Nets at Magic
THE STORY: Dwight Howard's current team faces his possible future club when the Orlando Magic host the New Jersey Nets in the third game of the season for both squads. It had been rumored that Howard would be traded to the Nets, but that talk ended when New Jersey center Brook Lopez broke his foot in training camp. The speculation will likely heat up when Lopez returns in six to eight weeks. The Magic bounced back from a opening-night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 104-95 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday, but coach Stan Van Gundy isn't happy with the way his team is playing. "We haven’t had anybody in the first two games to have two good games," he said. New Jersey coach Avery Johnson is also looking for consistency. After rallying from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Washington Wizards, the Nets were embarrassed in their final home opener in New Jersey and dropped a 106-70 decision to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, YES (New Jersey), Fox Sports Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE NETS (1-1): It didn't take long for the luster of New Jersey's season-opening win to wear off. One night after a rare comeback on the road for a victory, the Nets were routed by the Hawks. New Jersey never led, shot 31 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 39 points in the fourth quarter. The only positive was the performance of rookie MarShon Brooks, who scored 17 points in his second NBA game.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (1-1): As long as Howard remains in Orlando, the questions about how long he'll be with the Magic will persist. He's averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds in two games after averaging 22.9 points and 14.1 rebounds last season. After shooting 37 percent in the opener, Orlando shot 53 percent and had five players in double figures against the Rockets. Hedo Turkoglu hit 10-of-14 from the field and scored 23 points.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Ryan Anderson leads the Magic in scoring with a 16.5 average. He's also shooting 8-of-20 on 3-pointers.
2. The Magic have won seven straight from the Nets, including all four meetings last season. New Jersey hasn't defeated Orlando since posting a 103-98 win on April 11, 2009.
3. Deron Williams had six turnovers and shot 3-of-11 from the field against Atlanta. He scored 10 points.