Magic Wands: vs. Lakers 1/20

Written by Philip Rossman-Reich on Friday, 20 January 2012 19:07.

	Score	Period	Off. Rtg.	eFG%	O.Reb.%	TO%	FTR
Los Angeles	80	Final	93.4	42.1	18.2	8.5	21.1
Orlando	92	Pace: 86	106.4	49.4	30.6	12.8	20.8

Orlando, Fla.

(10-6) vs. (10-4)
Time/TV: 8 p.m./ESPN, FSFlorida
Line: Magic by 4.5
Tickets: $56-$850 on TiqIQ
Season Series: Tonight in Orlando

Video Vault:

1) Otis Smith tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that part of Jameer Nelson's struggles early on this season can be traced back to Dwight Howard's trade request and his desire to play with a star point guard.

2) Dwight Howard fired back some choice words for Shaquille O'Neal in response to O'Neal's assertion that Andrew Bynum is the only "true big man" left in the NBA.

3) Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports Hedo Turkoglu will definitely miss tonight's game and Jason Richardson is a gametime decision. Glen Davis also is questionable as he is attending the funeral of his grandmother in Louisiana. He is hoping to be back in Orlando for the 8:10 p.m. tipoff.

4) Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times captures the angst of Lakers fans after the Heat simply overwhelmed their team Thursday night.

5) For one game at least, the Dwight Howard-Andrew Bynum debate will be settled on the court and not on some speculative trade sheet, Shaun Powell of Hang Time Blog writes. Because, whether we want to admit it or not, tonight's game might be pitting the Magic's future center against its former one.

6) Ken Berger of CBSSports reports Ryan Anderson is likely to receive an extension before the Jan. 25 deadline (h/t Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post). So much for the Ryan Anderson extension talk sneaking under the radar.

7) Among the rumors in that story by Ken Berger is that the Magic will also try to enter the Steve Nash sweepstakes... if that ever opens up.

8) The crew at ESPN.com analyzes just about every aspect of the Howard/Lakers situation. More Magic/Lakers talk with Eddy Rivera of MagicBasketball.net courtesy of J.M. Poulard of Forum Blue and Gold.

9) Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times report the Magic and Lakers have not had any recent trade discussions about Dwight Howard (h/t Howard The Dunk). Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel believes such a trade would be yet another in a long line of Los Angeles Lakers larcenies of NBA centers.

10) David Steele of FSFlorida writes Dwight Howard's passing and decision-making have helped him reach another level this season.

11) Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times gives us five things to watch from tonight's game.

12) Von Wafer has found a role with the Magic, Andrew Melnick of Howard the Dunk writes.

13) Dwight Howard continues to lead all players in votes for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.

14) Darrell Armstrong was arrested a few nights ago in Los Angeles for a gambling debt he incurred in Las Vegas. That charge has been dropped after Armstrong's bail was converted to restitution.

15) In case you missed it, Glen Davis got a technical foul...

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