Tragic Magic
Orlando scored nine points in the third quarter in a 74-69 loss on Monday in Philadelphia. It was their third lowest point total of the week! They scored 56 points a week ago in a blowout loss in Boston and a putrid 67 in a lopsided defeat at the woeful Hornets. The night before that, they blew a 27 point lead and fell to the Celtics yet again.

After that loss in New Orleans, Dwight Howard demanded that his teammates change and play better. Apparently, that call has fallen on deaf ears. Orlando has now lost four straight and five of six, and change is clearly necessary for the team to stay afloat this season and for the Magic to keep Howard for the long haul.

However, general manager Otis Smith says he has no plans to make major roster changes. “If a string of losses causes you to change your plans, then I’m in the wrong job,” Smith said Monday night. Guess what? Smith is in the wrong job. Such a woeful stretch of basketball should cost Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy their jobs because drastic measures need to be taken to ensure Howard stays in Orlando. He’s becoming discouraged and frustrated and there are several contending teams who could realistically acquire Howard right now.

The NBA is a Darwinian landscape in an 82-game season and even more cutthroat in a shorter one. Smith has to either adapt, and change this roster now, or move aside so someone could do it for him. The tragic Magic need external help before their franchise crumbles with the loss of Howard.

Clippers Thrash Thunder With Griffin’s Powerful Help
Everyone is talking about Blake Griffin’s incredible dunk, and for good reason. It was the best dunk in a very long time and made Kendrick Perkins look like…Stan Van Gundy.

But it was the overall play of the Clippers as a team in its 112-100 win over Oklahoma City that was most impressive. Los Angeles shot over 56 percent from the field, including 13-25 from three, with Caron Butler and Mo Williams helping the Lob City tandem of Griffin and the dazzling Chris Paul.

“Chris Paul was running around, getting what he wanted to get on the floor and making passes to guys for wide-open dunks and 3s,” Kevin Durant, who had 36 points and 13 rebounds by the way, said. “It’s tough to stop.” The Clips have won three straight and seven of 10 to assert a bit of control in the Pacific Division, and the team could only be building more chemistry going forward.

Smooth Jazz Buries Blazers
Utah shot just 38 percent from the field, but they outrebounded Portland by 14 on Monday and scored13 straight points in the fourth quarter to shock and stun the Blazers 93-89. Al Jefferson sat out the game with an ankle injury and all Paul Millsap did was score 19 points, grab 15 boards and block a pair of PDX shots.

“We definitely had control and we let it slip away,” said Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 25 points and seven rebounds. “No excuses. They kept playing hard and they ended up coming back and stealing one.”

Utah has no stars, but a lot of young bigs and supporting pieces who are meshing together well under head coach Tyrone Corbin, in his first season at the helm in the SLC. Devin Harris and CJ Miles are playing well and Josh Howard was an underrated offseason acquisition. Quietly, Utah occupies the fifth seed in the Western Conference, right ahead of the big name Spurs and Lakers. Hopefully Corbin gets more credit as the Jazz’s success continues.