03/15/2010 - 15:24
A Southeast Statement
by Devon Jeffreys

The Charlotte Bobcats have been on a tear since Tyson Chandler returned to the lineup 10 days ago..

And Saturday night, they ripped through Orlando.

Jammin' again (Getty Images).

Tyson scored seven points on another efficient night, going 3-4 from the field and 1-2 from the line as the Bobcats defeated their Southeast Division rival, the Orlando Magic, 96-89 on Sunday night in Orlando.

The win simultaneously increased Charlotte's winning streak to six games while snapping the Magic's season-high eight-game winning streak. At six games, the Bobcats now have the NBA's longest current winning streak, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.

"This is huge for us to get a big win like this on the road against one of the best teams in the league," Tyson said after the game. "I feel like we showed a lot of character and these are the games we put a lot of emphasis on."

Tyson pulled in a trio of offense rebounds, and finished two of those second chances with tip-ins. His other bucket came on a rim-rocking dunk in the first quarter, just minutes after he entered the game, off a pick and roll with DJ Augustin.

TY NEARLY DOUBLES UP
The victory over Orlando was Charlotte's second of the weekend.

The Bobcats started it off right on Friday night with a 106-98 defeat of the Los Angeles Clippers in Charlotte. In the victory, Tyson had his best performance since his comeback on March 5.

No. 6 scored 13 points and just missed out on a double double with nine rebounds in nearly 32 minutes. He made five of his seven shots, hanging around the rim for open opportunities and second efforts. Of his nine rebounds, six came on the offensive glass, his domain.

"My legs are really under me," Tyson told Bobcats Break. "I'm trying to bring a lot of energy coming off the bench. I try to come and provide a momentum swing and it's working out right now."

WINNING WITHOUT WALLACE
The Bobcats pulled off the win without the efforts of leading rebounder and second leading scorer Gerald Wallace, who averages a double-double and is a key cog in the Charlotte machine.

"The other guys stepped up," Tyson said. "He's obviously a huge part of this team's success, so to be able to get a win like this on the road without him says a lot about the team."

With the win, the Bobcats strengthened their hold on the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference Playoff race. If the season were to end today, the Cats would be matched up with the current No. 3 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, another dangerous young team.

"This is the perfect time for us to start clicking and rolling together. We're playing great basketball right now and this is the time of the season when you want to be healthy and playing well," TC said.

But No. 6 believes Charlotte can't become content with where they sit in the playoff race. They have to push themselves for even bigger things and the fifth seed in the East remains a goal.

"The teams that we're right on the bubble with are winning," he said. "This was a real important win for us. For us to be able to come into Orlando and win this game and keep our stride is huge. You obviously have to keep tabs on the other teams. We see when they're winning. Every game for us is important no matter what.

"We have to try to get out there and win every game because it's really on us. You definitely check out the standings and see where teams are moving because we have an opportunity to not only make the playoffs but we can have a pretty high seed. We can get up there at five or six."

NEXT UP
The Bobcats finish up this leg of their road trip on Tuesday in Indiana where they'll look to make it seven in a row against the Pacers.

Tyson said the team's confidence is as elevated as it's been all season and the momentum has been a blessing as the team returns to full health.

"We're sky high right now. We're riding the wave," he said. "We have everybody healthy for the most part. Gerald will be back and this is the first time in the year that everyone has been healthy so we're feeling good out there."

Charlotte and Indiana tip-off at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday and the game can be seen on SportSouth.