<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If the Orlando Magic are going to regain the success they had in the season's first five weeks, it has to be now. In terms of their schedule, they are out of excuses. A very favorable 10-game stretch starts tonight with a home game against Atlanta and lasts until the All-Star break (Feb. 15-19). Six of those games will be at home and only one will be against a team currently owning a winning record. Winning seven of 10 would get the Magic into the break at 30-23, which is likely to be very near the top of the Eastern Conference. If they don't have some separation from .500 by then, they aren't likely to get it later. A rough 15-game stretch starting Feb. 21 could jeopardize their chances of even making the playoffs, and not qualifying for the Eastern Conference playoffs this season would have to be regarded as a big-time failure. There are a lot of bad teams in the East, and the Magic will be playing several of them in the next two weeks. What is most noticeable with a glance at the Eastern Conference standings, however, is the lack of good teams. A certain lethargy grips the handful of Eastern teams that do have winning records, including the Magic. The Detroit Pistons lead the pack with a pace that would give then 49 victories. No team in this century has earned a top seed with fewer than 50. ''I'm glad there's parity right now. If you lose a game, you don't fall too far behind in the standings,'' Magic guard Keyon Dooling said. ''In our case right now, parity is good. Hopefully we can be the team to distinguish ourselves, pull away from the pack and start jockeying for position.'' As Elvis might say, it's now or never. The Magic's weaknesses (sloppy ball-handling, poor free-throw shooting, shaky defense at the guard positions) have been exposed since their fine start. But thanks to the mediocrity of the conference, they remain in the running for a good seed. They have two legitimate excuses for a slide in which they have lost six of seven. Trevor Ariza is out with a knee injury, and the schedule has been brutal. "Every team goes through a stretch of their schedule that might not be fair," guard Travis Diener said. "You just have to deal with that." In any case, that stretch is over. The Magic are coming off a two-day break tonight, and they will get another one after playing the Hawks. "I think it's going to help a lot," Diener said. "Coming off the West Coast and playing four games in five nights, guys are tired. We'll get our legs back and be re-energized and refocused." Ariza's absence has hurt, especially on defense and on the boards. But that, too, is part of the game. Other NBA teams have been hit far worse by injuries. Ariza won't be back until after the All-Star break. The Magic will be in big trouble by then if they can't beat weak teams without him. </div> Link
