Magic Outlast Heat, 104-98 in OT, Howard Addresses Trade Talk
Published at
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images(ORLANDO, Fla.) — For the time being, Dwight Howard still remains in an Orlando Magic uniform.
The Miami Heat (31-10) got all they could handle from Howard on Tuesday night when he dropped in 24 points and 25 rebounds in Orlando’s 104-98 overtime win.
But it was what Howard said after the game that was the major story.
“Well, I told those guys, I’ve been telling them for the past two or three weeks now that I want to stay and finish the season,” Howard said of his future with the team. “I told them I feel we have a great opportunity to win and I told them that I want to be here and I want to bring a championship here. I told them they’ve got to give me that chance. They didn’t trade me at the beginning of the season and I told them I’d go out and play as hard as I could every night to put our team in a position to win.”
Howard’s 24-25 performance marked the eighth time this season he went for 20-20 and was the 40th of his career.
Jameer Nelson scored 25 in the victory for Orlando (28-15) in their third straight win.
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 PM eastern time.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio