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.

The Magic played hard last night in Detroit but it just wasn’t good enough in the end. Dwight Howard had a great game as he finished with 22 points, 18 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Jameer Nelson also had a very solid game as he scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Nelson also hit 5 of 8 three pointers last night. Rashard Lewis had a night to forget as he only shot 6 of 21 from the floor but he still finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. The Magic are now down 2-0 in this series.

The Magic were dominated 48-30 in the second half last night and it doomed them. Hedo Turkoglu led the way for the Magic last night with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Rashard Lewis also had a very solid game as he finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Dwight Howard had a rough game as he only finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Howard also was only 2 for 7 from the floor and that didn’t help the situation. The Magic are now down 1-0 in this series.

The Magic and the Pistons will battle in a rematch of last year’s first round series when the Pistons swept the Magic. But, the Magic aren’t the same team they were last season and this series should be an outstanding one. Here’s a closer look at the matchups:

POINT GUARD: Jameer Nelson was solid on offense against the Raptors in the first round but he had some troubles defending T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. Nelson started all 5 games against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 17.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He also was super sharp shooting the basketball as he hit 51.9% of his shots from the floor and he was 11 of 22 (50%) from three point range.

Chauncey Billups was his usual solid self in the first round against the pesky 76ers. Billups started all 6 games in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 34.7 minutes, 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He is a clutch shooter and that could be a very big factor in this series.

EDGE: PISTONS

SHOOTING GUARD: Maurice Evans did not have the best series against the Raptors. He started all 5 games and he averaged 27.4 minutes, 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. The Magic would be ecstatic if Evans did a solid job on defense against Richard Hamilton.

Richard Hamilton is the master of the middle game on offense. He had a solid series in Round #1 against the 76ers. He started all 6 games in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 36.0 minutes, 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Hamilton should have a good series against the Magic.

EDGE: PISTONS

SMALL FORWARD: Hedo Turkoglu was the Most Improved Player in the NBA this season and he just kept rolling along against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Turkoglu started all 5 games in round #1 and he averaged 40.0 minutes, 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He also is a very good outside shooter.

Tayshaun Prince’s game is defense and he will need it to slow down Hedo Turkoglu. Prince started all 6 games against the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Prince also shot an amazing 65.7% in the first round.

EDGE: EVEN

POWER FORWARD: Rashard Lewis really stepped up against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. He started all 5 games in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 42.2 minutes, 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Lewis is an outstanding outside shooter who will likely cause problems for the Pistons’ defense.

Rasheed Wallace will probably slide over to power forward to deal with Lewis. Wallace is a big game player and he had a solid series in round #1. Wallace started 6 games in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 33.5 minutes, 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 3.3 blocked shots per game.

EDGE: EVEN

CENTER: Dwight Howard was great all season long but he was dominating against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Howard started all 5 games against the Raptors and he averaged 41.8 minutes, 22.6 points, 18.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 3.8 blocked shots per game. Howard shot an amazing 63.8% from the floor but only 56.8% from the free throw line so the Pistons might foul him late in games.

Antonio McDyess should be ready to rejoin the starting lineup after breaking his nose against the Sixers in Round #1 of the playoffs. McDyess played in all 6 games in the first round (3 starts) of the playoffs and he averaged 20.7 minutes, 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

EDGE: GIGANTIC FOR THE MAGIC

BENCH: The Magic didn’t use their bench much in the first round of the playoffs. SG/SF Keith Bogans was the player who got the most playing time off the bench for the Magic in the first round. He played in all 5 games (0 starts) against the Raptors and he averaged 30.2 minutes, 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. SG/PG Keyon Dooling has been the only other player other than Bogans to play in every game this post season. Dooling has played in 5 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.2 minutes, 7.6 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Adonal Foyle can give either Rashard Lewis or Dwight Howard a break but it doesn’t happen much. He played in 2 games (0 starts) in the first round and he averaged 3.5 minutes, 1.0 point and 1.0 rebound per game. Carlos Arroyo might get some playing time against his old team in this series but he didn’t play much in round #1. Arroyo played in 2 games (0 starts) against the Raptors and he averaged 6.5 minutes, 1.0 point, 0.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The Pistons on the other hand have used everyone at least a little bit so far in the playoffs. PF/C Jason Maxiell is the top player off the bench for the Pistons. He played in 6 games (3 starts) in the first round against the Sixers and he averaged 29.5 minutes, 5.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocks per game. Amir Johnson is another big body for the paint. He played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 8.8 minutes, 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Rookie guard Rodney Stuckey plays both guard positions but he did not play that well in the first round. Stuckey played in 6 games (0 starts) against the Sixers and he averaged 18.8 minutes, 5.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Jarvis Hayes didn’t get much playing time in the first round of the playoffs. He played in 6 games (0 starts) and he averaged 6.7 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Rookie Arron Afflalo had a rough time in the first round. He played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Pistons in round #1 and he averaged 10.6 minutes, 1.6 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Veteran center Theo Ratliff is around to provide defense and rebounding for the Pistons when they need him. Ratliff has played in 3 games (0 starts) in the playoffs this season and he averaged 11.3 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots. Veteran point guard Lindsay Hunter can still play the dirty D when the Pistons need it. He played in 3 games (0 starts) against the Sixers and he averaged 5.3 minutes, 1.0 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

PREDICTION: I LIKE THE PISTONS IN 7 GAMES BUT I WOULDN”T BE SURPRISED IF THE MAGIC WON.