Dwight Howard is having an MVP-type season, except from the free throw line.

Coming off a career night despite another poor foul shooting performance, Howard tries to help the Southeast Division-leading Magic rebound from their second loss in four games on Tuesday when they visit the Washington Wizards.

Howard leads the league with 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game while averaging a team-high 20.1 points, helping Orlando (26-8) to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic have won nine of 11, but have split their last four games while averaging 95.8 points - dropping their season average to 100.6.

One of their problems this season has been poor free throw shooting, mainly by Howard, and they've made an NBA-worst 71.0 percent this season. They have been below that average in six of the last eight games.

Howard's poor foul shooting was at least partly to blame for Orlando's 108-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. He matched a career high with 39 points, but was 11-of-18 at the foul line, missing four in the final quarter. Orlando finished 17-of-24 while Toronto was 23-of-24.

"That's about what he shoots, but it's not good enough," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Sixty percent at the free throw line makes it tough."

Howard is hitting a career-low 56.9 percent from the free throw line this season.

"I'm going to miss free throws," he said. "I'm not 100 percent from the line. I've just got to have confidence when I step up there to make them. I know Stan gets on me a lot, but I'm going to miss some and I'm going to make some."

Howard felt worse about his limited help on the glass or on defense after Orlando allowed Toronto to shoot 53.9 percent from the field. The Raptors outrebounded the Magic 39-31 and Howard had only eight rebounds.

"We didn't block out on rebounds, we didn't do a lot of the little things and I take the blame for a lot of the stuff that happened tonight," he said. "I wasn't there defensively like I should have been."

The Magic have beaten the Wizards (7-25) in both meetings this season behind solid games from Howard as he averaged 28.5 points and 15.0 rebounds.

Washington, meanwhile, is hoping to build off some recent success in an otherwise dismal season and knock off one of the East's top teams for the second straight game.

The owners of the conference's worst record won for the third time in five games Sunday, 80-77 over the Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

"The most important thing is getting a win," Antawn Jamison told the Wizards' official Web site after finishing with 26 points and 13 rebounds. "No matter what the record is, we always try to play a great basketball game and give the fans what they want to see. It's fun to be a part of these games and it's also fun when you get a win."

Washington, though, is winless in seven games against Southeast Division teams, losing by an average of 11.8 points, and is a conference-worst 2-13 on the road.

The Magic have won nine in a row at home, their longest such streak in nearly three years, and have won six of the last seven meetings with Orlando.