[Orlando, FL] Coming off of quite possibly the biggest statement game of the season, the newly re-energized Orlando Magic (16-10) headed into tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks (17-9) riding in on the hopes that D-12 could have another monster 25 point, 24 rebound performance like the one he had against in-state rivals the Miami Heat.

Winners of 4 out of their last 5 games, things have finally started to click for Orlando.

“We needed a good win, we came out tonight with pretty much the same energy we had last game and we got a good win,” said Dwight Howard after their most recent victory against the Miami Heat. ”

“We just have to continue to do that, be more consistent as coming out with the same intensity, every night. I think we did a better job coming out in the third quarter they made a little run but we kept playing and got a good win,” added the big fella.

But could they keep the temperature up against Atlanta?

Shooting out of the gate just as fast as Larry Hughes‘ Magic career was over, both teams started out slow, scoring a combined 37 points in the first quarter. Yawn.

However, Orlando Magic starter Jason Richardson came ready with his dancing shoes on, scoring 8 in the first quarter by sinking his first three shots, including two three-pointers. They were badly needed to keep Atlanta from taking control early.

At the end of the first, the score was Atlanta 20, the good guys 17.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic starter Jason Richardson from the outside

The second quarter was a little more successful for the Magic – they outscored the Hawks 22-21. The biggest play of the quarter was something not seen very often: Dwight was blocked while going for a dunk. Gasp. By whom? Josh Smith, showing Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy why he should have been a part of this year’s All Star Game.

Smith was the leading scorer for the Hawks in the first half of play, recording 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots while shooting a miserable 3-for-10 from the field. Leading the way for the Orlando Magic was none other than Superman 2.0 himself, putting up 9 points, 8 rebounds and – surprisingly – 0 blocked shots.

Atlanta held a 41-39 lead at the half.

The second half started out with both teams matching baskets. It was still a 2-point game after D-12 dunked it home with 4:36 left in the third quarter (giving him 14 points after three). The Hawks finished the quarter on a 8-3 run led by Smith who was rocking 16 and 16 after three.

The score going into the fourth: Atlanta 61, Orlando 54.

It was obvious that the Orlando Magic needed someone to step up to pull this one out, and Ryan Anderson reported for duty, putting up 12 points. But the Hawks put up a fight, lead by Smith who scored a hard lay up giving the visitors a five-point lead.

That shot seemed to be the final blow to thew home team’s chances, you know – nighty night. But a late push by the Magic men gave them a chance to win or tie the game with 17.9 seconds left, and that’s just what they did. With 1.7 seconds left Mr. Howard followed up Jameer Nelson‘s missed lay up with a dunk, taking this one into overtime tied 78-78.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic PG Jameer Nelson drives against some tenacious Hawks defense

OVERTIME

With both teams going strong, it had the feeling of a dog fight. Both teams scored a quick five points, putting the score at  83-83. But with 2:22 left, six-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson decided enough was enough.

The veteran tried to put the game away by scoring the next four points, giving the Hawks a 87-83 lead. A late three by Anderson (who else?) brought the Magic to within one point, and with 11.6 seconds left J-Rich was at the line with a chance to tie it up at 88, but he missed his second free throw.

After Zaza Pachulia split a pair of free throws at the other end, the Magic had two shots to win the game but both came up short.

The final score: Atlanta 89, Orlando 87.

Josh Smith was the game’s leading scorer, finishing with 23 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocked shots. Three other Hawks ended in double figures: Joe Johnson (14), Marvin Williams (13) and Jeff Teague (13). Former Orlando player (and fan favorite) Tracy McGrady scored 9 off the bench.

For the Orlando Magic, ace outside shooter Ryan Anderson led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds while Dwight Howard finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds.

The Magic (now 16-11) play their next game tomorrow night in Milwaukee against the Bucks (12-14), who themselves are coming off an 113-112 overtime nail-biter win to a Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland Cavs squad.

My prediction: Orlando 102, Milwaukee 93.

Game notes: The Bucks will be playing without skilled center Andrew Bogut, so look for Dwight to have a big game. Milwaukee will be starting former Magician Drew Gooden in his place.

Position Advantage:

PG – slight Bucks

SG – slight Magic

SF – Magic

PF –  Magic

C – Magic

Bench – Magic

By: Michael Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Photos: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] Professional sports teams need to have a certain measure of cohesion and solidarity if they are to perform at an optimum level. There needs to be nonverbal communication, the willingness to see your fellow teammates succeed and the desire for a shared victory.

Right now, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic have none of that.

Once alone atop their division with an 11-4 record, Howard and the Magic have lost five out of their last six games (12-9!!!) and are showing no signs of getting it together anytime soon.

The seemingly impending Howard trade is destroying the team from within. Any day now, Howard – along with any one or more of his current teammates – could be shipped out to another franchise in a blockbuster trade that is sure to send shock waves through the league.

But the tremors are already being felt by the likes of J.J. Redick, who before Dwight Howard started jawing about other teams he’d like to play for, was off to his best season as a pro.

“I’ve said since the beginning: As long as he’s here, it will be a distraction because it’s all anybody talks about when they talk about our team,” said Redick. “We don’t hear it? Of course we do.”

You can almost hear the pain in his words.

“Chemistry is a very fragile thing, the team dynamic of how guys rely on each other, how guys trust each other. All that stuff is very fragile. Those Boston losses may have had an impact on us, but we’ve got to get over that and get on with the season,” rallied Redick.

Photo: Orlando Magic

J.J. Redick: “we’ve got to get over that and get on with the season”

But you can see it in their eyes (and it reflected on the stat sheets). The guys just want some resolution, good or bad. Whether D-12 stays or goes. The uncertainty is causing mental lapses and a lack of effort. I mean, who wants to give it your all if the whole team is going to change in a week or two?

Unfortunately, the guy causing all of the problems - Dwight Howard – is blaming the rest of the team.

“It hasn’t affected me,” he said of all of the trade talk. “I’ve been playing hard every night. Everybody else has to have that same attitude.”

Howard even famously berated his teammates in the locker room during the halftime of yet another lackluster performance against the lowly New Orleans Hornets. Orlando was blown out of the building 93-67.

“If you don’t want to play, just stay in the locker room, because it don’t make sense for a team who we should beat to just demolish us,” Howard told the team. “I want to win a championship. I work too hard every night for anybody to not want to go out there and play hard.”

He’s not walking on sunshine, that’s for sure. But the superstar feels justified in what he said and how he said it. And he may be right. But the browbeating is not working, is it? Besides, isn’t that approach the same that he got on Stan Van’s case for?

“It’s not the first time I called them out, and sometimes I’ve got to do things that people don’t like. My teammates understand why I said what I said. … These guys understand the whole situation,” Howard stated emphatically. “It’s all about basketball. It’s all about winning.”

So what, he’s Charlie Sheen now?

Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard

[Orlando, FL] On Dwight Howard and the surging Orlando Magic lost a squeaker to the visiting San Antonio Spurs in overtime Wednesday night 85-83.

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick shot a game-winning three after the buzzer sounded, giving the road-challenged Spurs their first victory away from home this season. The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak and dropped them to second place in their division behind.

“On the defensive end, we allowed Tony Parker to get too deep, and he was able to score or kick it out for guys for threes,” said Dwight Howard after the game.

The superstar center poured in 24 points and grabbed an incredible 25 rebounds in the losing effort. Hedo Turkoglu (back spams) and Jason Richardson (bruised left knee) were unavailable due to injuries.

Dwight Howard Trade Rumor Update #769: After Tuesday night’s victory against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard was asked directly about his future with the Orlando Magic.

“Right now, I’m with the Magic,” Howard said. “That’s the only thing that matters.”

Obviously having a little fun with all of the trade talk, Howard joked: “Sources say Dwight Howard is signing with the Harlem Globetrotters.”

One serious bit of info from the big fella, was that he simply flat out said “no” to whether there was any truth to the story that he had added the Los Angeles Clippers to his list of teams he wants to be traded to.

Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith backed up Howard by passing along the facts that Howard’s handlers hadn’t informed him of the Clippers addition to “the list” (which includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks), nor has the team granted any permission to said handlers to officially speak with the Clips.

One former Orlando Magic player and friend of Dwight’s isn’t surprised that Howard is hell bent on a trade: D-12 is still upset that the team that made the NBA Finals in 2009 was broken up by Smith.

“I’m not surprised (Dwight requested a trade),” said Courtney Lee, a former Magic man now playing for the Houston Rockets. ”When they broke up the team in 2009, you could just see the frustration in Dwight’s face. We talked about it a couple of times and you could tell he was upset about it.”

Orlando Magic assistant coach and Howard mentor Patrick Ewing – himself a superstar center back in the day – has tried to persuade Dwight to stay in Orlando.

“Everybody always thinks the grass is always greener,” Ewing told the Orlando Sentinel a few days back. “But it’s a great opportunity for him to stay in a [single] place. I wish I had stayed and finished my career here in New York. But it’s his decision.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard continues to lead all vote-getters with 1,161,797 votes after the second round of returns of the 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] As the shortened 2011-2012 season grinds on, the possible scenarios for a Dwight Howard exit from the Orlando Magic locker room become clearer and clearer. At least to some sportswriters.

Bleacher Report‘s Ryan Rudnansky has D-12′s future down to two plays, saying that, “In my mind, if the Nets don’t trade for Howard before the March 15 deadline, the Mavericks will land Howard in free agency.”

His analysis reveals that the Dallas Mavericks are in a great position, especially when you include the fact that they are the defending champs, which always looks good to players trying to trade-up to a ring team. Plus the Mavs are stocking up players for a “big trade,” says the site.

But there is not a consensus on Howard’s future, even at the same web address.

Another Bleacher Report writer looks into the possibility of Dwight going to the Philadelphia 76ers, but a lot of things have to fall into place before that could actually happen. Not likely, but possible.

And then there are those damn Los Angeles Lakers, who always seem to end up with the best players no matter what. The team is definitely on Dwight’s list of preferred destinations and they have two championship-level players (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum) that Orlando could plug into the giant hole left by Superman‘s exit.

Complicating matters is that Bynum is having a fabulous season, despite a history of knee problems and Gasol is started to show his age. Also, Kobe Bryant is still upset about the loss of Lamar Odom, which he professed publicly. He’s also dealing with a new coach and a new living arrangement (his wife filed for divorce).

And right now the team is 9-5 after losing to in-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, which seem to be getting all of the press these days thanks to the arrival of Chris Paul.

Maybe Kobe wants to flee Los Angeles for like-weathered Central Florida and take on the challenge of steering the Orlando Magic to a championship. Magic fans could only hope.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Lance Turner/latuphoto.com/Sunshine Slate Images

Dwight Howard