Orlando

Battle ROY-ale Tonight


Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services 

Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor square off tonight for the second time in their careers as the Magic host the Bobcats. Howard was the top pick in the draft but Okafor is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award as he is a double-double machine. The last time the two met it was only the third professional regular season game of Howard's young career and it was the Magic's first loss of the season. Has he now got what it takes to help lead his team to victory?

Based on the team surrounding each one, Howard should have an easier time because the Bobcats will likely be more concerned with mitigating the damage likely to be wrought by Orlando's back court and small forwards than they are about their big guys. Meanwhile, the entire Magic club will be concentrating on keeping Okafor off the boards and off the jumbotron. It will be up to Howard and Tony Battie (Kelvin Cato is likely out tonight) to stop Okafor but the scoring load does not fall on their shoulders as much as it does on Okafor.

The Magic beat the Sonics as expected but can they beat the Bobcats? The problem has typically been dismissed as "playing up" or "playing down" to their opponents but it's more complicated than that. The Magic seem to have a higher sensitivity than just up and down: when they go up, they get higher than their competition; when they go down, they get lower than their competition. There are only two natural barriers to the function overall: their talents level tops out, even with all guns blazing, at some point, and they also can't play any worse than a certain level.

Will they beat the Bobcats? Probably. The real question is, will they beat them decisively or only by a couple points?

NEXT GAME
The Magic (16-14, third in the Southeast) look to climb the divisional standings with a matchup TONIGHT against the Charlotte Bobcats (8-21, fourth in the Southeast). The game starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA League Pass.

TEAM NOTES
Want the perfect gift for the Magic fanatic in your life? Want to shop easy and hassle free? Shop by phone, online or at TD Waterhouse this season and choose a Magic gift on your Magic fanatic’s wish list.

INJURY UPDATE
Michael Bradley(hamstring),Brandon Hunter(elbow) and Andrew DeClercq(knee) are on the Magic's injured list. Kelvin Cato (ankle) is questionable for tonight's game.

NEWSLINES

Rick Bonnell and Charles Chandler ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Orlando's Dwight Howard is probably the only first-year player with a shot at beating out Charlotte's Emeka Okafor for rookie of the year."I'm going to keep fighting," Howard said. "Rookie of the year is up for grabs, and I'm going for it." Okafor might not be a lock, but he's clearly the favorite, with 20 double-doubles in the past 21 games. They're situations differ: Okafor is clearly the opposing team's first concern, while Howard is the third option behind Steve Francis and Grant Hill.

Charles Chandler ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: The final seconds were ticking off the game and shot clocks when Grant Hill put a resounding explanation point on the Orlando Magic's 105-87 win against Seattle on Wednesday night.He broke down the defender in front of him with a crossover dribble, then drove the lane for an authoritative dunk, drawing loud cheers from the home crowd at TD Waterhouse Centre.It seemed like a vintage Hill play, but it was much more to him. "I haven't done that in five years," he said. "I've had dunks this year, but not a move like that."

Ken Hornack ofThe Daytona Beach News-Journalwrites: Dwight Howard against Emeka Okafor won't be the most intriguing matchup tonight when the Orlando Magic take on the Charlotte Bobcats.And it isn't because the first two players chosen last June in the NBA Draft haven't lived up to or exceeded their teams' expectations. But their second get-together on the court pales in importance to the mental chess game with the Magic, who have shown a maddening tendency to play up or down to the level of their competition all season and especially as of late.