Howard highlights Orlando's victory in Houston

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02/24/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard recorded his NBA-leading 46th double-double of the season with 30 points and 16 rebounds, as the Orlando Magic handled the Houston Rockets, 110-92, at the Toyota Center.

Jameer Nelson added 17 points and nine assists for the Magic, who have won two in a row and six of eight overall. Vince Carter donated 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Rashard Lewis chipped in 13 points for the victors.

Aaron Brooks finished with 24 points, eight assists, and six rebounds for the Rockets, who have dropped three straight and six of seven overall. Kevin Martin tallied 19 points. Shane Battier had 14 points and nine rebounds, while Chase Budinger donated 13 points and a career-high six assists off the bench in defeat.

Trailing 14-11 late in the first quarter, the Magic ripped off 10 straight points. Matt Barnes and Nelson each made three-pointers during the burst, which Jason Williams capped with a layup to give Orlando a 21-14 margin. The score was 23-18 after 12 minutes.

Ahead 33-29 near the midway point of the second, the Magic gained some breathing room with a 24-7 burst. Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Nelson, and Mickael Pietrus each made treys during the stretch, with the latter making it a 57-36 game with 38 seconds left. The Magic held a 60-40 lead at the half.

Houston closed the third on a 17-6 flurry to cut the deficit to 11. Martin tallied 10 points during the run, including a pair of free throws to make it 85-74 heading to the fourth.

The Rockets couldn't carry that momentum into the fourth, never getting closer than nine in the final 12 minutes.

Game Notes

Houston was without forward Trevor Ariza (hip)...The Magic defeated Houston, 102-87, back on December 23 at Amway Arena to snap a three-game slide in the series. The Rockets have still won 12 of the last 16 matchups with Orlando...The Magic shot 49.4 percent from the floor, while Houston made 42.9 percent of its shots.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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