<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">You could detect a different attitude wafting through RDV Sportsplex on Thursday. Could it be that the Orlando Magic have been overcome with a sense of urgency? Magic General Manager Otis Smith passed on a message to his players: The most critical stretch of the season likely has arrived. "It's like Otis said, the next 10 games can make us or break us," point guard Travis Diener said. Late January sounds too early for a playoff push -- until you read between the lines of the Magic's schedule. Even with 39 games remaining, the drive to the postseason might very well begin tonight at Amway Arena against the Atlanta Hawks. The game against the Hawks (14-26) starts a manageable part of the Magic's itinerary in which 10 of the club's next 11 opponents are currently under .500. And all but two of those games come against foes in the mediocre Eastern Conference. After that, hide the women, children and rookies. Ten of the Magic's following 12 games then come against teams playing above .500 ball -- some way above. The brutal stretch running from late February to mid-March includes the likes of the Detroit Pistons (twice), Houston Rockets (twice), Chicago Bulls (twice), Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and -- just for fun -- the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks on a back-to-back on the road. Get while the getting's good might have to be Orlando's motto now. At 23-20, the Magic need to emerge from their funk. Losers of six of their past seven games, they are holding onto the sixth spot in the East. But if they falter against the likes of the Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks (twice), New York Knicks (twice), Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers, they could fall behind the playoff pace when the schedule stiffens. Orlando has had a habit of underachieving the last few seasons, and losses to sub-par teams ultimately cost them a playoff spot in 2005. The Magic already have lost to the Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The saving grace might be that 13 of their last 16 games of the season are against teams currently under .500. But the Magic also might have no room for error if they don't take advantage now. "We got to play with more urgency," Diener said. "Atlanta . . . It's playoff game. These are the games that come back to bite you." Injuries are always the wild card, and Orlando will have to start the push without shooting guard Keyon Dooling. Dooling will be out 7-10 days, according to Smith, with strained ligaments in his right thumb sustained Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. He had the thumb in a splint on Thursday. Without Dooling, Keith Bogans will back up Grant Hill at shooting guard. The Magic have lost their primary reserves at shooting guard and small forward, with Trevor Ariza (sprained right knee) not expected to return for a month to back up Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic have gone 10-16 since a 13-4 start this season and a 16-6 finish last season. Coach Brian Hill is not ready to sound alarms or circle portions of the schedule. "The best team in our conference [Detroit] is sitting at 16 losses. So how bad are we?" the coach said. "Do we want to get better? Yes. Do we want to grow? Yes. "We're not in the dire straits that people on the outside say we are." There's an opportunity now to enhance their standing in the standings. "We have to make our mind up," point guard Jameer Nelson said. "When you're in the middle [of the conference race], you either go up or go down. Every game now has to be like a playoff-caliber game." </div> Link
