Superman just found his kryptonite: Stu Jackson

Dwight Howard was in the middle of another star-making performance last night (24 points and 24 rebounds – love the symmetry), and then he decided to do something really stupid. Perhaps stupid isn’t the right word. Moronic? Dumbfounding? How about championship-threatening? I concede that the Magic aren’t likely to win a title this year, especially with the dominating way the Lakers and Cavaliers are playing, but the single chicken wing Howard threw out there might cost the Magic the series.

Now I’m all for physical play, and if you want to take a cheap shot (cough, Kobe, cough) there are subtle ways of doing it. But if you’re as blatantly obvious as Howard was, don’t expect to get away with it.



So why will this potentially cost the Magic the series? Because now NBA Executive Vice-president of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson has to suspend Howard. It may have just been an elbow, but Howard threw it hard and Samuel Dalembert was probably seeing stars afterwards. Superman will sit for Game 6, and don’t think the Magic won’t miss him badly. Dalembert may get the last laugh here, because Howard’s backup is Marcin Gortat. “Who?” You ask. Gortat is a first-year player who is averaging 1.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in the playoffs while playing 9 minutes a game. Shouldn’t be too much of a drop-off, right?

As a side note, Paul Pierce is ridiculous. Nice to see “The Truth” return to his old form, even though I’m tired of hearing about the Celtics. Most people are mad at Brad Miller for failing twice at the free throw line in overtime, but John Salmons was the one who got smoked by Pierce over and over again at the end of the game. There’s my former Kings’ players making me proud!

UPDATE: Dwight Howard has indeed been suspended for Game 6. Game 7 in Orlando should be an interesting one.