[Miami, FL] After blowing out the New Jersey Nets by 30 points, the Miami Heat were eager to give the Atlanta Hawks a taste of that good stuff. After all, the last time the Hawks and Heat met, Atlanta reigned supreme 100-92.

That game was close throughout, with both teams battling back and forth, but the Hawks eventually pulled away at the end. This game also had a post-season feel as well.

In the first quarter, LeBron James dominated. He scored 11 points and dished out 2 assists. For the Hawks, Josh Smith was the one doing the damage. Smith scored 10 points and reeled in a couple of rebounds. At the end of one, the Heat were up 25-22.

The Atlanta Hawks fought back and took the lead in the second, with Jeff Teague and Jerry Stackhouse combining to score 13 points in that effort. The Hawks were coming on strong and consequently went into the locker room at halftime up 45-43.

Both teams were fighting hard in the third quarter. Dwyane Wade and James took over for the Miami Heat, with Wade scoring 10 points and passing out a few assists. Meanwhile, LeBron also poured in 10 points.

On the Hawks side of the ball, it was Smith and Marvin Williams playing great, combining to score 13 points and matching the Heat bucket for bucket. At the end of the third, the score was tied at 68.

Photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat forward LeBron James pulls up for a jumper

At the start of the fourth, it was obvious that both teams came to play, both on the defensive side and the offensive side. With around 6 minutes left, it actually looked like the Heat could pull away. But Teague came back and hit 3 straight shots to tie up the game.

Udonis Haslem was clutch tonight – in the final minute he scored 4 points to put the Hawks away. When it was over, the scoreboard read Heat 89, Hawks 86.

The Heat have now won 11 straight home games. LeBron James had a double-double, scoring 31 points and pulling in 11 rebounds. Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and had 9 rebounds.

“That was ugly there for a while,” Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We certainly weren’t in a great flow offensively, but we were able to push through, grind out the game and make the finishing plays.”

And what about Haslem there at the end?

“We know U.D. is a champion, where he helps you win,” Spoelstra said. “More often than not, he just makes winning plays.”

Next up for the Miami Heat: Saturday vs. Pacers, Tuesday @ Magic, Wednesday @ Bulls.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] After a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on the West Coast, the Miami Heat wanted to turn things around against the visiting New Jersey Nets. Coming into the game, the Heat had to worry about one player on the Nets: Derron Williams.

On Sunday, he scored a franchise record 57 points against the Charlotte Bobcats.

But the Nets would have to contend with Chris Bosh, who was back in the starting lineup after missing a few games. Bosh was attending to his ill grandmother and her eventual funeral. The Heat have been sorely missing a dominant force inside – especially in the rebound department – and Bosh was the answer.

In the first quarter, the Nets jumped out to an early lead. But the Heat came back and blew the quarter wide open. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combined to score 15 points. Bosh scored 6 points and Dexter Pittman put in 4. At the end of one, the Miami Heat were up 30-17.

The Heat sizzled in the second. The role players played great, combining to score 18 points, most of those coming from three-pointers. Wade and Bosh combined to score 10 points to add to the lead. Towards the end of the half, Wade landed on his ankle very awkwardly and didn’t play for the rest of the game. Ouch.

At halftime, the Heat were up 64-37.

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

Chris Bosh goes to the rim for the Miami Heat

James and Bosh scorched the Nets in the third quarter. Together they scored 14 points while James had 3 assists. Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers also chipped in, hitting three 3 pointers between the two of them. At the end of the 3^rd quarter, LeBron made a spectacular half-court shot to put the Heat up by 32.

At the end of three, the Heat were up 88-56.

The Miami Heat bench was brought in to finish this thing off and they didn’t miss a beat. They kept the Nets at bay and the final score was Heat 108, Nets 78.

It was an all-around team effort on Tuesday night. LeBron James had 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Chris Bosh scored 20 points and had 2 rebounds. Dexter Pittman played a great game, scoring 10 points and was a big factor on the boards, reeling in 6 rebounds.

“We’ve been looking at his whole body of work the last four of six weeks,” Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said of Pittman. “He’s getting in better shape physically. You can tell. His weight is way down.”

LeBron was happy with the effort as well, saying that, “We worked our habits today and we got better.”

Next up for the Miami Heat: Atlanta on Wednesday.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

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

Miami Heat

[Newark, NJ] Coming into tonight’s contest, the Orlando Magic (21-12) have been winners of 10 or their last 13 games and are currently sitting in the 3rd seed in the East. Their opponent tonight: The New Jersey Nets (10-24), who have had to play without their young stud center Brook Lopez for most of the season so far.

Saying that they are struggling would be a understatement. But he is back, playing in his second game of the season against the visitors. Losers of 10 or their last 12, could the Nets continue their one-game winning streak, or start another 10 game slide?

Starting tonight’s game, the Orlando Magic came out of the gate hot, thanks to a fast start from Jameer Nelson and Glen “Big Baby” Davis, both contributing 8 points in the first quarter. The Magic doubled up the hapless Nets, ending the first quarter 34-17.

Leading the Nets was Lopez (who had 7) – he’s the guy that is considered the center piece around a potential Dwight Howard-to-the-Nets trade.

The second quarter was no better for the struggling Nets. There is not much to say other than the Magic dominated this one, other than some solid play from star Nets PG Deron Williams. The Magic led at the half 58-41.

First half stand-outs: for the Orlando Magic it was Big Baby, who had 14. For the Nets, it was D. Williams with 11.

With the game already over at the half – and both teams knowing it – the third quarter was a complete wash, with both teams putting up 29 points. Other than some very solid play from Williams and Lopez not much was going on for the Nets.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis pulls up for an outside fade-away jumper

The Magic on the other hand, saw some excellent team play. Through three, the Magic led 87-70. This one was actually painful to watch. I almost felt sorry for the New Jersey fans … almost.

Both teams put up 21 points in the fourth quarter and we got to see a lot of the 2nd and 3rd stringers from both teams. Not exactly an NBA barn-burner. The final score of tonight’s game was your Orlando Magic 108, the New Jersey Nets 91.

The Magic had 13 players play in this game and ten of them put up some points. Leading the way for the Magic was Dwight Howard, who managed 20 points and 17 boards in under 34 minutes. Big Baby had 16 while Ryan Anderson poured in 14 points and grabbed 9 boards.

Chris Duhon put up 11. Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson both scored 10. The Nets, on the other hand, were led by rookie sensation Marshon Brooks with 24 points, D. Williams with 23 points and 8 dimes. The mighty Brook Lopez finished with 15 points in his second game back.

Note: Sitting this one out was Jason Richardson with chest pains.

Mike’s Pick

The Orlando Magic play their next game this Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks who are coming in on a 3-game slide. I expect this one to be close, but not too close. The Magic will win, especially with the way they are playing as of late.

My Prediction: The Magic 93, The Hawks 88.

Position Advantage:

PG: Even

SG: Atlanta

SF: Magic

PF: Slight Atlanta

C: Magic

Bench: Magic

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] After more negative comments came out of the mouth of Orlando Magic superstar center Dwight Howard following the team‘s victory – yes, he still whined after they won – on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, I’m going to warn all Magic fans to pray that management can find a way to unload him before the trade deadline March 15^th.

Already having thrown teammates under the brightly colored – and sometimes smelly – Lynx bus earlier this season, he is at it again, except this time he’s going after the coaches.

“I do want the ball more in the fourth,” Howard stated. “I want to become a closer. The only way you get there is by getting the ball and have coaches have the confidence in giving me the ball.”

Yes, Dwight, that is true, but this is something you should have been working on the past seven-and-a-half seasons instead of only wanting it now. Maybe you should have paid a little more attention to all-time great free thrower Mark Price instead of running to the nearest microphone.

Being a transplant from Cleveland, trust me when I say this: Magic fans, you do not want to have to deal with the ramifications of “The Decision: Part 2.” In case you aren’t aware, LeBron James leaving basketball-mad Cleveland for the the sun and fun of Miami to play for the Heat was “Part 1.”

But James fled after the trade deadline was long gone and the season was over – the Cavs were left with nothing except warehouses full of LeBron jerseys. Note: NBA replica apparel doesn’t burn very well.

Photo: Julien Haler

Dwight Howard having a good time, handing out high-fives to the fans

Well, we all know sequels are never better than the originals! So wouldn’t it be better for the Magic to get something out of Dwight instead of complaints and grievances? That’s right – ship him out before he ships all over Orlando.

So lets take a look at the top three destinations for Dwight Howard that I believe will keep us in contention for years to come (and yes, these are all teams on Dwight’s so-called “wish list”):

1. Trade Dwight Howard and PG Jameer Nelson to the Chicago Bulls for Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, C.J. Watson and two first round picks (2012 Charlotte and 2012 Chicago).

Why this works: This would be the best option for the Orlando Magic. Keep in mind no matter where you send him, you’re still losing D12.  But this at least gets an NBA All-Star back in return (Deng), a high-energy center-scrapper in Noah, a solid back-up PF in Gibson and a solid PG in Watson.

Not to mention the Charlotte pick, which is protected until 2016. But I don’t see the Bobcats getting any better anytime soon, so that could end up being a top 5 pick down the road.

2. Trade Dwight Howard to the New Jersey Nets for Brook Lopez (who is coming off his injury soon), MarShon Brooks, Sundiata Gaines, Mehmet Okur (expiring contract) and the Nets’ first round pick for 2012 (unprotected).

Why this works: The Magic get three really solid young players, an expiring contract, and a guaranteed top 5 pick in this year’s draft. Let’s not forget what Lopez did last season (20.4 points and 6 rebounds a game) and what Brooks is doing as a rookie (14 points and 4.3 rebounds per game).

On top of those, you get a solid back up point guard in Gaines and an all but guaranteed top 5 pick in this deep, deep draft this season. Long-term this could work out better for the Magic than the Bulls trade but that would have to be seen.

Photo: New Jersey Nets

Will Orlando trade Brook Lopez for Dwight Howard?

3. Trade Dwight Howard to the L.A. Lakers for Andrew Bynum, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock, the Lakers’ 2012 first round pick and the Mavericks‘ 2012 first round pick.

Why this works: Out of the three trades, this one scares me the most. I’m not 100% sold on Bynum, but he is an NBA All-Star this season. You also get two solid young guards, but definitely not as good as Brooks and Gaines. You also get a few late first round picks.

Do I love this trade? NO!!!! But it’s better than what the other 2 remaining teams on his list could have offered (Celtics and the Mavericks).

Listen Magic fans, I know it will be hard to let go of such a good player, but believe me, the sooner we do this the faster things will get better! Just hope you don’t hold onto him then have a stellar season like the Cleveland Cavaliers did last season (19-63).

And if it weren’t for the L.A. Clippers being so careless with their draft picks, the Cavs would’ve never gotten future star Kyrie Irving. So Magic GM Otis Smith, go get a deal done and bring this city what they deserve, A CHAMPIONSHIP!

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: NBA

Dwight Howard

[Orlando, FL] Yet another bracing gust in the tsunami of Dwight Howard trade talk.

The superstar center told the Boston Herald that he would certainly go green and play for the storied Boston Celtics. If they asked, of course.

“I’d always listen to a team like that,” said Howard. “They have the championship mentality,” Howard went on to say. “It means a lot. Like I said, I like the team. They play hard and they go after it, and that’s what I like.”

Another cringe-worthy quote from D-12 who seems to stick it to Magic fans on an almost daily basis.

The comment came after the Magic’s stinging breakdown and eventual loss to Boston last night, the second such embarrassing performance against Celtics in less than a week.

But there may be hope for the followers of the blue and white pinstripes: ESPN‘s Jemele Hill dropped the rumor-thinking that maybe the big fella just might be staying in Orlando after all.

“If Howard chooses to go to another team as a free agent, it could cost him $30 million, since the collective bargaining agreement allows the Magic, as the team that drafted him, to offer him the most money,” said Hill. “Orlando has three things going for it in its effort to manipulate Howard into staying: money, a winning record and his desire to be liked.”

What, is he Sally Field now?

“The salary should be enough to make even Howard – who is earning close to $18 million this season – uncomfortable about leaving,” Hill said.

Makes sense. Of course, it is all still speculation, but it is one of the first positive signs Magic fans have gotten since hearing about all of the possible exit strategies for Howard.

But then the Orlando faithful keep hearing reports like the one coming out of the New Jersey Nets camp. Seems the team did not sign Brook Lopez to an extension before Wednesday’s deadline. Yep, the Nets are setting themselves up to have the cap room to sign a player of Dwight Howard’s caliber.

They apparently envision re-signing Lopez – who is currently untrade-ably injured – and adding the might of Howard to create a twin towers front court, according to the New York Daily News.

The saga continues …

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

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

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

[Newark, NJ] Coming off of a dramatic, triple-overtime game against the Atlanta Hawks – without superstars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, no less – the Miami Heat were ready to take it easier, and cruise to a blow-out against the 2-6 New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Saturday.

Wade sat out once again, still nursing that left foot injury. But James and the rest of the boys were ready to play.

In the first quarter, James took over the game making 8 out of 9 shots and scoring 22 points. The rest of the team only scored 9 points. Miami ended the quarter up by 13. At the end of the first, the score was Heat 31, Nets 18.

The rest of the Heat squad took over in the second. Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and James Jones scored most of the points for Miami in the quarter. Miami ended up outscoring New Jersey 26 to 17 in the second quarter.

At halftime, the score was Heat 57, Nets 35.

But things began to unravel for the Miami Heat in the beginning of the third quarter. The Nets went on a 19-5 run and cut the lead down from 22 to 10. But, Miami came back and put an end to the run towards the end of the quarter. At the end of the quarter number three, the score was Heat 78, Nets 64.

In the fourth, the Heat tried to glide through the finish keeping New Jersey at arm’s length with a 10-point plus cushion. But the pesky Nets had other ideas, namely a comeback. But with just over 2 minutes to go, New Jersey cut the lead to 9.

However, the superior Heat put out that particular fire, stopping the Nets before anything could really get started.

Final score: Miami Heat 101, New Jersey Nets 90.

James on his injury and his decision to play: “If I feel like I’m good to go, then I’m going to go out and play my game. I’m not going to give no restriction, just trying to do the things I do on the court: get a couple breakaways, get some easy points, get to the free throw line.”

The 8-1 Heat are now on a three-game winning streak. Their next game is on Tuesday at Golden State.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Image: Miami Heat/Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Orlando, FL] Even hip-hop record moguls are getting into the Dwight Howard trade rumor game. The founder and CEO of So So Def records, Jermaine Dupri, tweeted that D-12 was headed to the New Jersey Nets in less than two days.

And he sent the tweet out 20 hours ago on his Mr_Dupri Twitter feed.

“Breaking: Dwight Howard to the Nets will be finalized in the next 48 Hrs.,” the tweet reads.

So how does the Atlanta-based rap kingpin know that Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard is headed to N.J.? Dupri wasn’t spilling it, even when pressed by fans.

28 hours and counting, Magic fans.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

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

Related reading:

NBA Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard Must Work His Magic to Flee Orlando (Bleacher Report) It can’t stop. It won’t stop. It’s just going to keep getting worse as time goes on. If Dwight Howard is smart, he’ll end this whole thing as soon as he can. Dwight Howard # 12 of the Orlando Magic argues.

Wizards’ Lewis passes wisdom on to younger players (Washington Times) On Wednesday night in Orlando, Lewis will help lead his young teammates into Amway Center, where they will face a Magic team that is focused on the playoffs and trying not to dwell on the potential trade of All-Star center Dwight Howard. …

Orlando Magic News & Notes: Pistons Reactions (Howard the Dunk) Monday’s result, coupled with the team’s poor performance for much of their 102-96 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, raises questions about the Magic’s standing among the league’s top teams. Is their recent unimpressive play indicative of a …

Wizards-Magic Preview (FOXSports.com) A visit to Orlando wouldn’t appear to be a good way to avoid that dubious feat. They’ve rarely won there and have been blown out in the last three visits, plus the Magic are perfect at home this season heading into Wednesday night’s meeting. …

Dwight Howard

[Orlando, FL] Superstar center Dwight Howard has told the Orlando Magic that he will not re-sign with the team after this season, leaving the franchise no option but to trade him this season.

His agent is already had talks with the Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets and presumably the Los Angeles Lakers, with Dwight has indicated that he is also interested in playing for the Dallas Mavericks (although today’s surprise Lamar Odom trade from the Lakers to Dallas sure makes things interesting, as Odom was thought to be trade bait for Howard).

Face it Magic fans, it is a done deal unless Orlando/Amway can cough up a quarter-billion dollar check and the world’s greatest “We’re Sorry” card. Does Hallmark have a ‘We Shouldn’t Have Traded Rashard Lewis’ section?

But how did it come to this? We are now learning the real reason for the big man’s ugly exit: D-12′s poor relationship with Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith, according to USA Today.

“The best player on the team and the GM have a great relationship,” Howard was quoted as saying. “If you go down the line of teams, every GM has a pretty good relationship with not just the best player, but all the players. If you don’t have a good relationship with the guys you work with, how are you guys gonna get better?”

Dwight Howard, who has played for the team for seven seasons, has just shifted the bad guy status from his extremely broad shoulders to Smith, who has made a string of bad decisions since helping guide the Orlando Magic to The NBA Finals in 2008-2009. The shoe definitely fits.

Smith’s last great get was guard Rafer Alston, who gave the team team the off-the-bench skills necessary to go all the way to the Finals. Since then, the Orlando Magic has been the Lemony Snicket of the NBA, falling prey to a series of unfortunate event-trades at the hands of Smith.

He fool-heartedly dismantled the team that made it to the Finals, essentially breaking something that didn’t need fixing. Gilbert Arenas? Are you kidding me?

Dwight is a once-in-a-generation super talent, while Smith is an overindulged general manager and former player of minimal skill. Talking to your number one guy EVERYDAY and making sure he is happy all the time seems like the first thing on your daily to-do list. You give Dwight Howard whatever he wants. You are nothing compared to him.

Much like the ownership-level failure to keep Shaq in an Orlando Magic uniform, this one will hurt Orlando for many years to come.

And it will be Otis Smith’s fault, and he will have to go. Far away.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard

[Orlando, FL] It has been a busy day for the Orlando Magic, and not all of the activity has been good. In fact, the first order of business is so devastating that you might not care about the rest.

Word on the street (via ESPN) is that all-star center Dwight Howard will be traded to the New Jersey Nets (soon to be the Brooklyn Nets) in a deal that will include the Magic getting Brook Lopez and a pair of first rounders. The Nets will also likely eat Hedo Turkoglu’s $34 million dollar contract as well.

Sources say that Howard intends to tell the Magic that he will not re-sign with the team after this season, the sum of all fears for Orlando Magic fans still smarting from Shaq’s exit oh-so-many years ago.

The deal is not done yet, but the ball already seems to be in motion. The only possible saving grace is that it appears that Howard met with the Nets yesterday, a clear violation of NBA tampering rules. There is also word that the Houston Rockets may have also overstepped their bounds in seeking D-12.

Howard denies that any meeting took place, according to ESPN.

For their part, the Magic say that there are no tampering charges being brought against either team, and that they expect Howard to show up and be ready to play. Howard also says that he plans on being on schedule to start training for the strike-shortened season – as a player for the Magic.

This one could get ugly, folks. My basketballs already ache.

Still, the end of an era (error) could be upon us.

Photo: Boston Celtics

Big Baby now a Magic man

In other team news …

The Orlando Magic have traded fan favorite Brandon Bass to rivals the Boston Celtics for Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who has been a buzzer-beating villain to Magic fans for years. Now Big Baby will be playing for Orlando? Hard to believe, actually. We’ll have to change his name from “Big Baby” to “Consolation Prize” if Howard bolts.

The shake-up continues: the Magic parted ways with under-performing/overpaid problem child Gilbert Arenas using the league’s “amnesty” clause. Thank you Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith for finally seeing the light on this one, and letting this salary-gobbling turkey go.

Today, the Magic announced that they signed free agent guards Larry Hughes and Gabe Pruitt. Hughes is a 12-year league vet having played with Philadelphia, Golden State, Washington, Cleveland, Chicago, New York and Charlotte. He comes to the team averaging 14.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 1.52 stlpg. in 31.0 minpg.

Hughes also has plenty of playoff experience (38 starts), a valuable commodity in the NBA.

Pruitt is an unproven league talent who has only played in 62 NBA games. He was originally selected in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Pruitt has excelled this season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League, averaging 17.8 ppg. in only four games.

Skyforce. Nice.

The Orlando Magic also signed a pair of rookies: forward Justin Harper (a University of Richmond stand-out and three-point marksman) and guard DeAndre Liggins (a defensive specialist and three-point shooter from the University of Kentucky).

All of this activity definitely shows a team preparing to lose its big man.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA

Orlando Magic