D12 embarrasses former team
In lieu of Dwight Howard coming off as a prick last week when speaking of his former team, D12 decided to let his game do the talking in his first visit back to Orlando. With a Lakers’ franchise high 39 free throw attempts, as well as hitting a double double before the halfway mark of the second quarter, Howard was not going to let critics affect his play. Howard was a complete animal.
Tuesday night’s match-up between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers would not have been special if the Dwight Howard drama did not exist. The Lakers this season are a team that has underachieved and are a fringe playoff team. The Magic, on the other hand, are awful and in the running for a lottery pick. This, of course, did not stop the Amway Center from nearly selling out, packed with angry Dwight haters hoisting malicious signs and booing each time he touched the ball.
In a 106-97 victory for the Lakers, Orlando didn't even put up a fight. Before the end of the first half, the Magic reverted to the hack-a-Howard technique leading to his franchise high 39 free throw attempts. Howard hit his first three and ended up hitting 25 total.
Kobe Bryant took a backseat approach, scoring only 11 points. He did chip in some assists, but not enough to get a double double. Jameer Nelson had 21 points for the Magic, but did also account for 14 turnovers throughout the game. The Magic shot 37 percent for the first half, and had only one player in double digits.
Though the Lakers have had a rough start, they are now looking like a team that could make a deep playoff run, and contend for the sixth spot in the west. Is it a possibility to see a Clipper-Laker first round match up?
Photo courtesy of Metro
