LOS ANGELES -- At the end of each Orlando Magic practice, Dwight Howard sticks his head in the huddle and touches hands with his teammates.They play along, knowing what's coming from their imaginative 20-year-old star: An inspirational, albeit paraphrased, message from, uh, a cartoon character.
Howard is doing his best impersonation of Captain Planet, the ringleader in a group of superheroes (The Planeteers).
"With our powers combined, we are the Magic!" Howard says.
Well, boys and girls, it's as good an explanation as any if you're wondering how the Magic suddenly have joined the powers that be in the NBA.
Something is going on.
Call it chemistry, kismet or karma. The way they're playing, they soon might be able to transmute matter, just like Captain Planet does.
All Coach Brian Hill could do was smile sheepishly and shake his head after the Magic edged the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night on a last-second shot for the club's sixth consecutive victory.
"What can I say?" Hill began, seemingly as lost as anybody else who has witnessed the franchise's warp-speed transformation from laughingstock to contender.
The Magic are carving an identity: A deep, hard-nosed team that no longer plays like a homecoming patsy on the road or shrinks in close games. Oh, and in Howard, they also might have the next best thing since Shaquille O'Neal.
Out of the playoff picture the past three seasons -- and the NBA's worst team of 2003-04 -- the Magic are 13-4 heading into tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
That's good enough to stand atop the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference. Last season after 17 games, they were 7-10 en route to their second consecutive 36-46 finish. The Magic have won 10 of their past 11 games.
"This team's confidence just keeps growing with winning," General Manager Otis Smith said.
The Magic have been even more of a pleasant surprise on the road, posting a 6-3 record, including three consecutive victories during what was billed largely as a defining six-game trip West.
"Nobody gave us a chance out here," power forward Tony Battie said.
Last season, they won just 10 road games and set a club record with 16 consecutive road defeats.
The victory against the Trail Blazers just about capsulated what this resurgence -- dating to last season's 16-6 closing run -- has been about. The Magic not only won away from home -- they won a close game.
Last season, they lost 17 games by six points or less -- and 13 of those losses came on the road. The Magic lost nine games overall by four points or fewer. This season, they are 6-1 in games decided by six points or less. They won by three in Boston and Miami and by two in Portland.
"I think, for the most part, we've kept our composure instead of panicking," guard Grant Hill said.
The Magic were tied with the Blazers at 89-all with 1.2 seconds left. Brian Hill drew up a play that the club executed to perfection on a less-than-perfect performance Friday night.
Grant Hill was to cut toward the basket and receive a lob pass from Hedo Turkoglu. Bingo. Hill scored with .3 seconds left for the game-winner.
It showed the confidence the team is playing with -- and the confidence they have in Brian Hill.
"This is the kind of game for the future . . . that helps you at the end of the season, making you believe you can win," Turkoglu said.
Hill got open because Jameer Nelson, all 5 feet 10 of him, set a pick. Nelson's play largely went unnoticed, but it said more about the Magic. They do more of the little things and do it unselfishly, which is a direct reflection of their coach, a demanding detail man.
What's more, Nelson was having a bad game (one point), but he kept making plays.
And again, just as in the victory at Seattle, the second team came through in Portland. With Nelson providing little offense, the bench scored 37 points.
Defense has been Brian Hill's pet project since he took over the job, and the Magic have improved dramatically. They entered the game against Portland No. 1 in defensive field-goal percentage and No. 2 in points allowed.
While Howard and Battie anchor the starting unit defensively, the Magic might have the NBA's best defensive bench with shot blocker Darko Milicic and on-the-ball defenders Trevor Ariza, Keyon Dooling and Keith Bogans.
Howard's awe-inspiring progress has the Magic on an uptick. But the healthy return of Grant Hill cannot be overlooked. He essentially also won the Miami game, and -- knock on wood -- you wonder what might happen if he gets hurt again.
But maybe the power of Captain Planet will stay with him.
Addititional articles that recap the Magical month of November in Orlando.
Howard: Conference Player of the Month
Hill, Howard earn NBA monthly honors
USA Today: Howard Makes Magic
Sentinel: How Wrong Experts Can Be
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