It will be a battle of the big men on Monday night as the Orlando Magic host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Amway Center. Dwight Howard comes into this with chiefly one goal, slow down Kevin Love. Love is averaging 25.6 points per game and 13.9 rebounds per game with 24 double-doubles. Howard is doing well himself this year averaging 20.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game with 22 double-doubles.
Another thing that the Magic need to do is pressure Minnesota rookie point guard Ricky Rubio into making mistakes. He had crucial turnovers in the Timberwolves loss to the Knicks and while he leads his team with 8.7 assists per game, he is very prone to problems if put under enough pressure by the defense.
And while this game looks like it could be won in the paint depending on which team gets the rebounding edge, watch for the shooters like Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson to play a role if either one gets hot from beyond the arc. The game is being broadcast locally on Fox Sports Florida, but is also being broadcast nationally on NBA TV tonight at 7 p.m.