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Howard seeks to lead Magic to rare win over Lakers

Jan 12, 2007 - 3:26 PM Orlando (22-14) at LA Lakers (23-13) 10:30 pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - As he continues to improve and develop, Dwight Howard is moving closer to his first All-Star Game appearance.

Howard looks to lead the Orlando Magic to their sixth consecutive victory and tighten their hold on first place in the Southeast Division in Friday's matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his third season, the 21-year-old Howard is averaging 17.4 points and a league-best 12.5 rebounds. Second in votes to be the starting center for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game, he trails Miami's Shaquille O'Neal, who has been out most of the season with a knee injury.

Howard is coming off one of the best games of his career, when he scored 30 points and grabbed a season-high 25 rebounds for the Magic in Wednesday's 91-76 triumph over the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers have dominated the rivalry with the Magic, winning 14 of the last 16 encounters, including all seven at Staples Center.

After a recent four-game winning streak, Los Angeles has dropped its last two contests, including Wednesday's 102-77 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Reigning scoring champ Kobe Bryant scored 20 points, Smush Parker added 12 and Andrew Bynum 11 with 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who set a season low for points.

Bryant scored 27 and Parker added 20 to lead the Lakers to a 106-93 triumph over Orlando in their last meeting December 27.