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| 24-17 | 24-15 | |
| Amway Arena | ||
| 7:00 PM | ||
| FSN Florida | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Carlos Arroyo | PG | Steve Blake |
| Maurice Evans | SG | Brandon Roy |
| Hedo Turkoglu | SF | Martell Webster |
| Rashard Lewis | PF | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| Dwight Howard | C | Joel Pryzbilla |
The Magic face a tough matchup at home tonight against the Trail Blazers. Sure, the Magic beat them in Portland at the end of November, but that was before the Trail Blazers went on a 15-game winning streak. They're a completely different team now, and certainly aren't afraid of any opponent... except for maybe the Celtics, thanks to Kevin Garnett's trash-talking.
They certainly aren't afraid of us, either. We've played like crap lately, to be honest, and other teams are playing with confidence against us. I mean, if we let mediocre teams like the Nets and the Bobcats erase double-digit, second-half deficits against us, why should a great team like Portland get scared after falling behind?
Hopefully, Dwight comes out with a vengeance in this game. Joel Pryzbilla, of all people, made him ineffective (9 points, 4-of-10 shooting) by getting him into foul trouble. I'd like to see Dwight dunk on Pryzbilla's head several times tonight in retaliation.
Side note: a few years ago, a broadcaster once said Pryzbilla's name is "Polish for 'personal foul.'" I can't mention Joel P. without my dad bringing up that zinger. Gets us every time.
Be sure to head over to Blazer's Edge for a Portland fan's perspective. I wrote a guest-post over there comparing the Magic and the Trail Blazers, and why one team is on the rise while the other is not. Check it out.
Note that Jameer Nelson may not be available tonight due to a strained tendon in his right foot. Carlos Arroyo will probably start in his place.
Tipoff's at 7. Go Magic, and get them donuts.