Finally, a sportswriter takes Howard to task

[Birdbrain]

The Borges solution worked in 1984, but won't in 2010. Rules have changed.  Send Shelden in to hit Howard? Doc would not do that.

That would be pretty obvious.  No just clean HARD fouls and hope the skirts in league office explained to the refs the difference between a hard foul and a flagrant. 

[FatKidsDad]

Marquis is probably out for tonight.

Time to dress Scal and send him on a mission.

[moiso]

Howard's elbows have become a little more infuriating since we started losing games.  
I'd love Howard to get his, but I'd like it to occur kind of naturally.  It will be stupid if Shelden goes out of his way for a flagrant and Howard doesn't even feel it.  I preferred how Sheed really frustrated him in game 1.

The way Howard keeps getting away with it is because he is tall and is a great leaper, so when he comes down with his elbows out it looks like an accident.  I don't really want to risk it, but KG is the player most capable of retaliating in the same manner.

[Dr H]

Hate to say it but I'm afraid ANY hard foul will be too much for the Celtics, even if accidental..remember they do have the "bully", "physical", and "dirty" label on them. Of course the refs will hand out a flagrant 2/suspension or something similar if they were to retaliate. Only way to get into the Magic's heads will be by the small annoying things, like Rasheed in game 1 and Varejao all the time. Don't get me wrong I'd LOVE to see someone retaliate and knock Dwight Howard out, but with the way this team is labeled we WILL suffer the consequences.

[get_banners]

we don't need to (nor should we strive to) injure howard or anyone else. we should aim to play very physical defense. if the refs call us for the standard ticky tacky stuff on howard, but let their bigs maul us again without the same calls, this will become an incredibly controversial series. i personally think that won't happen. we just need to play him physical, period. no need for a mchale moment per se, but we need to play physical like we did in games 1-4.

[j804]

Marquis is probably out for tonight.

Time to dress Scal and send him on a mission.

Good luck with Scal hurting Coward...

[liam]

I think NATE has to give the hard fouls on Howard. The NBA doesn't usually give flagrants on little men against bigs. ( See Rondo vs Miller!)

[Thruthelookingglass]

Let's just hope Perkins realizes (i'm sure he's been told a million times) that he can't be excessive (judgment call) with his fouls tonight.  We are going to need him for game 1 of Championship.  Maybe Perkins could do a pregame interview where he says ' God ' a million times and smiles incessantly...  I mean if you do those types of things you couldn't possibly be a dirty player...

Perhaps Perk should just wear a green and white "Howard, #12" shirt tonight?  I think that might make him immune . . .