<div align="center"> Charlotte Bobcats: 8-21 Orlando Magic: 16-14 Date: Friday, January 7th Time: 7:00 PM TV: C-SET, NBALP Previous Games: Wolves @ Bobcats 102-84 (WIN) Sonics @ Magic 105-87 (WIN) <font color="darkorange"><font size="1">Coach Bernie Bickerstaff</font></font> C - <font color="darkorange">Primoz Brezec</font> (11.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 APG) PF - <font color="darkorange">Emeka Okafor</font> (15.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 1.0 APG) SF - <font color="darkorange">Gerald Wallace</font> (11.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.7 APG) SG - <font color="darkorange">Kareem Rush</font> (5.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.8 APG) PG - <font color="darkorange">Brevin Knight</font> (7.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 9.3 APG) <font size="4">VS</font> <font color="blue"><font size="1">Coach Johnny Davis</font></font> C - <font color="blue">Kelvin Cato</font> (8.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.0 APG) PF - <font color="blue">Dwight Howard</font> (10.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.2 APG) SF - <font color="blue">Grant Hill</font> (19.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.7 APG) SG - <font color="blue">Cuttino Mobley</font> (16.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.8 APG) PG - <font color="blue">Steve Francis</font> (22.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.9 APG) BOBCATS - <font color="darkorange">Keith Bogans</font> Predicted Stats: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists MAGIC - <font color="blue">Hedo Turkoglu</font> Predicted Stats: 12 points, 3/4 3PT, 3 rebounds BOBCATS - <font color="darkorange">Emeka Okafor</font> Predicted Stats: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist MAGIC - <font color="blue">Steve Francis</font> Predicted Stats: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists</div> Emeka Okafor and Dwight Howard...two rookies with alot of potential, both great on the glass, good inside scorers, nice defense. What's the difference? One is fresh out of high school and playing alongside Steve Francis and Grant Hill...and the other is from a national champion UConn, and is the franchise of the Charlotte Bobcats. These two should be having career games against each other...but lately for the Bobcats, there are other players stepping up, including Kareem Rush and Gerald Wallace, which should make things more difficult for the Magic tonight. The Bobcats need to feed Okafor early, and let him work the boards. Kareem has to find his shot as well, and Wallace needs to play like he did against the Wolves. The Cats shocked everyone with their win against Minny, putting up the question: are these Bobcats a good team? The record may not show it...yet...but in the East, there's always room for a playoff spot for a team under .500...but to do this, the Cats need to start winning...NOW. As for the Magic, they're less fortunate...being that they were hot at the beginning of the season, they've cooled down a bit and are now watching the Heat destroy the East. Worse...they are in the same division, let alone the same conference. Against the Cats, the Magic need to penetrate and kick out for threes, that is...if Hedo is playing significant minutes tonight. Otherwise, we all can safely assume that this is Francis' game, mixed with a little Hill and Mobley...wow, Orlando fans...doesn't it sound great to name more than one star? If the Bobcats can keep up with the Magic up until the third, it could be a close game. Okafor will have a 2-game double-double streak...unfortunately, it's not 20+ games...but it'll do. You could see an offensive onslaught by the Magic in the 4th, where they could blow out the Cats...but I'm thinking this will be a fight to the end, where Charlotte will eventually give it up and miss their last few shots. The Magic are starting to catch fire again, and after their win against Seattle, this home game against a bad road team, the Bobcats, should be easy...but don't take this Charlotte team for granted. However, the Magic should take this one to the bank, 92-81.
I think that the Bobcats are going to win just because I think that the Magic can match up to Gerald Wallace and Emeka. BTW nice preview.
^I don't get the reason why the Bobcats should win. We lost the first meeting, Howard lost the match up against Okafor, we're coming from a great winand we have something to prove, so do the Bobcats and maybe Bogans wants to prove s.th. as well against his former team (since this is his first game against us since the trade). Cato might not play but Battie is an okay replacement and should be able to defend Okafor well. We need to play some tough defense and Francis needs another great game. Magic by 12.
magic wins, they were better but I have one question why did brezec play only 19 minutes.couse he gave 18 points and have good shot 8/11???
^You're a bit late, don't you think? Magic won 111 - 91. They play against NJ at 7pm ET today which is midnight in UK, so in about 5 hours from now.
