NEW ORLEANS _ Even with 38 games remaining in their season, the Orlando Magic's playoff hopes look bleak.
Their January took another disappointing turn Wednesday night.
Plagued once again by their defense, the Magic lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, 118-98, at the Smoothie King Center.
And the Magic lost a key member of their rotation, too.
Shooting guard Jodie Meeks left the game midway through the third quarter after he injured his right thumb. A team spokesman said Meeks dislocated the thumb, but the spokesman added that X-rays showed no fracture.
The Magic already are thin on the wing because Evan Fournier, the usual starting shooting guard, missed his third consecutive game because of a sore right heel and sore right foot. There is no timetable for Fournier's return.
Wednesday's game was starting to get out of hand for the Magic even before Meeks suffered his injury. Orlando already trailed, 72-61, when coach Frank Vogel subbed Meeks out with 8:37 left in the third quarter and Meeks went to the locker room to have his hand examined.
It is unclear whether Meeks will have to miss Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but it is important to note that Meeks shoots with his right hand.
The Pelicans made 49.5 percent of their shots, including 15 of their 36 3-point attempts.
The Magic went 11 for 32 from beyond the arc.
Magic small forward Aaron Gordon scored 14 points, collected eight rebounds and dished out four assists.
Power forward Serge Ibaka added 11 points, seven rebounds and five blocks.
When the Magic left Central Florida for Southern California on Jan. 7, they had high hopes they would play well on their six-game road trip through Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver and New Orleans.
Instead, they struggled, especially on the defensive end.
They compiled a 1-5 record and fell further behind in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
On Nov. 16, the Magic beat the Pelicans 89-82 at Amway Center, but that victory came with an asterisk attached to it. Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis sat out that night because he had a quadriceps contusion.
The Magic did not have that luxury Wednesday night.
During the first half, Davis went to the Pelicans' locker room to have his left hand examined, but he returned to the game and finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
New Orleans (17-26) has changed its playing rotation since it lost to Orlando (17-27).
The Pelicans no longer employ 7-foot center Omer Asik or 7-foot-2 center Alexis Ajinca in their rotation. Instead, coach Alvin Gentry plays Davis at center in a small-ball lineup that spreads the floor _ the kind of lineup the Magic have failed to contain most of the season.
The Pelicans used their improved mobility to their advantage Wednesday.
They scored 29 of their 65 first-half points on fast breaks even though the Magic committed only eight first-half turnovers.
New Orleans generated their transition opportunities because Orlando missed its share of long-range shots and because Orlando did not get back well enough on defense. Just two days earlier, porous transition defense was an issue when the Magic lost to the Denver Nuggets 125-112.
On Wednesday, the Magic looked exhausted.
You could blame their lack of defensive energy on the long, arduous trip they completed on Wednesday. But the Magic also lacked energy during the first game of their trip, a 111-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If Meeks and Fournier cannot play Friday, second-year swingman Mario Hezonja and veteran point guards D.J. Augustin and C.J. Watson likely will receive more minutes.
Hezonja has struggled on both ends of the floor on most occasions that he has played significant minutes.
At the moment, however, it is difficult to find any Magic player who is playing especially well.
