John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Mike Miller understands why he was dealt to Memphis last month and believes the Orlando Magic did the right thing.

"I agree 100 percent they had to do something. That's another reason why it's hard to blame anybody," Miller said of his feelings toward the Magic. "They had to make a move. I think a lot of people were getting impatient and we weren't going anywhere. We were going to the first round of the playoffs and getting knocked off. We were a playoff team, but after a while people get impatient with just being a playoff team. It's funny to say that, but they had to make a move."

After being mentioned in trade talks for his entire Magic career, Miller was glad to finally have some closure.

"Then, I could just worry about basketball and my family and not worry all the time about where I was going to be," he said. "It's hard when you're starting a family and you're worrying about where you're going to live. But I'm excited because I have great coaches and one of the best GMs ever in Jerry West."

John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Orlando Magic forward Drew Gooden's big right toe is getting better but it is still not healed enough for him to play.

Gooden will definitely miss tonight's game against his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, but he is also likely out Wednesday at New Orleans and possibily longer.

Magic coach Doc Rivewrs doesn't know when Gooden will be back.

"He is able to put two shoes on again and that's progress, but I don't see him on the floor again until Wednesday and that's not even likely," Rivers said of the Magic's game in New Orleans on Wednesday. "Toe injuries are just terrible. Just when you think they are better, you try to walk on them and realize there's a lot of pain still there."

We're really going to miss his activity on defense and his rebounding," Rivers said. "He's really the first guy we've had since I've been here who can consistently get 10 rebounds. You take 10 rebounds away from a team that's already not a good rebounding team and it's going to hurt you."

Gooden, who has averaged 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game since he was traded from Memphis, has already missed two games because of the injury.

For the first time tonight, Mike Miller will enter the T.D. Waterhouse Centre as a visitor.

"It's going to be difficult as far as seeing all those people and not being apart of the Magic anymore," Miller said. "But I'm a Grizzly now. . . . I'm looking forward to growing with this team."
Miller was supposed to be part of Orlando's core along with Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. It never materialized like it was supposed to, in part because of Hill's injury-ridden career in Orlando, and now all that is left is what could have been.

"I used to think all the time about what we could have been with me, Grant and Mike," McGrady said. "I don't know what we would've been like. I think we'd be better than how we turned out, but I don't know that. I'll never know that."

Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers concurs with McGrady.

"If Grant was healthy, you might make the case that the deal would not have been done," Magic Coach Doc Rivers acknowledged. "But you could also make the case that we needed to make a deal to get a post player still. We liked the possibilities of that lineup, though."

So tonight, Orlando gets closure according to the Orlando Sentinel's Jerry Brewer.

Ron Tillery of GoMemphis.com reports that while it may seem at first glance that Orlando has won the trade, the Grizzlies are ecstatic to have Miller.

"He's going to be a star, and there's no way we could get a player of his caliber in the draft," Griz coach Hubie Brown said of Miller. "We're talking about a primetime guy in our style of play."

The trade seems to be lopsided, but the trade answered needs for both teams. The emergence of Stromile Swift has also helped ease the loss of Drew Gooden.

Swift has averaged number's close to that of Gooden, but has been able to be more of a force on the defensive end blocking 3 shots per game in a 6-game stretch of double-doubles.

"The deal makes us a whole lot stronger," Griz center Lorenzen Wright said. "We just didn't have the (playing) time here for Drew."

The Magic admit Miller will not be easily replaced, but they are excited to see where this trade will take them.

"We can't replace Mike Miller," General Manager John Gabriel said. "He is a good player, and his best years are ahead of him. What we want to do now is work with this group, keep improving and see what we can do."

Even McGrady feels good about this team, despite the fact his best friend is not included.

"Absolutely, I think we can do something with this group," McGrady said. "Drew is a talent. He just has to learn. Gordan can play. You just never know what's going to happen in the future."

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Magic forward Drew Gooden might be out a little longer than expected.

Last night,the rookie from Kansas missed Orlando's 109-85 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a sore big right toe. It was the first game that Gooden has missed since being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies last month.

Gooden hopes to play Sunday at Miami and really wants to play the following day against his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, on Monday.

"It's real painful," Gooden said of the injury, a sprain suffered Wednesday against Miami. "It just takes time to heal. Once I can walk right, run without pain and jump without pain, that's when I'll come back."

However, Gooden had a noticable limp as he walked through the arena and big toe injuries have a history of being lingering and nagging, this concerns coach Doc Rivers.

"The manly side is saying, 'A toe?' " Magic Coach Doc Rivers said. "But the pain side is saying, 'It hurts.'"

While Gooden hopes to play in the Magic's next two games, he doesn't sound as if he will do so.

"I know my body better than anybody," Gooden said. "I want to play Sunday against Miami. I really want to play in that Memphis game. But I can't lie to anybody right now, the way I'm moving. I can't fool anybody."

In 13 games with the, Gooden is averaging 14 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

After Wednesday's loss to Orlando, Miami head coach Pat Riley denied rumors that the Miami Heat plan to release guard Anthony Carter according to RealGM.com writer Marcos Muente.

"That's absolutely wrong and frankly, it's none of your [expletive] business," said Riley.

Riley has made no secret about his desire to add a top flight free agent this summer. Releasing Carter would create more cap space for the Heat to persue such a player.

John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Newly acquired Magic forward Drew Gooden is suffering from severe tendinitis in his right knee.

According to Denton, Gooden's struggles of late go hand in hand with the injury. It is the same injury that bothered Gooden last season when he was leading Kansas to the Final Four. Coincidentally, the knee is flaring up again at a time when Gooden is helping lead a team into the post season.

He said the knee brace he wears during games helps provide stability to his patellar, but the injury is particularly painful after games and practice.

"On a scale of one to 10, I guess I'd say it's maybe a seven now," said Gooden, who limped off the floor Wednesday night after spraining the big toe on his right foot. "It's really taken away from some of the things I'm capable of doing. Tendinitis is a very underrated injury. When it flares up I can't walk up and down stairs. It's just one of those nagging injuries that will only get better with rest."

 Since joining the Magic, Gooden has started and played in 13 games while averaging 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports: On Tuesday, Magic forward Grant Hill's fourth surgery on his left ankle went as planned.

Dr. James Nunley, who performed the surgery on Hill's ankle at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., said that he should be able to play basketball again.

"We found no reason why Grant Hill will not be able to play basketball again for the Orlando Magic," he said.

"His bone had good strength and good blood supply, and we felt good about how the surgery proceeded. Although I feel like he will play basketball again, there is no time frame at the present to when he will be able to return to play."

During the procedure, Nunley replaced some screws in Hill's ankle and broke Hill's left heel and realigned his left leg, which is believed to be the root of these ankle problems.

"There didn't appear to be any surprises during surgery," Magic General Manager John Gabriel said. "The no news was the good news."

Hill will remain in the hospital for a few days, where Nunley will monitor Hill's progress and later decide how long before Hill can put weight on his ankle.

If Hill does decide to make another comeback, he probably wouldn't be ready for training camp.

Despite three surgeries in as many years, Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill isn't ready to call it a career just yet.

John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Today, Hill will have a fourth surgery on his troubled left ankle.

The operation will be performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Nunley of the Duke University Medical Center.

During the procedure, Hill will also have his left heel bone broken, his ankle realigned, and the original stress fracture on the inside of the joint addressed again.

Doctors believe that by breaking Hill's heel, they can alter the alignment of his ankle and take some of the pressure off the joint. They now believe that the improper alignment of Hill's ankle has been the reason for the repeated stress fractures.

The Magic hope that this surgery will be Hill's last.

"At this point, none of us are prepared to say that we have answers," Magic general manager John Gabriel said. "History hasn't shown us that or been kind to us in that regard. The doctors will go into it to do the best they can. This has turned into a significant procedure. Hoping for the best is all we can do."

"Obviously, you're hoping this is the surgery that works, but if it isn't, then that's not a good sign for his future," Magic head coach Doc Rivers said. "I talked to him Saturday and he was upbeat from the fact that he finally knew where he was going and what direction this was turning. Even though it's not the news you want to get, at least it gave him some closure as to where he was going with this. That was probably a good thing for him mentally."

"Personally, it's tough to see a guy put in 35 hours a week on rehabilitation only to have something not go as planned," said Magic physical therapist Vinnie Hudson, who has worked with Hill the past two years. "It's very difficult to see. Doing this just shows Grant's consistent professionalism toward basketball and his career. He just has this insistence to wanting to help the Magic.

"I know it's frustrating for him," Magic star Tracy McGrady said. "We don't know if he's going to come back and I don't think he knows if he's going to come back. We just don't know where his career is headed right now. But hopefully this will be his last surgery and everything will come up positive."

Hill has played in 47 of a possible 231 games with the Magic

After the surgery, their really is no timetable for when Hill could comeback. However, the Magic admitted Monday that he probably wouldn't be ready in time for training camp.

Still, the Magic are not ready to begin talks on a buyout of the remaining $60.4 million left on the final fours years of his contract. Hill originally signed a seven-year, $93 million free-agent deal with the Magic in August of 2000.

"I don't think we're at that point yet," Gabriel said, referring to the retirement talk. "We're at the point where we've done our research and we think this procedure is needed for us to have a chance of seeing him as a player again. We're all just hoping for the best now."

The Orlando Magic were suprised at how well rookies Drew Gooden and Gordon Giricek fit into the team when they arrived via trade last month, the Magic immediately going on a winning streak.

Those times are over, however, with the Magic losing three out of four and the two acquisitions having a hard time at points in the games.  Add in point guard signee Chris Whitney and Orlando has acquired three key rotation players within the space of a month, and Jerry Brewer believes we are now seeing this transition period after the honeymoon.

"Right now, they're where I thought we'd start when we first made the trade," Rivers said. "We're better because we have more talent. But as a team, we have a lot of growing to do."

"I'm ecstatic to be where we're at," Rivers said. "What we did running out to that start is giving us a cushion."

That cushion is not all that large. Orlando is only at .500. With six of eight games on the road during April and the Bucks, Wizards and Knicks hot on their trail the Magic need to be about four games above .500 to make life easier.

"We have to get on the same page defensively and offensively," guard Tracy McGrady said.

No one expected the New York Knicks to be in the playoffs this year, especially after power forward Antonio McDyess went down with yet another knee injury before the season started.  But against the odds the Knicks still are alive with 18 games still remaining but for some reason they are not getting the same recognition as the Wizards, Bucks and Magic.

New York are only four games off the pace from seventh placed Orlando, and while the Knicks do not have a favorable schedule down the closing stretch the Knicks can take satisfaction in knowing that none of the other three teams are in the exact same boat.  The Knicks are scheduled to play 11 of their final 18 on the road with nine of those games against teams currently holding down playoff positions.

Making the playoffs will be a mean feat for the high-priced Knicks, but should they make it they will not be satisfied with just that if you listen to guard Latrell Sprewell.  Sprewell believes that once in his Knicks have a chance to get to the Conference Finals or perhaps even take out the East.

"I don't see a lot of those teams being that much better," Sprewell said. "I look at Boston, teams like that. We can definitely beat them. Any team in the East I feel we can beat."

But one step at a time...

"It's right there in front of us," Sprewell added. "We haven't put together the stretch of games we need. Three games is not a lot, especially with the way they're playing. I think we can get in. It's definitely possible ? 18 games left to make up three."

Knicks coach Don Cheaney believes the Knicks are in a good position, history showing that many teams slip during the latter parts of the season which could give his team a chance.  We saw Milwaukee miss the playoffs last season under these circumstances.

"It just reconfirms, if you stay in there ? and I've seen it many, many times ? that in that final run, teams start slipping," Coach Don Chaney said. "I don't know if it's the pressure or what, but teams start slipping. So what we have to do is stay focused and not allow games like the Memphis game to get away from us.

"Maybe it's foolish dreams, or whatever you want to call it, but I have a lot of faith in these guys. I really do. I think we're capable of doing it."

It is one thing to be reliant on another team's doings, but in order to take advtantage the Knicks need to help themselves by closing out games - something they failed to do earlier in the week against Memphis.

"I think every game we play, we can't look at it as make or break," he said. "We just have to win."