Magic Will Their Way to Win
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Feb 18, 2009
ORLANDO -- Throughout the week Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy was adamant that his entire roster, especially his star center, start to sustain a high-intensity level for entire games instead of in spotty stretches.
Although Van Gundy occasionally questions the ability of head coaches to motive players, on Tuesday it certainly appeared as if his message had resonated across his entire lineup, especially into the mind of the player he needed the most.
All-Star center Dwight Howard exploded for a historic night, amassing a career-high 45 points to go along with 19 rebounds and eight blocked shots for his franchise record-matching 18th straight double-double as Orlando edged Charlotte in a 107-102 overtime home thriller.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau no player has ever had 45, 19 and eight in a game since the NBA started recording blocks in 1973-74.
His performance nearly left his head coach speechless.
“I don’t know what to say about that one,” said Van Gundy, who usually is never short on words. “Dwight was unbelievable, unbelievable.”
Although the numbers themselves left many of his teammates in awe, what was even more impressive was who he posted his statistics against.
“This is easily the best I’ve seen him play,” his head coach marveled. “Again because in some of those games he was great, but people were really undermanned in the post. This is Emeka Okafor and DeSagana Diop and the whole team coming at him. By far the best I’ve seen him play.”
In his last go-around with the Bobcats and defensive stopper Emeka Okafor, Howard was held to three points and without a field goal for just the fifth time in his NBA career. He was relegated to the bench for much of the contest after getting in early foul trouble.
Howard usually writes off matchups like that as “just another game.” But he made a mental note of that one.
“I just remember the last time we played I only had three points,” the Magic’s All-Star center recalled. “That stuck out in my head every time I saw the Bobcats on TV and every time I thought about the Bobcats I was thinking about how I only had three points. It was a very frustrating night for me and I didn’t want to let it happen again.”
While his numbers mirrored that of a video game statline instead of one you would find in an NBA boxscore, his head coach was still more impressed with his star’s effort.
“That’s exactly what it was tonight,” Van Gundy proclaimed after the contest. “His will, his desire, whatever you want to call it and his intensity playing – that’s what kept lifting guys up.”
It’s what the Magic’s head coach believes can eventually define Howard’s legacy as a leader.
“The way he’s playing you know you’ve still got a chance and that keeps everybody else fighting and playing,” Van Gundy said. “That is the point I think he has to understand; that’s leadership right there. It’s not a speech in the locker room, it’s not taking somebody out to dinner. It’s that kind of play on the floor.”
But Howard’s sensational night on the court would have been left by the wayside if his teammates didn’t follow in his footsteps. While Howard demonstrated his desire all 47 minutes he was on the floor, counterpart J.J. Redick displayed his will by stepping up when his number was called.
With 8.1 seconds left in regulation, Redick drained a clutch game-tying trey to force overtime. Howard did his part on the play setting a pivotal screen that freed up the sure-fired guard for an open look and Redick did the rest, nailing a fadeaway 3-pointer as he fell to the floor.
“It was the biggest shot in the NBA I’ve hit,” he explained after the game. “As soon as I shot it, I knew it was going in. I really didn’t get to see it because I kind of fell. It felt good, I knew it was in.”
Howard realizes it’s going to take that kind of effort for the Magic to sustain a torrid pace throughout the second half of the season.
“I just know that for us to win, all of us had to keep fighting. My teammates did a great job and kept fighting the whole game. We just willed our way to win.”
If Orlando intends on reaching its lofty goal of at least 60 wins and a high-seeded playoff berth this season, they’ll need to display that type of desire every night.
