Howard doubles up in first quarter : Magic center Dwight Howard recorded a double-double on Wednesday night versus the Heat and that was after just one quarter. He finished the night with 25 points and 24 rebounds, giving him his 20th double-double of the year. It was Howard's sixth game this season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He shot 70 percent from the foul line and went 9 for 14 from the field in his 43 minutes on the court. Howard also blocked two shots, made three steals and dished out four assists for the Magic, as they beat the Heat, 102-89. (Updated 02/09/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Howard continues to dominate opposing team's big men. He's averaging 25.4 points and 16.0 rebounds per game over his last five outings. That comes with 2.8 blocks per outing and his 61.7 percent shooting at the charity stripe. It seems working with Mark Price with his free throws is paying off for the big man. Fantasy owners in all formats should continue to view Howard as a must-start center option. He's working on his lone weakness, which makes Orlando and owners very happy. (Updated 02/09/2012).
02/11/2012 23:46 J-Rich scores 31 as Magic beat Bucks
Jason Richardson scored 28 of his season-high 31 points in the second half and made nine 3-pointers to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
02/11/2012 02:42 Knicks' Lin storms out of nowhere to make Garden, NBA fun again
Games rarely live up to the hype. This one, somehow, surpasses it. Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin outduels Kobe on an electric night at the Garden, and Ken Berger says he's the 'fun' the NBA is sorely missing.
02/10/2012 22:02 Hawks edge Magic in overtime
Josh Smith had 23 points and 19 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks hit enough free throws late in overtime to slip past the Orlando Magic 89-87 Friday night.
02/10/2012 13:14 Postups: As Howard mulls future, Magic aim to avoid repeating history
As March 15 nears, the Magic play their ace: 85-year-old, wheelchair-bound owner Rich DeVos pays Dwight Howard a visit. As both try to avoid repeating Shaq history, Ken Berger says Howard may stay put for now.
02/09/2012 02:40 Courtside Seat: Looking back to look forward
As the season progresses, you might start looking at your Fantasy team and wonder who was most worthy of your selection. Our Jamey Eisenberg examines how the Top 12 players drafted are performing so far in different leagues in his Courtside Seat.
Dwight Howard is coming off another huge statistical year that resulted in the 25-year-old earning his third straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. After hitting a bit of a ceiling with his scoring over the last few seasons, Howard looked to establish himself more on the offensive end of the court and did so splendidly. The perennial All-Star spent countless hours in the gym working on post moves, which helped him average a career-best 22.9 points per game while shooting just under 60 percent from the floor (59.3). Despite his free-throw percentage once again being awful (59.6 percent), Howard finally showed some growth in his offensive game and more confidence in his jump shot, evidenced by his 13.4 shot attempts per game. That trend should continue moving forward as Howard continues to refine his game in the post and extend his range farther from the basket. He again was a machine on the glass, averaging 14.1 rebounds per contest -- second only to Kevin Love -- and posting 66 double-doubles. His poor free-throw percentage and constant foul trouble can be a bit irritating at times to Fantasy owners, but Howard's 2.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per contest more than make up the difference. As owners already know by now, there aren't too many players out there -- especially big men -- who can even come close to matching Howard's production. He is arguably one of the most dominant players in the league and without question should be the first center taken off the board on Draft Day next season, regardless of format. (Updated 8/23/11)
