[Miami, FL] There was a point earlier in the season that the Miami Heat appeared invincible. Then, the All-Star break seemed to sap their momentum. These days, you never know which team will show up.

On Sunday, a spirited, all business team hit the court running and gunning against a visiting Detroit Pistons squad, perhaps looking to un-embarass themselves after being blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Before the game, the Heat announced that shooting guard Mike Miller has finally came back from a thumb injury he suffered before the regular season. Good thing, because Miller would see a lot of playing time with Dwyane Wade out with an ankle injury he suffered in the team’s last game against Memphis during a dunk attempt.

The Heat started off building a quick lead against Detroit. LeBron James scored 8 points and had 2 rebounds. But the Pistons were able to get back into it thanks to the play of Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe. Each scored 6 points in the quarter. At the end of one, Detroit was up 21-19.

The Heat got a lot of help from the role players in the second quarter. James Jones said after the game that he didn’t know that he was going to play. Well, Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra made a good decision, because Jones came to play.

Jones drained a trio of 3-pointers to help put Miami up by double-digits. Inspired, Miami outscored Detroit 31-19 in the quarter. At halftime, the Heat were up 50-40.

Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James of the Miami Heat scored 26 points on Sunday

Miami ran away with the game in the third, going on a 19-7 run which extended the lead to 22. James scored 11 of those 19 points. At the end of the three, the Heat were up 69-54 and cruising on the Pistons.

The Miami bench was brought in and did not disappoint. Jones again lit it up from the outside, popping in a pair of threes. Norris Cole also came up big, scoring 10 points. It was simply too much for the Pistons. The final score was Heat 98, Pistons 75.

LeBron James scored 26 points and had 4 rebounds. Chris Bosh also played great, scoring 22 and snagging 9 rebounds. James Jones had 18 points off the bench, all of them coming from 3-pointers.

“If I get opportunities, I’ll make shots,” Jones said.

Spoelstra was impressed by the team overall.

“It was a good bounce-back from the other night,” Spoelstra said. “The second unit came in and sparked us. And we got a lot of good contributions.”

The Miami Heat are now 40-15. They next face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Boston, MA] After coming off of a high-scoring win against the Toronto Raptors, the Miami Heat wanted to pick up another win on the road, this time against the Boston Celtics.

The Heat have had their struggles on the road as of late, and today it showed against the Celtics in a game that was a preview of a potential playoff match-up.

Rajon Rondo and the Celtics came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter and revving up a 13-4 run, which put Miami’s back against the wall. Rondo scored 10 points and had 3 assists in the quarter. At the end of one, the Celtics were up 29-19.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat made a bit of a comeback against the Celtics heading toward halftime. Wade scored 8 points and had a couple of rebounds to add to the effort. LeBron James scored 6 points and Shane Battier put up 5.

Miami actually erased Boston’s 11-point lead, tying the game at 40 with around 2 minutes left. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce put a stop to that. At halftime, the Celtics were up 49-44.

Everything fell apart for the Miami Heat in the third as Boston went on a 23-8 run to start things off. Pierce scored 7 points for the Celtics during the run. Rondo scored 6 points and tallied a whopping 8 assists in the quarter. Boston absolutely crushed the visitors, outscoring the Heat 31-12 in the third.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo: Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat continue to struggle on the road against good teams

At the end of three, the Celtics were up 80-56.

Even though Miami outscored Boston in the 4^th quarter, the deficit was way to large to overcome. The final score was Celtics 91, Heat 72.

Hats off to Boston’s Rajon Rondo, who played a great game and seemingly could not be stopped when he was coming off of the pick and roll. He ended up with a triple-double, (16 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists) on the night. For the Miami Heat, LeBron James scored 23 points and had 4 rebounds.

Since the All-Star break, the Heat are having a lot of trouble getting wins on the road. This was also Miami’s worst loss of the season.

“We wanted to play well, but we didn’t,” said Dwyane Wade after the game. “They played exceptionally well. It was as good as they’ve played against us in a long time. Our mental focus wasn’t there the whole game. It was an old-fashioned butt whooping tonight.”

Indeed.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Portland, OR] Coming off of the All-Star break, the Miami Heat wanted to get back to their winning ways against their first opponent of the second half of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers.

It wasn’t a “clean break” for the boys as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade still made headlines during the All-Star celebration, which took place three-and-a-half hours to the North in Orlando. LeBron was once again criticized for his play in the fourth quarter, this time because he didn’t take the final shot.

Wade, on the other hand, made a couple of headlines for breaking Kobe Bryant’s nose during the NBA All-Star Game. Oops.

Now for the business at hand … In the first quarter, the Blazers are the ones who started off playing great basketball, going on a 14-6 run off of scoring from LaMarcus Aldridge. But, Wade, James and the Heat would not go quietly – they came roaring back, with the star duo combining to score 24 points in the quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the Miami Heat were up 32-24.

Wade took over in the second quarter, scoring 12 points and dishing out 2 assists. The Heat also buckled down on defense, keeping Portland from getting buckets while continuing to score at the other end. The Miami Heat outscored the Blazers 28-18 in quarter number two.

At halftime, the Heat were up 60-42.

Photo: Cameron Browne/NBAE/Getty Images (Copyright 2012 NBAE)

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat drives to the basket

It got even better for the Heat and much, much worse for the Blazers in the third. James caught fire, scoring 12 points and dishing out 2 assists. The Trail Blazers kept trying to make a comeback, but they just could not keep up with the Heat offense or defense. At the end of the third quarter, the Heat were up 87-69.

The fourth quarter continued with the same storyline: Portland tried to mount a charge, but the play of the Heat on both ends of the court kept them from getting anything going. James, D-Wade and the Miami Heat bench were just too much for the Trail Blazers.

The final score was Heat 107, Blazers 93.

“We were missing 8½ to 9 rebounds a game, so I just tried to make a conscious effort to get on the boards early and just sustain it throughout the game,” said Udonis Haslem, who pulled down six rebounds off the offensive glass.

Shane Battier started in place of Chris Bosh, who did not play on Thursday night due to family reasons. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was a little concerned before tip-off.

“When we’ve played without [Bosh] in the past, we really struggled,” Spoelstra said. “I think this game showed we made some strides in that area and our versatility helps.”

Next up for the Miami Heat: Tonight (March 2) against the Jazz in Utah.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Cameron Browne/NBAE/Getty Images (Copyright 2012 NBAE)

Miami Heat

[Orlando, FL] With Thursday night’s game being a rematch of the season opener for the Orlando Magic (23-13), and after an 11-4 month of February, could the surging Magic keep pace with the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (28-7)?

Heading into the first quarter with lots on their plate to think about – do we trade Dwight Howard or do we bring in pieces to appease him? – the Magic matched the Thunder bucket for bucket until the 27.3 second mark. That’s when Jason Richardson dropped a 3-point bomb putting the Magic on top 23-20 after one.

The second quarter was a near carbon copy (remember those?) of the first, with both teams putting up 30 points. That left the Magic in possession of the lead at the half 53-50. But could they keep up the pressure for two halves?

Leading the way for the Magic at the midway point was outside sharpshooter Ryan Anderson with 10. Meanwhile, D12 had 9 points and 3 boards. The Thunder were led by their two young stars Russell Westbrook, who had 17, and Kevin Durant, who had 13.

They are possibly the only combo in the league I wouldn’t want to trash because they are pretty loyal guys so we’ll leave it at that.

The second half began with the Magic coming out and pushing hard and earning an 11-point lead, thanks in part to J-Rich and Howard the Dunk. From that point on, the teams matched bucket for bucket for the final 8:18 of the third. The Magic were up 11 after three quarters and looking good.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Jameer Nelson takes it to the rim for the Orlando Magic

But could they hold on against the best team in the NBA?

Sorry, Orlando. The dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook – which put up a combined 22 points in the fourth alone – ruined the fairytale ending of this one. The Thunder simply stole this game from the Magic with a strong finish, outscoring them 35-21 in the final quarter.

The final score was the Orlando Magic 102, Oklahoma City Thunder 105.

Leading the Magic in this hard fought game was Dwight Howard with 33 points and 9 boards, a great effort. Also in double figures were Jason Richardson (16), Ryan Anderson/Jameer Nelson (15) and Hedo Turkoglu with 11.

Unfortunately, the Magic didn’t get any help from the bench in this one, if they had, they might have pulled this one out. Way to step up guys.

Pacing the NBA leading Thunder was superstar Kevin Durant, who finished with 38 points and 8 boards (Note to Howard: an All-Star center should out rebound a small forward by more than 1). Also impressive was Russell Westbrook, with had 29 points and 10 dimes.

Mike’s Pick

I’m not sure  who made the NBA schedule this year, but the Milwaukee Bucks? Again? Really? It will be the fourth time the Magic have faced the Bucks in their last 11 games. They play this Saturday at home so expect a W for the good guys.

My Prediction: Magic 97, Bucks 90.

Position Breakdown

PG: Slight Bucks

SG: Magic

SF: Magic

PF: Magic

C: Magic

Bench: Magic

Beer Brats: Bucks

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] On Saturday, Feb. 25, the hottest action sports radio show in the country – The Kevin Sutton Show – was conversating with two awesome guests, in-studio, as well as dishing it on the the NBA All-Stars, which had completely Occupied Orlando.

Man, did they take over Orlando!

This week’s featured guests were pro surfer Logan Hayes – his second visit to the show – and Donny Victorottosaro, one of the founders of the Future 6 clothing company. Hope we got that name right because that’s a doozy.

The KSS Crew – host Kevin Sutton, with co-hosts Mayra, Joe and Chris – was more than eager to get into it with their main guest, who is all of 15 years old … he even has braces. But man is he a good surfer. And believe it or not, he’s already been in the sport competitively for 5 years.

The youth are taking over the world!

Hayes gained notoriety for signing on with surfing mega-store and lifestyle enabler Ron Jon Surf Shop at the age of 10. He’s the little blond kid with the long hair that you see on their gift cards and promotional materials.

Photo: Logansurfs.com

Logan Hayes surfing Florida’s East Coast on July 20, 2011, the anniversary of the first Moonwalk

He’s practically second only to the Coppertone Girl in Florida beach-product marketing history.

“Things have been going really good,” said Hayes, who is going up to North Carolina on May 18 and 19 for a competition. Next up is the always hot Kona Pro coming up on March 8-11 and taking place in New Smyrna Beach. The Kona Pro is part of the Western Atlantic Surf Series.

The gang couldn’t help themselves in making fun of Hayes’ new hair cut, which has a more-than-striking resemblance to Justin Bieber’s famous haircut (which the young singing sensation has since chopped off).

“Don’t say that … I hate Justin Bieber,” chimed Hayes who threw his father-manager under the bus for “making” him get that haircut.

Speaking of Logan Hayes’ father-manager, Toby Hayes talked about what was up next for The Kid, saying that there will be a, “focus on traveling more … to compete against … some of the international talent.”

Naturally, that brought up the discussion of Australia and … sharks. The subject was quickly changed.

And then there’s Logan’s new sponsorship from Future 6, that deal was signed this week. That’s right, you heard it here first, folks.

Donny from Future 6 clued everybody into what the slightly-more-than-a-year-old clothing company is all about: empowering the youth that are competing in today’s action sports. You know, surfing, wake skating, MMA and all that.

But it wasn’t long before the KSS Crew turned their attentions to the ever-present All-Star festivities, which have literally taken over Orlando. You can’t get where you are going!

Photo: Gian Pietri

Host Kevin Sutton makes a point about this week’s guest Logan Hayes

“It’s crazy, limos everywhere and those huge cars … you can’t get anywhere,” said Mayra.

Host Kevin Sutton, who was at the rookie game, was impressed with the play of Mr. MarShon Brooks. I say mister, he’s just a kid.

“He’s a good player,” Kevin said of the New Jersey Nets rookie stand-out. And what about the game itself?

“It turned into a dunk contest,” said Kevin.

Second-year player Blake Griffin was also a hit with Kevin and the producer “UCF,” who felt the high-flying Griffin made it up to the fans for not competing in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.

“He had some crazy dunks last night, threw it off the backboard,” said UCF from inside the producer’s booth.

Kevin gave Sunshine Slate an exclusive evaluation of the rookie game, saying, “not only was it an amazing game, but getting to meet 6-foot, 3-inch New York Knicks #17 Jeremy Lin was … awesome.”

The game itself started off with the introduction of Team Shaq versus Team Chuck, recalled Kevin. He also said that the rhythm and blues drum line performance “killed it” and that “Dr. Dre couldn’t touch it.”

Photo: Gian Pietri/The Kevin Sutton Show

(L-R) Logan Hayes, Donny Victorottosaro, Toby Hayes and Logan’s brother Hunter

Kevin also got a “huh?” out of when the “kiss cam” caught an older Asian couple who wouldn’t kiss on command. After an almost uncomfortable pause it splashed up on screen that it was Jeremy Lin’s parents. He wasn’t sure if it was real … or racist!

The whole experience was “worth the headache of getting into the jam-packed Amway Center,” he says.

Then the crew talked about the riot Thursday night at the Florida Mall in Orlando which happened because they ran out of shoes. Yeah, shoes. Specifically, a rare pair of glow-in-the dark Nike Foamposite One kicks that had something to do with the Kennedy Space Center and were timed to be released during the All-Stars.

The mall, which ended up being taken over by the Orlando Police Dept.’s riot squad – 100 members deep, no less – is still on lock-down, apparently.

Shoes, people, shoes!

The crew also couldn’t resist talking about singer Chris Brown, who was in town for the NBA All-Star madness and was spotted down at Jimmy John’s. Kevin had a plan.

“If I catch him … I’m gonna do a picture and when he goes to snatch my phone I’m gonna hold onto it tight and be like ‘he tried to choke me,’” said Kevin referencing Chris Brown’s recent incident in Miami where someone tried to take his picture and the singer grabbed their phone.

Kevin decided against it.

After the show, everyone went down to sponsor Hurricane Grill & Wings in Longwood for an after-broadcast meal. We love those fried pickles! They are also a sponsor of Logan’s so give it up!

See you next week.

Photo: Gian Pietri

The gang tore up some of those fried pickles at Hurricane Grill & Wings

About The Kevin Sutton Show

Broadcasting out of Orlando on ESPN 1080-AM “The Team” each Saturdays from noon until 1 p.m. and simulcast on the web in both audio-only and full video formats (via Ustream), The Kevin Sutton Show brings listeners in-the-know of the goings-on in the world of actions sports like wakeboarding, wake skating, BMX, motorcross, surfing – you name it.

Top-ranked athletes as well as up-and-coming talents stop by the studio or call in to talk about their respective sports and chat with the gang about their lives and whatever is the hot topic of the day.

Hosted by comedian, entertainer and former semi-pro wakeboarder Kevin Sutton, The Kevin Sutton Show is a lively mix of talk, information and comedy, all centered around action sports. Kevin Sutton is joined in the studio by his merry band of misfits, otherwise known as “The Crew” (Mayra, Chris, “Metro” Joe Durkin, Shane and Faithy Fun Time).

By: The Kevin Sutton Show

Images: Gian Pietri (except for Logan’s surfing shot, that is courtesy of Logansurfs.com)

Logan Hayes

[Atlanta, GA] Coming into tonight’s game, the Orlando Magic (22-12) have been winners of 7 of their last 10 games. Their opponents the Atlanta Hawks (19-14), on the other hand, have dropped 7 of their last 10.

The math says the Magic should win this one easily. In sports, however, it doesn’t always come down to math.

Since this is the Magic’s last game before the All-Star break, could this be the last time we see Dwight Howard in a Magic uniform?

On to quarter number one: The Hawks flew out of the gate fast, taking an early 15-6 lead thanks to 9 quick points from Josh Smith. Perhaps Smith was still angry that Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy didn’t pick him for this year’s All-Star team? Yes, I think so.

At the end of the first, the Hawks led 29-20. Josh “Angry Bird” Smith had 14 for Atlanta. Leading the way for the Magic with was another Smith, recent pick-up and instant fan favorite Ish Smith.

The second quarter was possibly the most anemic quarter I have seen out of the Magic this year – they only put up 10 points in the quarter! Most teams score 10 points by accident. Not much to say about that other than wake up Magic!  The score at the half was the Atlanta Hawks 47, the Orlando Magic 30.

Photo: Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

Mr. Angry Bird made his All-Star case to Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy

Someone must have poured some cold water on the Magic in the locker room at halftime, because the boys came out bangin’, and put up 25 points in the third. Led by Ryan Anderson (who notched 10 points), the Magic had trimmed the Hawks’ 17-point lead down to 3.

At the end of the third it was 58-55 Atlanta. Angry Bird was still the man for ATL – he had 19 points thus far in the game.

The fourth quarter was almost a wash with the Magic just able to get anything going. They ended up losing the quarter 23-25, and, obviously, losing the game. The final was Hawks 83, Magic 78.

For the Magic, J.J. Redick had a decent night with 13 points but D12 had another off night, only offering 12 points and 12 rebounds (not exactly an ideal way to head into the All-Star weekend, Mr. 12). Also in double figures were Hedo Turkoglu (11) and Ryan Anderson (10).

Mr. Angry Bird was absolutely fuming – he put up 22 points and grabbed 12 boards. Also contributing for the Hawks were Jannero Pargo with 15, Willie Green with 14 and Jeff Teague with 13.

Since this is the last game before the All-Star break, I will not be making any predictions due to the chance of major trades and the extended break. see you on the other side.

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Image: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] As of late, the Orlando Magic (17-11) have been playing Love-ly, haven’t they? Winning 5 of their first 7 games in February, we have even seen the likes of Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson step up and take the leadership role more consistently than we are used to seeing.

“We’re dangerous in a lot different ways. We have a lot of guys that are on the team that can score the ball, put up the numbers,” Richardson said after being asked about the team’s recent play.

Welcoming the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-15) to town tonight, the Magic get their first look of the season at “The Love Guru” himself, Kevin Love. Putting up close-to-MVP type numbers (25.6 ppg and 13.9 rebs), Love has already lead his team to victory 13 times in their first 28 games.

That’s only 4 wins shy of last season’s win total already, and we still haven’t hit the All-Star break yet! And if they stay on this pace, they will win 31 games this year, only one win shy of their total number of wins for the past two seasons combined (not to mention this is only a 66-game season).

The young Wolves’ future is looking a little brighter than in season’s past, especially with the emergence of rookie point guard Ricky Rubio and some pretty solid play from sixth man – and former Miami Heat player – Michael Beasley. Currently they are just 2 games out of the 8^th and final seed for the NBA playoffs.

Playoffs? What? Playoffs? Who said that?

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick played strong off the bench, scoring 14

Yes, Playoffs. Something the Timberwolves have missed for the past 7 seasons, but hey, anything is possible. And after the horrific season from the beloved Minnesota Vikings, those touk wearing folk could use a team to be proud of, don’t ya know (insert Fargo/fake Canadian accent here)?

Enough with the set-up, we got a game to talk about.

The Magic came out of the gate quickly, building a 15-6 lead just four minutes into the game. Leading the way for the Magic were Hedo Turkoglu and Anderson, both put up 5 points in the first 4 minutes.

But before the Orlando Magic could snuggle up and take things easy, Love and Rubio decided to join in the fun. Love ended the first quarter with 8 points and Rubio added 7. The leading scorer for the Magic was none other than Anderson, who had 10.

The score after one was Magic 29, the Timberwolves 26.

The second quarter started similar to the first, with the Magic men taking early control. With 5:34 left in the quarter, the Magic found themselves up 44-33. There was no love for Kevin in this quarter, being held to just 2 points.

Orlando, on the other hand, saw J.J. Redick get a little action for himself, putting up 7 in the quarter. At halftime, Orlando was leading by 11, 55-44.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard only scored 11 points

Heading into the second half with an 11-point lead and a head of steam, the Orlando Magic came out and basically put this one out of reach of the visitors. Orlando went up by 20 at the 8:24 mark of the third.

And just like clock work, guess who decided to show up again today? None other than J-Rich, who put up 13 in quarter. The T-Wolves would make a little run led by Rubio and Love, but never getting any closer than 11. The quarter ended with the Orlando Magic leading 79-66.

The fourth and final quarter was as total wash as both teams matched each other basket for basket and tallying 23 on the scoreboard. That gave the Magic an easy 102-89 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The leading scorer for the Orlando Magic was J-Rich, who had 17 points, followed by Redick, Jameer Nelson and Turkoglu each putting up 14 apiece. Ryan Anderson had a mediocre night, scoring only 13 points and pulling down 5 boards.

Where is Dwight Howard’s name you ask? Oh, well he was in foul trouble most of the game and ended with 11 points and 7 boards. The Magic ended up with six players in double figures.

Leading the way for The Minnesota Timberwolves was – surprise – Kevin Love who scored 19 grabbed 15 rebounds. Other notable Wolves included Nikola Pekovic (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Beasley (13 points). Star rookie Rubio put in 11, as did J.J. Barea.

Mike’s Picks

The Orlando Magic play their next game this Wednesday at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, who are riding in on a two-game win streak. I expect this to be a hard fought battle, with lots of defense and a low score at the end.

My Prediction: 76ers 88, Magic 84

It was hard to pick against the Magic, but I just don’t know how long J-Rich and Anderson can carry this team against quality opponents. Yes Dwight, I’m asking you to step up and prove me wrong in this game (11 and 7 is just not cutting it). Those are not All-Star numbers Mr. D12 – those are the kind of stats that a rookie center puts up then gets a nice little pat on the back followed by a circular motion for not completely sucking!

That being said, if J-Rich and Anderson both have big nights, then look for this score to be flip-flopped.

Position Advantage:

PG – 76ers

SG – Slight Magic

SF – 76ers

PF – Slight Magic

C – Magic

Bench – 76ers

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] After the Orlando Magic‘s impressive win over in-state rivals – and projected 2012 champs – the Miami Heat, could Dwight Howard‘s mind be changing about a trade or moving to a different team over the summer?

The Magic has gone 4-0 over a stretch that has seen the team play some pretty good ball and beat two quality opponents in a row: Miami and Philadelphia.

But is it enough?

Tim Povtak over at FOX Sports Florida seems to think so. And he isn’t just some dude on the internet flapping his QWERTY gums – Tim covered the Magic for the Orlando Sentinel from the team’s inception through 2008.

Povtak points to the feel-good camaraderie that is starting to develop in the locker room and a rare, pre-game visit before the Miami match-up from wheelchair bound team owner Rich DeVos. DeVos fired up the team and got a few words in with Howard.

DeVos and Howard have always had a good relationship.

DeVos made it absolutely clear to reporters that he does not want to trade Howard, who he has had conversations with about sticking with the team long-term. But he understands that the choice is Howard’s and Howard’s alone.

Photo: Keith Allison

Dwight Howard – should he stay or should he go?

And boy does he have choices – if he re-signs with the Magic, they can give him a five-year contract extension with 7.5% annual raises. The teams on Howard’s wish list can only do a four-year deal that includes 4.5% annual raises, reports ESPN.

“He’s got to look at his options, what’s best for him,” DeVos said, “and I have to tell him what’s best for him. I’m selfish.”

Magic fans certainly hope your are right, Mr. Povtak.

DWIGHT’S NUCLEAR OPTION

But the future isn’t so bright for a long-term stay for Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic. At least one scribe says Howard needs to start pushing his weight around if he wants that $30 million he go without if he is not traded before the deadline.

“If he’s really serious about being dealt, there’s really only one option left on the table and that’s to force Orlando’s hand,” writes Bleacher Report‘s Matt Shetler.

“Howard’s smiling personality and spotless reputation have already taken a hit throughout this whole saga, but if Howard really wants to get what he’s seeking then it’s time for him to become the full-fledged villain,” says the featured columnist.

Shetler points to way Carmelo Anthony forced his way out of Denver and landed in New York. To pull this off, Howard would have to stop playing so well and basically make everybody so mad that the Magic have no choice but to make a deal.

Not sure Howard has that type of dirty play in him.

Photo: Keith Allison

Dwight Howard’s power dunks and defense are in demand

LEAGUE PRESIDENT WEIGHS IN

NBA president David Stern says he’s not worried about the Dwight Howard saga upstaging the All-Star game, even if it takes place in the superstar’s hometown … on his home court. He should be.

Last year’s game was the Carmelo Anthony show. All everyone talked about was where ‘Melo would go. Bad sign for Magic fans: Anthony was traded soon after the All-Star game concluded.

Stern says the NBA is totally fine with players deciding where they want to play, allegiances and fan feelings be damned.

“We don’t have a problem with that at all. … I go back far enough to remember when Kareem decided he didn’t want to be in Milwaukee,” Stern told ESPN. “Or when Wilt wanted to move some place. We’ve built in some pretty interesting incentives.

Stern said the Dwight Howard soap opera will work itself out. Yes, but at what cost?

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Photos: Keith Allison

Dwight Howard