'Superman' Showcases Super Performance

By Josh Cohen
May 14, 2009

ORLANDO -- You knew he would come out determined. You expected him to be persuasive in the paint. You anticipated a superstar-like performance from one of the most dominant players in the NBA.

It would have been illogical to project anything but brilliance from Dwight Howard in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

‘Superman’ delivered with 23 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks on Thursday at Amway Arena to catapult the Orlando Magic to an 83-75 triumph and a date with the defending champions on Sunday in Beantown for Game 7.

Sure, Howard was upset after Tuesday’s Game 5 defeat. But, D-12 realizes that to be a championship-level leader, you must be resilient and focused.

“I just try to be me,” said Howard, who shot 9-of-16 from the field and scored the first eight Magic points of the game. “He (head coach Stan Van Gundy) said not to worry about what’s being said, what’s being written in the papers. I just came out and played hard.”

Perhaps the most important part of Howard’s game on Thursday was his awareness to get Boston’s big guys in foul trouble. Both Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis were forced to play lesser minutes due to the All-Star center’s attack on the interior.

The 2008-09 Defensive Player of the Year played nearly 43 minutes and may have been on the floor more if he himself did not get into foul problems. Howard, though, is not concerned about fatigue heading into Game 7.

“Coach said give all you got tonight and we’ll have tomorrow off,” he said. “I was thinking about that (chuckle). Having a day off after Stan’s practice (more giggling).”

Even on possessions when he was unable to convert on shot attempts or get in position to demand the ball in the post, Howard managed to earn many second-chance opportunities. The All-NBA First Team sensation grabbed 10 offensive rebounds – just two fewer offensive boards than the entire Celtics team had.

So, it comes down to a decisive win-or-go home Game 7 for the right to advance and play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals. It’s very obvious that if Orlando wants to be that team to move on, it will need another monster performance from Howard.

“When Dwight is playing with the energy and effort that he played with tonight and really maximizes his athletic gifts, he is a very tough guy to play on the move,” Van Gundy said. “He (Howard) badly, badly, badly wants to get this done.”

It will be the first time Howard will play in a Game 7 and it will be just the third Game 7 in franchise history.