Howard had 25 points and six rebounds in only 23 minutes as he battled foul trouble. Anderson, who is starting at power forward while Rashard Lewis serves a suspension, had 20 points and ten rebounds. The second-year bigman was acquired in the trade during the offseason that sent Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets to the Magic.

The Suns, who were outscored 64-48 in the second half, were led by Amare Stoudemire’s 25 points and 15 rebounds. Steve Nash, who has been playing very well early in the 2009-10 NBA season, was held to 12 points and four assists.

The Suns next take on the Boston Celtics on Friday night, while the Magic play the Detroit Pistons on the same day.

Dwight Howard and the Magic and very good once again (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Magic Hand Suns First Defeat

Lopez was injured during the Suns intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday. His foot injury has been diagnosed as a broken fifth metatarsal. He’ll need a screw to fix his foot during surgery.

Last year, as a backup to Shaquille O’Neal, Lopez averaged 3.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 10.2 minutes per contest. The 21-year-old shot 51.8% from the field and 69.1% from the free throw line.

This season, Lopez had a good chance to start at center for Phoenix. Without Lopez, the team will likely have to turn to Channing Frye or Louis Amundson as Amare Stoudemire’s partner up front.

While the team claims that Lopez may be able to return in six weeks, a more likely scenario is for him to return at some point in the month of December.

Robin Lopez of the Suns has a broken foot (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Robin Lopez Injury Update – Foot Surgery

Could Amare Stoudemire get traded for Al Jefferson? (Image: Newscom)

Supposedly, the Minnesota Timberwolves want to shake up their roster and that could include trading Jefferson. If they do want to trade Jefferson, getting Stoudemire in return could be one of their better options. However, Minnesota trading Jefferson and the sixth overall pick makes too much sense for the Suns.

After getting the basketball world in an uproar, Boston.com later reported that a different source claimed that the Stoudemire for Jefferson trade wasn’t going to happen. But, according to the report, the Suns remain interested in potentially trading Stoudemire.

For Phoenix, a trade this offseason appears to be a necessity. They can’t afford to return the same core that missed the playoffs last season. If Stoudemire isn’t the one traded, expect a Shaquille O’Neal trade or even a Steve Nash trade.

Post from: EveryJoe

Amare Stoudemire Trade – Al Jefferson?

Photo by Amanda Edwards / Getty Images for Nike

The Trainer 1 is an innovative new lightweight training shoe that combines Nike’s training heritage with the latest innovation and design technology. So I hear. I’m just the messenger. I haven’t actually tried these shoes yet. But Adrian Peterson has and he likes them:

“The Nike Trainer 1s are extremely comfortable and the flexibility is awesome. I’ve already started wearing them for my training drills and for weight room workouts. It’s an amazing performance shoe that will give me an edge on the playing field.”

Of course, AD’s getting paid to say that but I’ll take his word for it. Anyway, as part of the launch event in Southern California today, the aforementioned Nike athletes led more than 50 local SoCal youth from all sports in a comprehensive training workout. Hopefully, they got some free shoes to take home. If not, they certainly got some great memories. For those who want to check out the shoes for themselves, the Nike Trainer 1 will be available in the U.S. beginning July 1 with a suggested retail price of 90 bucks.

Source: NikeMedia.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Nike Debuts Trainer 1 Shoe

Here are the five most devastating NBA injuries that could have an impact on the 2009 NBA championship:

5. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans Hornets
It’s a bad sign when a team trades for you without giving up much of anything and then they rescind the trade due to health reasons. That’s exactly what happened to Chandler after being traded to the Thunder. If Chandler doesn’t get healthy, the Hornets have no championship shot.

4. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
Stoudemire would be higher on this list of the Suns were a true championship contender. His injured eye will likely keep him out for the rest of the season, which will make it tough for Phoenix to make the 2009 NBA playoffs.

3. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Coming off of offseason ankle surgery, Ginobili now is facing a stress reaction in his other ankle. If Ginobili can’t return to the Spurs at 100%, their championship hopes go down the drain. The good news for San Antonio is that he should be able to return in a few weeks.

2. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
Although Bynum’s torn MCL isn’t as bad as the injury he had last season, Lakers fans won’t be able to breath again until they see him back on the court. Last season Bynum was expected to be back in plenty of time for the playoffs … yet never returned.

1. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
Garnett is dealing with a knee strain that will keep him out two to three weeks. If Garnett doesn’t get fully healthy prior to his return, he could re-injure his knee. For the Celtics to win back-to-back championships, Boston definitely needs Garnett leading the way.

Post from: EveryJoe

Five Most Devastating NBA Injuries in 2009