THROUGH THE WIRE: MONDAY (02/14/10)

24. The Los Angeles Lakers have been up to their old tricks recentely winning games again, however they had no Magic up against Orlando last night. Dwight Howard pulled 31 points and 13 rebounds out of his hat as the Magic made the Lakers disappear with an 89-75 win. The Orlando Magic showed they where still a contender with a convicting win over the defending champions that beat them in the finals two seasons back. The Lakers where held to their lowest point total all season as Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum had 17 each, while Lamar had 15 and Pau 11. "Offensively we were really stagnant. Defensively we could have been a little better. But they had 89 points. It was a winnable game as far as points go. But we didn't put any up," Bynum told the press-post game. Time for the Lakers to step and freshen it up.

48. The Showtime/Magic perfromance wasn't the only clash of contenders this weekend. The reigning Boston Celtics hosted the pretenders to their throne, the Miami Heat. The Celtics where without Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Delonte West and Marquis Daniels and Paul Pierce points as the star shot 0 for 10. Miami almost rallied from a 13-point deficit, but they proved unlucky as the luck of the Boston Irish made it a green evening. "We also can't afford to come in the third quarter and not have our motor going," LeBron told reporters after the King and his men where denounced by Boston. The forward knows that against the best his team will have to power up more, or heads will roll. As of right now out East, nobody is taking the Conference leading, Celtics crown.

82. Speaking of dethroning. The Kings left their young apprentice, DeMarcus Cousins at home-court as they embarked on a three game road-trip. Cousins will have to become real familiar with time off as the Rookie has been suspended for fighting with teammate Donte Greene in the teams ARCO Arena tunnel. The top Rookie was angry that he wasn't receiving much possessions in the clutch and after arguing his case, apparantly he tried to strike out, swinging for his teammate. Cousins and Green where pulled apart and then Cousins was pulled from the teams plane. So what's next? Reconciliation, trade, it's time for these Kings to act like men and not the Shaq dubbed, Sacramento 'Queens'.

O.T. After Pierce's clean sheet of no buckets against Miami, the Boston legend is planning to have an MRI in his injured foot...Washington have a revolving door of injuries at the moment as Josh Howard has returned only for Rashard Lewis to hold his suit on the sidelines...still the Wizards are looking a little better,m after a healthy blowout win agaisnt the Cavs. They ended a 25 road losing streak as they pushed Cleveland's continung losing streak closer to 30...he may have been snubbed for the All-Star game, but LeMarcus Aldrige isn't stopping. His 36 points drove his red-hot Blazers past the Detroit Pistons. TIM DAVID HARVEY.