Magic Vs. Hawks, Game 2: Dwight Howard Leads Orlando To 88-82 Win

One of the biggest logical bugaboos of the basketblog era has been the concept of foul trouble. Coaches often yank players with two fouls in the first quarter or three in the first half in order to prevent the player from missing time at the end of the game due to having fouled out. You reduce current playing time for the sake of future playing time.

Only, most players are able to prevent Foul No. 6 without being removed from gameplay, and referees actually help, as (most) officials are loathe to impact a game by disqualifying player. So in reality, the coach -- not the fouls -- are the actual limiting factor.

Dwight Howard was a force inside for the Magic, finishing with a game-high 33 points and 19 rebounds. Howard was 9-12 from the field and 15-19 from the free throw line as he bullied the Hawks in the paint as Orlando evened the series. His contributions were needed as Orlando struggled to find a scoring rhythm, shooting just 34.6 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The win evens the series at one heading into Game 3. With the split, the Magic head to Atlanta for a three-game set beginning on Friday at 8 p.m.

Howard has been the Orlando Magic’s defense just about all year, and that’s been good enough: Orlando finished No. 6 in defense in the regular season, despite four starters considered average at best on that side of the floor. Howard corrects a lot of mistakes; when he received his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award this week, he could have been only half-joking when he thanked his teammates for funneling so many dribblers his way.

Be sure to keep up with our full Magic vs. Hawks hub. For more on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post. For more on the Hawks, check out Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta.