the playoffs. He will likely have some problems keeping up with Orlando’s Jameer Nelson because of his speed. Bibby played in 7 games (all starts) against the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 32.1 minutes, 11.0 points, 3.4 rebounds adn 2.9 assists per game.

Jameer Nelson was outstanding in the first round of the playoffs for the Magic as he was on his game. The Magic will likely need him to keep up the good work against the Hawks in this round and his youth will probably serve him well against Mike Bibby. Nelson played in 4 games (all starts) against the Bobcats in which he averaged 36.3 minutes, 23.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

EDGE: MAGIC

SHOOTING GUARD: Joe Johnson is one of the better kept secrets in the NBA as he is a outstanding player. This will be the series that he will likely breakout in as Vince Carter never steps up when it counts. Johnson played in 7 games (all starts) against the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs in which he averaged 41.0 minutes, 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Vince Carter is starting to slow down quite a bit due to his age and he’s never been a good post-season player. This is not a good matchup for Carter as Johnson will likely keep him busy on both ends of the court. Carter played in 4 games (all starts) against the Bobcats and he averaged 37.0 minutes, 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

EDGE: HAWKS

CENTER: The Hawks went as Al Horford did in the first round of the playoffs. He is a outstanding center and they Hawks need him to have a good series if they want to beat the Magic. Horford played in 7 games (all starts) against the Bucks in which he averaged 36.0 minutes, 15.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

Dwight Howard averaged 5.5 fouls per game against the Bobcats as he fouled out of 2 of the games in that series. The Magic won’t be able to overcome Howard being in foul trouble in this series because the Hawks are a much better team than the Bobcats are. Howard played in 4 games (all starts) against the Bobcats and he averaged 26.5 minutes, 9.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 5.0 blocked shots per game.

EDGE: MAGIC

POWER FORWARD: Josh Smith will really be a problem for the Magic in this series because of his physicality. He will easily outmuscle Rashard Lewis around the basket offensively and he will be in his face defensively. Smith played in 7 games (all starts) against the Bucks in which he averaged 36.0 minutes, 13.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 blocked shots per game.

Rashard Lewis will need to toughen up for this series as Josh Smith is tough as nails. Lewis will have to make Smith chase him around on defense to keep Smith away from the basket to open up things inside for Dwight Howard. Lewis played in 4 games (all starts) against the Bobcats in which he averaged 38.3 minutes, 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

EDGE: HAWKS

SMALL FORWARD: Marvin Williams does the dirty work for the Hawks as he gets a lot of rebounds for a small forward and he plays good defense. He has a size advantage on Matt Barnes so the Hawks should try to post him up some in this series. Williams played in 7 games (all starts) against the Bucks in which he averaged 31.0 minutes, 9.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

Matt Barnes is supposedly the defensive stopper of the Magic. Well, Marvin Williams isn’t a big part of the Hawks’ offense so Barnes should probably look for his own shot more in this series. Barnes played in 4 games (all starts) against the Bobcats in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 27.0 minutes, 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

EDGE: EVEN

BENCH: The Hawks’ top bench player was also the best bench player in the NBA this season as Jamal Crawford won the 6th Man of the Year Award. He brings instant offense off the bench playing both point and shooting guard. Crawford played in 7 games (0 starts) against the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 30.1 minutes, 15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Zaza Pachulia and Joe Smith are tough guys who could help out in this series in the frontcourt if they are needed. Maurice Evans and Jeff Teague could help out in the backcourt in this series but chances are that the Hawks’ won’t use them much.

The Magic have a nice arsenal on the bench. Center Marcin Gortat always seems to step up in the playoffs. He played in 4 games (0 starts) against the Bobcats and he averaged 21.5 minutes, 3.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Mickeal Pietrus and J.J. Redick really stepped up when called upon in the first series and I see them playing well against the Hawks. Ryan Anderson, Jason Williams and Brandon Bass are all talented players but they likely won’t play much in this series.

EDGE: EVEN

COACH: Mike Woodson has really improved as a coach along with his team. He will need to be smart with the X’s and O’s to beat the Magic but it’s not near a impossible task as the Hawks have a very talented roster. Under Woodson the Hawks are 11-14 (44%) in the post season and he will be looking to improve that record in this series.

Stan Van Gundy is one of the best coaches in the NBA as he always seems to know the right buttons to push with his team. He got screwed in Miami by Pat Riley but he rebounded well and he has the Magic in a groove right now. The Magic are 22-16 (58%) in the post season under Stan Van Gundy.

EDGE: MAGIC

PREDICTION: The Hawks will give the Magic all they can handle in this series. The home court will and the head coach will be the difference for the Magic who will win this series in 7 games.

The Magic turned in a good team effort last night in putting the Bobcats away in this series. Vince Carter led the way for the Magic last night with 21 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists before fouling out. Jameer Nelson only shot 4 of 12 from the floor last night but he still finished up with 18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals. Rashard Lewis pitched in with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists last night. Matt Barnes (14 points) and Mickael Pietrus (13 points) both helped out offensively for the Magic last night. The Magic sweep the Bobcats 4 games to none. They are waiting for either the Hawks or Bucks who are tied at 2 wins apiece. This is good because the Magic will get a little rest before the 2nd round of the playoffs.

The Magic hit the boards yesterday afternoon and it helped them hold off the pesky Bobcats in Charlotte. Jameer Nelson led the way for the Magic yesterday with 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Rashard Lewis pitched in with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in this game. Dwight Howard fouled out yesterday but not before he had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 blocked shots. The Magic are now up 3-0 in this series and they will look to finish it up in four so that they can get some much needed rest.

The Magic raced out to a 75-55 lead after three quarters before cruising to a easy victory last night. Vince Carter led the way for the Magic last night with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Dwight Howard was dealing with foul trouble all night long but he still filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. Rashard Lewis (13 points), Jameer Nelson (13 points) and Matt Barnes (11 points) all helped offensively for the Magic last night. The Magic are up 2-0 in this series as it shifts to Charlotte.

The Magic rushed out to a 59-43 lead at the half in this game and they pushed the lead to 22 in the third quarter before the Bobcats woke up and made a game of it the rest of the way out. I think the Magic were caught off guard by the aggressiveness especially on the glass that the Bobcats showed as they outrebounded the Magic 41-34. Jameer Nelson led the way for the Magic on offense in this game with 32 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. Rashard Lewis also had a solid game offensively with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Mickael Pietrus made some big shots late in this game for the Magic as he finished up with 14 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot in 26 minutes on the court. Vince Carter had a rough day shooting the ball hitting only 4 of 19 shots before fouling out in the fourth quarter with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Dwight Howard also had a rough day offensively and on the boards as he finished with 5 points, 7 rebounds and 9 blocked shots. J.J. Redick helped out of the bench with 10 points in only 19 minutes on the court. The Magic are now up 1-0 in this series.

This series is not an easy draw for the defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic. The Bobcats seem to be a team on a mission directed by crusty old Larry Brown who knows how to win the big one. Here are a closer look at the matchups in this series:

Point Guard: Raymond Felton is not a great player by any stretch of the imagination but he’s more than good enough to get the job done. He played in 80 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 33.0 minutes, 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. His game is almost identical to Jameer Nelson’s.

Jameer Nelson makes the Magic’s offense go despite being a shoot first player. He played in 65 games (64 starts) for the Magic this season and he averaged 28.6 minutes, 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Nelson will need to keep his teammates heavily involved in the offense because the Bobcats are a pretty good defensive basketball team.

EDGE: EVEN

Shooting Guard: Stephen Jackson has icewater in his veins. He has never seen a big shot he wasn’t willing to take. When the Bobcats traded for him early this year it signalled that they were going to play to win this season. Jackson played in 72 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 39.3 minutes, 21.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. With Vince Carter’s failures in playoffs past I look for Jackson to have a big series.

Vince Carter has never in his NBA career saved his best for last as he has struggled in the playoffs in the past. Carter played in 75 games (74 starts) for the Magic this season and he averaged 30.8 minutes, 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The Magic don’t need Carter to go off in this series but if he could average at least 15 points per game and hold Jackson down a bit the Magic will be happy.

EDGE: BOBCATS

Small Forward: Gerald Wallace is the best player on the Bobcats as he plays all out on both sides of the basketball court. He should abuse Matt Barnes in this series. Wallace played in 76 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 41.0 minutes, 18.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game. He is the most likely player on the Bobcats to posterize Dwight Howard as he backs down from no one.

Sure, Matt Barnes is the Kobe “Stopper”. He will have his hands full with Wallace. Barnes played in 81 games (58 starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 25.9 minutes, 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. The Magic just want him to play hard and make Wallace work for everything he gets.

EDGE: HUGE FOR BOBCATS

Power Forward: Boris Diaw won’t be overmatched physically like he is on most nights as Rashard Lewis is a soft power forward also. Diaw played in 82 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 35.4 minutes, 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Diaw is a defense first player who will get in Rashard Lewis’ face.

Rashard Lewis just never seemed to get into gear this season after his 10-game suspension to start the year (PED related). Lewis played in 72 games (all starts) for the Magic this season and he averaged 32.9 minutes, 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Lewis is still a good shooter and the Magic hope he’s on in this series.

EDGE: EVEN

Center: The Bobcats will likely be fouling Dwight Howard a lot with Tyson Chandler, Theo Ratliff and Nazr Mohammed sharing time in the middle. That’s 18 fouls to play with. Tyson Chandler will be the first center in for the Bobcats. He played in 51 games (27 starts) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 22.8 minutes, 6.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game. Chandler is no match for Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard will be fouled a lot in this series and it’s a good strategy for the Bobcats to take. Howard played in 82 games (all starts) for the Magic this season and he averaged 34.7 minutes, 18.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.8 blocked shots per game. If Howard can keep himself from getting frustrated due to the fouling he should have a big series.

EDGE: HUGE FOR THE MAGIC

BENCH: Both of these teams use their benches a lot. Tyrus Thomas (10.1 points, 6.1 rebouds, 0.9 assists and 1.5 blocks) will be a force in this series as he will push Rashard Lewis around when he is on the court. Nazr Mohammed (7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) and Theo Ratliff (5.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots) will both be needed down low to counter Dwight Howard in this series. Larry Hughes, D.J. Augustin and Stephen Graham will also all likely get some P.T. in this series for the Bobcats.

J.J. Redick (9.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists) and Mickeal Pietrus (8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds) will be the two reserves used most in this series against the Bobcats. Don’t forget how solid Marcin Gortat played for the Magic last season as they can go with a Twin Tower look at times. Ryan Anderson, Jason Williams, Brandon Bass and Anthony Johnson are all capable players who could get some P.T. in this series.

EDGE: MAGIC

COACH: Larry Brown is one of the better coaches in NBA history. He led the Bobcats to a 44-38 record (53.7%) this season. He has a two year record with the Bobcats of 79-85 (48.2 %). Brown has now compiled a 1,089-885 record (55.2%) as a NBA head coach during the regular season and his teams are 100-89 (52.9%) in the post season. He led the Pistons to a NBA Championship during the 2003-04 season.

Stan Van Gundy is a great coach in his own right. He led the Magic to a 59-23 (72%) record during the regular season. He has now been in Orlando three years and he has a 170-76 record (69.1%) and he is 18-16 (52.9%) in the post season with the Magic.

EDGE: EVEN

PREDICTION: I see home court advantage being big in this series and I like the Magic in 6 games.

The Magic folded last Tuesday Night as they were outscored 26-18 in the 4th quarter and it cost them this game. Hedo Turkoglu led the way for the Magic with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Dwight Howard had a solid game with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Rashard Lewis pitched in with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Jameer Nelson finished up with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. The Magic lost this series 4-1 to the Pistons but that doesn’t dampen the fact that they had a great season.

The Magic dominated the first half of the game yesterday before falling flat on their faces. Hedo Turkoglu led the way for the Magic with 20 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Rashard Lewis had a so-so game finishing with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Maurice Evans was solid in 31 minutes with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Jameer Nelson also had a decent game with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The Magic are now down 3-1 in this series as it heads to Detroit.

The Magic shot 53.8% from the floor last night and they outscored the Pistons 38-17 in the 4th quarter to pull away from the Pistons last night. Rashard Lewis led the way for the Magic with 33 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. He also shot 5 of 6 from behind the three point line. Dwight Howard had another really solid game with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 6 blocked shots. Hedo Turkoglu pitched in with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Jameer Nelson did a good job running the offense as he finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The Magic are now down 2-1 in this series.