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Unsurprisingly, the Orlando Magic went unrepresented in this year’s NBA All-Star Game. Historically however, that has not been the case.
Over this extended All-Star break, we’ve been looking back on how Magic players have previously fared during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. Five of these pieces will be looking back on how Orlando players performed in the All-Star Game.
The final of these pieces looks at a major defensive category. Here’s a look back on the five highest block totals for Magic players in the NBA All-Star Game:
T-4. Shaquille O’Neal – 2 blocks (1995 and 1996)
In his final two All-Star Game appearances as a member of the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O’Neal filled up the box score. In 1995, O’Neal led the East with 22 points, three steals and two blocks in a 139-112 loss. The following season, O’Neal led the East with 25 points, 10 rebounds and again, two blocks. O’Neal believed he was deserving of MVP honors in the 129-118 victory, but Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls ultimately got the nod.
T-2. Dwight Howard – 3 blocks (2009 and 2010)
As the NBA’s leading shot blocker during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, it’s no surprise that center Dwight Howard recorded game-highs in the All-Star Games in each of those two years. In both of those games, Howard’s three blocks were game-highs and more than the rest of his team had combined. In the 2009 All-Star Game, Howard had the only three blocks for the East in a 146-119 loss in Phoenix. In a 141-139 victory the following year in Arlington, Howard had as many blocks as all other players in the game combined.
1. Shaquille O’Neal – 4 blocks (1994)
Shaquille O’Neal’s lowest scoring effort in the All-Star Game as a member of the Orlando Magic came in 1994. O’Neal managed just eight points on 2-for-12 shooting. Despite struggling offensively in Minneapolis, he found a way to contribute in other ways. In a 127-118 victory for the Eastern Conference, O’Neal grabbed 10 rebounds and led the East with four blocks. Only Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets recorded more.
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