Orlando Magic

WASHINGTON -- Washington Wizards center Jahidi White had just wheeled in the lane and backed his 290-pound body against Michael Smith, who was sent sprawling onto the practice court at MCI Center."

It would have appeared to be pretty much of a no-brainer for Rony Seikaly. A deal had been made to send him to the Utah Jazz, a team that last year extended the Chicago Bulls to six games in the NBA Finals. Playing alongside Karl Malone and John Stockton, Seikaly -- who was not going to the playoffs with the Orlando Magic -- was as close to a title as he would ever realize.But the deal fell apart Wednesday. The Jazz said that Seikaly and his agent failed to communicate with the team. Seikaly -- perhaps in an attempt at spin control -- said on Friday that Utah was scared off by the deal because of a stress fracture in his foot that could keep him out for four weeks.

With his team busy fighting for a playoff spot, Harvey Grant hasn't had much time to talk to his twin brother, Horace, lately. But they planned to get together yesterday (Horace is in town with the Orlando Magic, which will face Harvey's Washington Bullets tonight), with one topic in mind."We're going to discuss this," Harvey said. "This whole situation."The situation: Did the Orlando Magic deliberately lie low in Wednesday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers? Orlando coach Richie Adubato, whose team has the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference locked up, is a friend of Cleveland coach Mike Fratello.

LANDOVER -- It was a game that, for the Washington Bullets, was of dual importance. The Bullets were playing their final game at home until after the All-Star break. And the opponent, the Orlando Magic, is a team that the Bullets figure to be battling for playoff position by season's end.And so what the Bullets accomplished last night was impressive, recording one of those rare blowouts in a 102-82 win over the Magic.The victory was the second in a row for the Bullets, who improved to 22-21 and reclaimed third place in the Atlantic Division from the Magic (19-20)

LANDOVER - Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal is so big and strong that most teams opt to double-team him in the low post. The Washington Bullets last night decided to let Gheorghe Muresan play O'Neal one-on-one, so conscious were they of the Magic's three-point shooting prowess.So O'Neal went to work, bullying his way to a season-high 49 points and 17 rebounds eight on the offensive glass. His sidekick, Anfernee Hardaway, didn't have a bad night, either, scoring 30. The duo combined for 39 of Orlando's final 40 points en route to a 111-108 overtime win before a sellout of 18,756 at USAir Arena.

CHICAGO -- If you could use a word to describe the 38-point loss by the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, it would be embarrassing. If you could use a word to describe Orlando's five-point loss to the Chicago Bulls last night, it would be devastating.It would be hard to recall a playoff game in which a team suffered such a collapse as the Magic did last night when it led by as many as 18 in the third quarter. The Bulls used a smothering defense to take both Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway out of the game and stole a 93-88 win.The victory gives the Bulls a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series, which shifts to Orlando on Saturday.

Opponent: Orlando MagicSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7:30TV/Radio: HTS/WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: Orlando (51-17) has won four straight, and is 17-3 over its past 20. C Shaquille O'Neal (25.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and G Anfernee Hardaway (22.8 ppg, 7.2 apg) lead the Magic. Orlando was under .500 on the road much of the season, but 9-3 on the road since the All-Star break, and in Wednesday's win at Boston moved to over .500 on the road for the first time since Jan. 5. The Bullets, whose two-game winning streak ended Wednesday against San Antonio, are 0-2 against Orlando.

For those who have gotten their thrills in NBA games from watching teams score points in bunches, the Orlando Magic -- in the two seasons before this one -- was the team to watch. Two years ago, the team's average of 110.9 points a game led the league. Last year, Orlando's 104.5 points per game put it second only to the NBA champion Chicago Bulls.All of which made the night of Dec. 4 difficult to stomach for Magic fans. That night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic could manage just 57 points -- the lowest-scoring performance since the 24-second shot clock was introduced in the 1954-55 season.

Opponent: Orlando MagicSite: Orlando Arena, Orlando, Fla.TV/Radio: WBDC (Ch. 50)/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: The start of the 1996-97 season will likely see both teams without key players. The Bullets placed C Gheorghe Muresan (hip flexor) on the injured list yesterday, while the Magic may be without G Anfernee Hardaway (tendinitis, left knee). Bullets backup C Lorenzo Williams (sore knee) did not travel, leaving Chris Webber as the likely starting center. Both teams enter the season having undergone tremendous change.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- After a fourth quarter in which the Orlando Magic was at a loss for making shots, it was fitting that guard Dennis Scott was nearly at a loss for words to describe how such a potent offensive team could suffer a major breakdown during such a key stretch."

ORLANDO, Fla. - - When the last horn finally sounded Saturday night, the Orlando Magic and their fans partied like it was 1995. The sellout crowd inside Amway Arena roared. White, blue and silver confetti fell from the ceiling. The Magic had closed out the Eastern Conference finals in six games and ended Madison Avenue's dreams of a Kobe Bryant-LeBron James championship matchup. Kobe versus Dwight will have to do. With Dwight Howard leading the way with 40 points and 14 rebounds, the Magic defeated the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-90, to earn their first trip to the NBA Finals in 14 years.

CLEVELAND - - The Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the NBA this season. They also swept through the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. So did anyone really expect them to fold like origami in Thursday's must-win game against the Orlando Magic? Of course not. The Cavaliers, now trailing three games to two after a 112-102 victory over the Magic, must travel to Orlando for another must-win game Saturday. If they win that, it's back to Cleveland for Game 7 on Monday. If they complete this best-of-seven hat trick after trailing three games to one, they will be only the ninth team of out of 188 to accomplish this feat since the mid-1940s.

ORLANDO, Fla. - -The Orlando Magic is one win away from reaching the NBA Finals, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and their superstar, LeBron James, are one loss from having their dream season end in nightmarish fashion. Dwight Howard scored 27 points - including 10 in the game's extra period - and Rafer Alston added a career playoff-high 26 points Tuesday night as the Magic beat the Cavaliers, 116-114, in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. "This thing is a long, long, long way from over," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said.

King's response 8:30 p.m. [TNT] Now that the Orlando Magic has humbled LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, what will King James' response be in Game 2? Apparently 49 points weren't enough in Game 1.

Magic@Pistons 7 p.m. [TNT] Mr. Flip is thinking of a song. Orlando Magic, make it happen ... Hey, the Orioles aren't using it anymore. Baseball Orioles@Athletics 10 p.m. [MASN] It's perfectly understandable if you prefer to watch The Bachelor: The Women Tell All at the same time on ABC (chs. 2, 7), because you don't get the same thing in an Orioles game until "Wired Wednesday."

It's not difficult to spot Stan Van Gundy at an NBA arena before games. Just look for the shortest coach with the biggest mustache and smile. When you're guiding one of the hottest teams, one of the brightest stars and one of the best comeback stories in the NBA this season, it can be tough to keep a straight face. Van Gundy is only one month into the regular season with his new team, but he already has the Orlando Magic in position to make franchise history. Orlando won 14 of its first 18 games and entered last night flirt ing with the franchise's best start since 1993-94.

In the days preceding the 1985 NBA draft lottery, commissioner David Stern practiced drawing oversized envelopes from a clear, spherical drum. Staff members carted the drum into his office, where Stern remembered "rehearsing to a fault," hoping all would go smoothly for the live lottery broadcast from the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. For the young commissioner with 16 months on the job, the actual event - 6 minutes, 31 seconds - passed in a blur, but the final moments and ultimate outcome remain unforgettable.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Orlando Magic point guard Steve Francis was suspended indefinitely by the NBA yesterday for allegedly kicking a league courtside photographer Friday night in Seattle. The Orlando Sentinel has learned that the length of the suspension will be determined after the NBA reviews a videotape today or tomorrow of the incident, which was captured by another television crew. Francis (Maryland) was suspended without pay for yesterday's game in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

WASHINGTON -- Steve Francis recently built a house in Houston and is searching for a new residence in Orlando. But he calls Takoma Park his home, and says his heart belongs in nearby Washington. The three-time NBA All-Star point guard, recently traded from the Houston Rockets to the Orlando Magic, was back in downtown Washington yesterday, running his annual summer basketball clinic. Francis, dressed in new Magic gear, taught fundamentals to 100 inner-city youngsters. He gave them lessons on dribbling, free throws and jump shots.

There's no truth to the rumor that Steve Francis was seen yesterday skipping through the Magic Kingdom with a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, but the rumor that he is going to Orlando for Tracy McGrady is finally true. Francis, a three-time All-Star point guard, apparently dropped his objections to being dealt to the Orlando Magic yesterday, clearing the way for a blockbuster deal that will ship four-time All-Star guard McGrady, the reigning two-time NBA scoring champion, to the Houston Rockets.