By Josh Cohen

The holiday season may be over, but inside Amway Arena during the first half on Wednesday it was as action-packed as a blowout sale on Black Friday at The Mall of Millenia.

The Orlando Magic stormed up and down the court with a vengeance like resolute shoppers trying to obtain the most coveted toy at an unreasonably special discount. It was electrifying, to say the least.

Dwight Howard racked up 32 points and 11 rebounds, while Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Matt Barnes grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds as the Magic survived a late flurry from the Indiana Pacers to win, 109-98. Orlando led by as many as 29 and never trailed throughout the contest.

Despite getting outscored by nine in the final frame, the Magic connected on their free throws late and denied the Pacers from hitting enough momentum-shifting shots in the last few minutes to secure their 27th victory.

By Dan Savage

After the team's morning shootaround, a reporter asked Dwight Howard about Roy Hibbert's 26-point performance in Indiana's win over Orlando on Jan. 5. Howard had a simple, but firm retort: "It won't happen again."

If there were any doubts about Howard's intentions of backing up that statement they were erased on Wednesday. The Magic's All-Star center held Hibbert scoreless over the final three quarters on a night he limited the Pacers' big man to just three points and three rebounds.

Howard punished an assortment of Indiana defenders - including Hibbert - as he erupted for a season-high 32 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Orlando's franchise player also delivered on the charity stripe, drilling 16 of his 24 attempts from the free throw line.

"When he's making free throws, it's easy to keep going to him," Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy explained. "It sort of foils the strategy of (fouling him every time he gets good position)."

By Josh Cohen

Most elite NBA teams throughout the league's history have stumbled across exhausting, demoralizing bends in the road. Two of the most successful teams this century, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs for example, each experienced slumps during their championship seasons. It takes a certain amount of time for title contenders to gel and discover their collective rhythm.

The Orlando Magic recognize that temporary plunges are normal during the course of an NBA season. Moreover, they aren't the only squad battling through one of these phases at the moment. Another Eastern Conference power, the Boston Celtics, have dropped seven of their last 11 games (grant it they have not had an injured Kevin Garnett).

It may be a gradual transition, but once these teams detect their strengths, you will certainly notice an upgrade in their performance on the court. Both Stan Van Gundy and Doc Rivers would quickly attest to that.

By Josh Cohen

Like anything in life, sometimes it takes hardship and anguish to grow and learn. Failure, furthermore, often teaches us about the importance of focus and fortitude. To be a success, one must understand the definition of success and how to achieve it. Based on the Magic's eye-popping performance on Wednesday against the Pacers, it may be reasonable to say that this championship-quality team has developed a greater appreciation of this philosophy.

Featuring a dominant Dwight Howard in the paint, a roasting shooting exhibition from Jason Williams and a prolific attack on the glass from Matt Barnes, the Magic cruised past the Pacers to not only earn retribution from a loss in Indiana two weeks ago but take a step closer to regaining their superior swagger.

If the Magic can deliver efforts like the one they showed on Wednesday, then watch out for the reigning Eastern Conference champions the rest of the season.

By Dan Savage

Despite the majority of Orlando's struggles being team oriented over the past nine games, Magic offseason acquisition Vince Carter has had to deal with the brunt of the scrutiny from both media and fans.

While this might deeply affect many NBA players, Carter maintains that he's unfazed by the increased criticism and refuses to start second-guessing his game.

"I told you from the beginning, I don't get into that," the eight-time All-Star explained. "I believe in my shot. I don't believe in second guessing yourself with ‘maybe I should this tweak this, tweak that;' it's overrated."

While Carter's numbers were less than fantastic on Wednesday - six points and five assists - his alley-oop flush off a Jason Williams dish helped set the intensity level in Orlando's ferocious first half.

Watch Vince's ferocious jam.

Stan Van Gundy: "The main thing is we got off to a great start, the guys were really ready to play. They had great energy, great ball movement. We came out with a lot of energy."

"Look, it's just too much scrutiny on one guy. That's all we come in and talk about every game. ‘What did you think of Vince, what did you think of Vince? We played well."

Matt Barnes: "Someone told me that I need four assists, but the ball never came my way so I could pass it. But personal stuff is not really important, more important is for us as team to get back on track, to get Dwight going, get Vince going, get Rashard going, and really come with that energy."

Dwight Howard: "I told those guys before the game that it wasn't going to be the same game they had against us that last time we played them. I told them at shootaround today and I meant it."

More Quotes