CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- After starting the
2003-04 season with a 1-19 record, the Orlando Magic look for
their first 3-0 start since the 1993-94 campaign when they visit
the expansion Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.
Steve Francis, who was acquired in a trade with the Houston
Rockets for two-time scoring champ Tracy McGrady during the
offseason, scored 26 points in Orlando's season-opening victory
over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, including the go-ahead
layup with 0.2 seconds left.
On Friday, Francis came through with another clutch performance.
He scored 19 points and hit a follow shot with 2.7 seconds
remaining to lift the new-look Magic to a 90-89 triumph over the
New Orleans Hornets.
It was the first consecutive one-point victories in franchise
history for Orlando, which returned just four players from last
year's team.
Free-agent acquisition Hedo Turkoglu scored 21 points in
Friday's victory after managing just four points in his Magic
debut.
Saturday's contest marks the first meeting between Dwight Howard
and Emeka Okafor - the top two picks in the 2004 Draft.
The eighteen-year-old Howard, who Orlando selected with the
first overall pick, has 17 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked
shots in his first two games.
Okafor, who was selected second, had 19 points and 10 rebounds
in Charlotte's 103-96 loss to the Washington Wizards.
Center Primoz Brezec scored 15 points and veteran Steve Smith
added 15 off the bench for the Bobcats, who had six players
scoring in double figures while shooting 47 percent (37-of-78)
from the field.
Charlotte committed 19 turnovers, including seven by forward
Gerald Wallace, in its inaugural loss.




