SIXERS NEWS

After dropping a tough one to the lowly Bobcats in their last game, the Sixers were looking to get back on track tonight as they returned to the Wachovia center to face the Orlando Magic. Ultimately it turned out to be a thriller between two teams desperate to prove they are among the Easternce conference's elite teams. Unfortunately, although they played well the Sixers came out on the wrong side of it. Their shooting was a bit better at 44% from the field, but still the same from beyond the arc at 23%. The rebounds were done a bit at just 39, but the Magic also only pulled down 39. Finally the assist to turnover ratio was much better, at 25 assists to just 14 turnovers. Also the bench played at a suitable level for once with 31 points. So the Sixers played well enough to win, but when it counted most the Magic were just a step faster. Early on Orlando jumpe out to a 7 point lead with the score 26-19 after a quarter play. By the half the lead was up to 10 with the score 54-44. In the 3rd quarter the Sixers rallied ahead by 1, with the score 71-70. They still held a 1 point lead with the score 94-93 and just 5 seconds to play when Rashard Lewis broke the Sixer's hears with a 3 pointer, after Thaddeus Young left him open in the corner for a split second to help on defense. Andre Miller then clanged a desperation heave at the buzzer and the Sixers had lost 96-94. So the Sixers drop back under .500 just like that at 7-8 overall.