Ryan Anderson admits he's been joking with Rashard Lewis about who will be the Orlando Magic's starting power forward when the All-Star returns from suspension. For now, it's no joke: Anderson is filling in just fine. Anderson had 20 and 10 rebounds, Dwight Howard scored 25 and the short-handed Orlando Magic defeated the previously unbeaten Phoenix Suns 122-100 on Wednesday night.
The Orlando Magic didn't spend much time hoisting their Eastern Conference championship banner. They didn't take long to adjust to a revamped roster, either. Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 15 points and the new-look Magic rolled to a 120-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed each other's cheek moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals. Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close. In Thomas' mind, a 17-year-old wound has been reopened in a new book that Johnson and Larry Bird wrote with author Jackie MacMullan.
Mickael Pietrus scored 19 points and Dwight Howard and J.J. Redick each had 15 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 102-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in a preseason game on Monday night. Howard also had a team-high 11 rebounds in 24 minutes as the Magic remained unbeaten in four exhibition games.
Vince Carter scored 21 points in his Orlando debut and Brandon Bass added seven of his 13 points in the final two minutes to lift the Magic to a 110-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday night. Carter, who was acquired by the Magic in an offseason trade with the Toronto Raptors, scored 15 points in the third quarter.