The Magic had only eight players available tonight and it showed at the end of the game.

Kemba Walker was weaving in and out of the defense throughout the fourth quarter and it was his final salvo that put a nail in the conffing for the Magic and made it a very realistic possibility that the Magic finish with the worst record in the league (and the most ping pong balls in May's NBA Draft Lottery).

Walker was trapped on the perimeter and the Magic were switching on every screen. There must have been a miscommunication or a slow rotation because Walker threw the ball toward the rim toward a flying Josh McRoberts who threw down a one-handed alley-oop that made it a six-point game and completed Charlotte's 114-108 win over Orlando at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Bobcats still own the NBA's worst record, but are just a half game behind the Magic in the standings.

In a game with so much offense, Orlando simply ran out of fuel at the end. The Magic played only eight players and had no post players in reserve with the team sticking to its decision to shut down Al Harrington and the team not ready (or unwilling) to play Hedo Turkoglu in his first game back from suspension.

Those eight guys played too exhaustion at the end. The Bobcats closed on a 16-6 run, erasing a four-point Magic lead as the shots ran out for the Magic and the offense slowed enough to give the Bobcats control of the game.

Monday's loss to the Heat was the first national exposure for the post-trade Orlando Magic. It came a little sooner than perhaps expected because the Heat are on that incredible win streak and the Heat flexed their muscles with that impressive 20-2 run in the third and fourth quarters that turned a two-point deficit into a rout.

This whole season, particularly the end of it, has been about getting Orlando's young players experience and letting them learn through experience after being brought along rather slowly at the early part of the season.

This entire season has been about how these guys grow.

We have talked a bunch about how they have done that with specific focus on the first round picks -- Andrew Nicholson and Maurice Harkless (acquired by Philadelphia). Those two are very much part of the current cornerstones for this franchise moving forward.

Monday was largely the first time for them on a national stage, and both kind of fizzled out. Nicholson sprained his ankle in the first quarter and the Heat had obviously gameplanned for Harkless after his string of solid games before the game against the Heat. I did not watch the ESPN broadcast so I have not heard what Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy had to say about the Magic.

Ben Golliver Rob Mahoney of The Point Forward will have to give us that national perspective with his review of the rookies throughout the league.

The Orlando Magic have been a footnote in the NBA nationally since that 12-13 start fizzled out from the injuries.

At that point Andrew Nicholson was a social media darling for his YMCA-type post game. That perception appears to have stuck with him even though Nicholson has struggled (particularly on defense) since that strong start early in the season.

The Magic’s rotation was somewhat crowded earlier in the season, but various absences in the lineup — and the downward tilt of Orlando’s season — have opened opportunities for the most underrated rookie in this year’s class. Nicholson’s game is about as unsexy as it could possibly be, fueled largely by patient footwork and glitz-less set shots. But in that aesthetically neutral style is something legitimately exciting, as Nicholson, the 19th pick last year, has put together a solid scoring season in the post and as a pick-and-pop big man.

His offense is indeed the most developed part of his game and his post moves are far beyond that of a normal rookie, perhaps the product of staying at St. Bonaventure and really working on his game for long periods of time.

Nicholson still has his flaws. As Golliver Mahoney points out, he gets outmuscled for post position at times and he still struggles defensively. Since Glen Davis got hurt, the power forward position has been a revolving door and Nicholson has not been able to firmly hold the spot because of these shortcomings. Tobias Harris quickly replaced him as a starter upon his arrival.

The Magic will still be without Nikola Vucevic on Wednesday when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Bobcats in a game with major lottery implications, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Vucevic did not participate in the Magic's light practice and will not travel for the team's road game tomorrow night.

Nik Vucevic (concussion) won't be making the trip to Charlotte, but he expects to play again this season.

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) March 26, 2013

This is a moderately big blow as the Magic have seen the last few games as they have few bodies to throw out there. With Glen Davis and Vucevic out, the Magic are down the two post players they started the year with and have a thinning bench. Tobias Harris, Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn make up the Magic's post rotation right now with Al Harrington effectively shut down for the year.

It is still unclear the extent of Nicholson's sprained ankle except that he is day-to-day. Nobody knows whether he will play tomorrow night. That leaves Orlando with a very very thin bench. Monday against Miami, the Magic were using Beno Udrih at what would have been power forward with just Maurice Harkless or Tobias Harris in at "center."

Orlando was desperate for a post body.

This is what I like to call schadenfreude. Dwight Howard took part in a great Orlando tradition at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards this past weekend, and he was certainly very deserving of it (h/t The Basketball Jones):

Yes, that was fun.

So was the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. I hope everyone got a good look at Marcus Smart, Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett because they were all gone in the second round and did not even make it to the weekend games. I know for whatever reason whenever I watch a game, it seems I catch them all when they have awful games.

Even Ben McLemore struggled this weekend. And he is the presumptive No. 1 pick at the moment.

So let's talk NCAA Tournament for a brief moment.

The Magic got out on the break on one of those rare Heat turnovers and Jameer Nelson found E'Twaun Moore along the baseline. Moore had a clear path and rose up for a modest jam. His hand barely got above the rim to send the ball through.

It still sent Amway Center into something of a frenzy. Just a possession before, Jameer Nelson made an incredibly craft play, taking a kickout pass and backpedaling to get behind the 3-point line before tying the game with a 3-pointer.

With a 68-66 lead late in the third quarter, it seemed like the spunky Magic would be in it to the end to test the Heat and potentially end that 26-game win streak.

The buzz was building though. And the swarm was coming.

The Heat are championship contenders and the Magic are the second worst team in the league by record.

LeBron James brought the haymaker on the next play, taking the ball on the break with a full head of steam. His dunk was much more emphatic than Moore's, and so was the way the Heat put the Magic away. With Orlando leading 68-66, James took over in a much more visible way than he had before.

James put down an emphatic one-handed jam and the run was on. It became one James drive to the basket and then another. Then a turnovers turned into a fast break alley-oop over Beno Udrih. Then a LeBron alley oop to Chris Andersen.

All told, it was a 20-2 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters that turned the game around and turned a strong, focused, desperate effort from the Magic into a blowout and a coronation yet again of the Heat. Miami won 108-94 behind James' masterful (and sometimes eerily quiet) 24-point, 9-rebound and 11-assist effort.

Orlando put James into pass-mode with an effort to double team him and overload the strong side. The Heat though were able to move the ball quickly and find 3-point shooters. The Heat had the right wrinkle in freeing them up with a flare screen on the weakside defender. 

It was one of the indelible images of the year. A wide-eyed, smiling Kyle O'Quinn screaming in ecstacy after Missouri's last-ditch 3-pointer fell off the rim allowing Norfolk State to become just the sixth 15-seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the Round of 32.

Maybe this year's Florida Gulf Coast story -- the first 15-seed to make the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA Tournament history -- takes away some of the significance of what O'Quinn and his Spartans did. Or maybe O'Quinn is still living out that dream.

After all, without that stage in the NCAA Tournament it is very likely O'Quinn, despite averaging a double double as a senior at Norfolk State, would not have been invited to the Portsmouth Invitational where he took hom tournament MVP honors. And if that does not happen, who knows if Rob Hennigan and his staff would have taken notice of the burly forward and taken him in the second round of the Draft. And if that does not happen, who knows if O'Quinn gets noticed with his physical play in the Summer League.

It has all seemingly led up to this opportunity now at the end of the season. And the one he clearly got when he stepped onto the floor in his hometown of New York City at Madison Square Garden last week.

As John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com beautifully describes, O'Quinn's father was filled with immense pride when he saw his son record career highs with 12 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Two days later, O'Quinn would earn his first start with Nikola Vucevic suffering a mild concussion.

I didn’t know how to feel with him out there playing so well, but it made me think about Omaha, Nebraska, all over again," Tommie O’Quinn said, referring to his son’s big moment in the NCAA Tournament last March. "He got that double-double out there tonight against the (New York) Knicks and I just thought to myself, 'There’s no stopping this kid.'

"Some fan, who was from Kansas, asked me after the game how I felt with the way Kyle played and I told him, 'It’s like the bucket is full for us right now because I can’t believe what Kyle has accomplished,'" Tommie continued to marvel, while shaking his head in amazement. "Tonight is almost exactly a year later (from the 2012 NCAA Tournament) and it’s a reminder of what Kyle did in college. I tell you, I have to give it up to him because he’s accomplished so much."

There really does seem like there is no stopping O'Quinn.

Even before Maurice Harkless dropped a career-high 25 points against the Thunder on Friday, he was receiving praise from the highest source.

The NBA's leading scorer, Kevin Durant, was surprised to learn that the rookie was 19 years old and remarked that Harkless had grown up immeasurably in his defensively ability against him from that first matchup. In that 117-103 Thunder win, Durant scored 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting.

A lot of that came in the first half as the Thunder buitl a 27-point lead they would eventually lose. That comeback impressed the entire Oklahoma City team as Orlando continues to fight without much to play for in terms of wins and losses.

Durant had nothing but good things to say about the rookie from St. John's as he told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel before Friday's loss to Oklahoma City:

That guy, he plays like he’s been in the league for years the way he defends and how long and athletic he is and how hard he plays. To be honest, I didn’t know he was that young, but he played me tough. The whole team, they did such a great job of making me see bodies, so I know it’s going to be a tough one tonight. I’m looking forward to going out there and playing my game and having fun and putting pressure on those guys. Hopefully, I get it done tonight.

Durant got it done Friday particularly down the stretch in scoring 25 points on 7-for-14 shooting. He did not find things that easy however with both Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless doing a good job. The veteran though had the last laugh.

What is very noticeable is just the confidence exuding from Harkless right now.

Jameer Nelson has won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award, the Magic and the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation announced at tonight's 23rd Annual Black Tie and Tennies Charity Gala.

The award recognizes the community efforts of players off the court to "enhance others' lives." The past award winners are a who's who of Magic greats and include Nick Anderson, Anfernee Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, Dwight Howard and J.J. Redick. This was Nelson's first time winning the award. The award is in the form of a $50,000 donation from the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation a charity of the recipient's choice.

Nelson has long been active in the Orlando community as so many other Magic players are.

Of note (and mentioned in the Magic's release), Nelson has been a constant presence at the Magic's yearly trip to the Coalition for the Homeless around Thanksgiving where the team provides more than 600 meals to needy families during the holiday season. Nelson's work on that front continued where he provided holiday gifts to two families associated with Orange County Public Schools Homeless Division.

Nelson has very much been a part of memorable holidays for families in need.

Family is a big part of Nelson's life. And his charitable work extends well beyond Orlando.

Arron Afflalo will miss the final 12 games of the season with a strained hamstring, the Orlando Magic announced Saturday.

Afflalo injured his hamstring when he pulled up a little lame going after a loose ball in the second quarter of Friday's loss to Oklahoma City. He stayed on the floor for an extended period of time, holding his right hamstring before Doron Lamb and Al Harrington helped him off the floor. Jameer Nelson told the Orlando Sentinel after the game that he knew Afflalo was in a lot of pain, although he did not immediately know the extent of the injury.

Afflalo officially has a strained right hamstring. The Magic have decided the best way to heal it is through rest and rehabilitation. and with so few games remaining in the season and very little to play for in the way of wins, there does not seem much reason to try and rush him back.

It was an interesting season for Afflalo.

He welcomed the opportunity to come to Orlando and be a bigger part of the offense after the team acquired him in the Dwight Howard trade. Afflalo had some growing pains in that role but turned in a solid offensive season. Afflalo averaged 16.5 points per game, a career high, although his field goal percentage predictably went down to 43.9 percent with the increased shooting and usage rate -- a career-high 22.6 percent this year.

Afflalo though took on a different role in the locker room. With so many young players, he kept the mood in the locker room professional and determined to win. Often after games, he would be the one expressing frustration that the team was struggling but the calm to understand that the young team was growing and getting better every game.

Even after wins, Afflalo was the calm voice of reason, pointing out the positives but recognizing that the learning was just beginning for this squad.

Afflalo is one of the few players on this roster who can consistently get his own shot and was not afraid to assert himself. That was needed for this young roster, particularly at the beginning of the season.

Now though, it is definitely time to let the young players play and get experience. There is no reason to rush Afflalo back for 10 games that will not have much meaning as far as the Magic's record goes.

In a season bereft of much motivation to win except pride and youth development, this is the game and this is the moment the Magic likely want their young players to see and feel.

It was not so long ago that Kevin Durant was going through these growing pains -- and Orlando certainly does not have a Kevin Durant on the roster right now -- and suffering losses to teams that were already title contenders while his team was making the long climb up.

The Magic are making the long climb up and got another positive sign that the future is bright with the way Maurice Harkless took over the game.

Even with Harkless spinning his way around Kevin Durant and dicing the Thunder defense for long stretches of the game, there is still a lot to learn. Orlando and Oklahoma City were tied at 86 when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook took over the game offensively and closed the game on an 11-3 run to end the game.

Serge Ibaka started blocking shots and repealing the Magic from the rim. There was, of course, no chance the Magic were going to get to the foul line -- and Harkless and Harris are still learning how to draw fouls against a skilled shot blocker like Ibaka.

Execution mattered and the Thunder, the more experienced and more talented side, won out in the end with a 97-89 win at Amway Center on Friday. Durant scored 25 points and Russell Westbrook scored 19 points. Serge Ibaka had 13 rebounds and five blocks and made himself known defensively, particularly at the end of the game.

This game though largely belonged to rookie Maurice Harkless.