The Orlando Magic have been on a steady decline since losing Dwight Howard to a herniated disk.
Orlando is 3-7 without its franchise player and has given up 100.1 points as opposed to 93.4 points with him in the lineup.
The Magic must win at least one of their remaining two games to avoid the possibility of dropping to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If New York wins its remaining two games and Orlando can’t come up with a win, the Knicks would hold the tie-breaker and move into the sixth seed, avoiding a matchup with the Miami Heat.
The perfect cure may be coming into town as the Magic (36-28) look to avoid their fourth consecutive loss when they host the league-worst Charlotte Bobcats in Wednesday’s best game.
The last time these teams met on March 6, Bobcats rookie Bismack Biyombo did his best Howard impression with 10 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks, while Corey Maggette scored a season-high 29 points to help Charlotte rout Orlando, 100-84.
Orlando took the first two games between the teams and hopes to avoid being the only team with a winning record to lose to Charlotte more than once this season.
The only other team with a winning record to lose to the Bobcats this season is the Knicks.
Both teams have had their share of problems in the locker room. Howard no longer wants to play for coach Stan Van Gundy and reportedly will ask for a trade at the end of the season, while Tyrus Thomas recently got into a scuffle with Bobcats coach Paul Silas.
Magic guard Jameer Nelson and forward Quentin Richardson are both nursing calf injuries but are probable for tonight.
Charlotte (7-57) has lost an astounding 21 consecutive games, including 10 straight on the road.
The Bobcats are in danger of breaking the record for the worst winning percentage of all time and must win one of their remaining two games against the Magic or the Knicks to avoid the dubious feat.
They currently hold a .109 winning percentage, and losing both of their final games would leave them at .106. The current worst mark belongs to the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers, who posted a 9-73 record for a .110 winning percentage.