The AP reports: Dwight Howard had a career-high 45 points, to go with 19 rebounds and eight blocks, leading the Orlando Magic to a 107-102 overtime victory against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night… The Magic also got 17 points from Rashard Lewis, who joined Howard on the Eastern Conference All-Star team last weekend… The Bobcats, by contrast, were much more balanced early with no one in double-figure scoring, but seven players with four or more points.
Category: Orlando Magic Blog
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NBA to borrow $175 million
The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.
Nate Robinson talks about winning the 2009 dunk contest
Nate Robinson beat Dwight Howard to win the 2009 NBA Slam dunk contest.
After the win, Nate talked about it. Here’s what he said.
Rashard Lewis talks about being an All-Star
Here’s what Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis said Friday at 2009 NBA All-Star weekend.
Question: Talk about this experience, of being an All-Star.
Rashard Lewis: I didn’t expect to be here. We knew Dwight would be here. When the coaches vote, you never know what could happen. There are a lot of guys not on the All‑Star Game that really, you know, have a chance on the All‑Star team.
Question: Talk about your role on Orlando and how it changed from your Seattle days.
Rashard Lewis: They got me playing the four now, pretty much banging with the bigger guys, trying to defend the bigger guys. It works. We try to spread the floor with Dwight Howard in the middle. You shoot a lot of three‑pointers. It helps opening it up for him as well as it opens up for us.
Question: How is this season different from last?
Rashard Lewis: I think this year we gelled a lot more and we connected with the coaches and that’s why we have been successful.
Question: Does the All‑Star selection make it so now people can talk about you as one of the tops in the game?
Rashard Lewis: Hopefully. This is my second All‑Star team and I’m most definitely happy to be here. But obviously fly under the radar a little bit. It kind of keeps the fire burning in the NBA. It keeps me playing at the level because there is always something you have to go out there and prove.
Nate Robinson to be KryptoNate in dunk contest
The NY Post (Marc Berman) reports: Nate Robinson, who this week revealed he has an alter ego known as “KryptoNate,” will try to sap the powers of “Superman” tonight in the All-Star Weekend’s Slam Dunk competition. The 5-foot-7½ former Slam Dunk champ has been in hiding in Phoenix for most of the past two days, practicing a mysterious Kryptonite dunk he feels will take down Dwight Howard. The Magic’s 6-foot-11 “Man of Steel” is the reigning dunk champ who captured the world’s imagination by flying through the air like a bird, like a plane, jamming home a superhuman slam that overpowered his enemies… “It’s something new I just thought up,” said the popular Knicks guard, who already has put forth a superhero effort in winning the 2006 dunk title. “I did my homework. You have to see. I’m not giving out no secrets. I’m not telling nobody nothing. I just have a kryptonite dunk. That’s all I’ll say.”
Nuggets clamp down on Magic in 82-73 victory
The AP reports: Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and eight rebounds, and the Nuggets ended a 15-game losing streak in Orlando with an 82-73 win over the Magic on Wednesday night… Kenyon Martin scored 13 points, Nene added 12 and Billups had 11 points for Denver, which hadn’t won in Orlando since March 10, 1992. .. Dwight Howard had 16 points and Rashard Lewis scored 12 for the Magic, who finished with a season low in points, a season-high 24 turnovers and were held to a season-low 30.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Mo Williams replaces Jameer Nelson in Skills Challenge
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams has been selected to replace injured Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson (torn right labrum ) in the 2009 Playstation® Skills Challenge to be held on Saturday, Feb. 14 at US Airways Center in Phoenix.
The PlayStation® Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk and Haier Shooting Stars. TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from US Airways Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 215 countries and territories in 44 languages.
Howard’s 30 leads Magic past Nets 101-84
The AP reports: Playing fewer minutes and sitting out key stretches, Dwight Howard had 30 points and 16 rebounds to lift the Orlando Magic to a 101-84 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night. Howard played a little more than 35 minutes, about seven fewer than he’d been playing over the past few weeks… Mickael Pietrus added 17 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 15 for the Magic, who rebounded from an ugly loss to Indiana on Friday and improved to 2-1 since All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson suffered a shoulder injury. Devin Harris had 28 points and 12 assists, and Brook Lopez added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who had their four-game winning streak snapped a day after beating Denver 114-70 in maybe their most impressive performance of the season.
Cavs make words up to describe Mo Williams snub
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams is having an excellent season for his 39-win, 9-loss team, but wasn’t picked by coaches as a reserve for the East All-Star team. Then, Jameer Nelson, who was selected, suffered an injury, though Mo Williams again wasn’t named, with the spot instead going to Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen.
The AP reports:
The Cavs found the second rejection of Williams so absurd that they’re making up words to describe their feelings. “Ben Wallace was right when he called Mo originally being passed over for the all-star game a shamockery,” Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said in a tongue-in-cheek e-mail to the Associated Press on Friday. “But not naming him as the natural and obvious replacement for the unfortunately injured Jameer Nelson is stupidiculous, idillogical and preposterageous.” Cleveland will be represented by James, who was selected in fan voting, and by coach Mike Brown and his assistants, who will coach the East squad.
If passing on Mo Williams instead of selecting him means the Cavs are going to continue making up fun words, then I’m all in favor of it.
Ray Allen replaces Jameer Nelson in All-Star game
Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen has been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace injured East All-Star guard Jameer Nelson (torn labrum, right shoulder) of the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Allen will be making his ninth All-Star appearance.
The NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 215 countries and territories, and in 44 languages worldwide at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 15.
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