Dwight Howard?s outgoing personality has helped him become one of the most likable athletes in the world.

His popularity was fully displayed on Tuesday as his fans flocked to the Florida Mall to watch him help launch the official NBA Shop at Champs Sports.  The four-time All-Star worked the register and helped fans choose from the wide assortment of exclusive Adidas NBA apparel the NBA Shop has to offer. It was a chance for Howard to help the league that has catapulted him to fame, but more importantly a chance for him to interact with his fans.

?For all of these people to come, shows me how much support we have and how the Magic have grown since we started,? Howard said. ?I?m happy to be a part of it.?

The 24-year-old superstar genuinely loves meeting and greeting his fans. He had his chance on Tuesday as approximately 500 fans stood shoulder to shoulder inside the store waiting to get a glimpse of Champs Sports? newest and tallest employee.

Adidas, Champs Sports and the NBA partnered together in Feb. 2010 to launch the official NBA Shop at Champs Sports. The shop has debuted in 69 stores nationally and will be in the remaining 486 Champs stores by the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.

Howard didn?t disappoint as he gave high-fives and fist bumps to everyone within reach of his massive wingspan.  He showcased his charisma with jokes and his trademark impressions.  Some of the fans in attendance were surprised at how easygoing Howard truly is. But the truth is, off the court Howard is just as ordinary as the next guy.

?I?m a real person and that?s what you want people to know,? Howard said. ?I try to show people another side of me. It?s not always about putting the ball in the basket; it?s about winning the hearts of people.?

Giving fans the opportunity to meet someone they idolize is a big deal to Howard. As a young man he didn?t have the chance to meet anyone that he looked up to.  He understands that giving some of his time can have a positive impact on many people.

?I?ve always wanted to meet someone that I looked up to,? Howard said. ?Wilt Chamberlin and Kevin Garnett were people I wanted to meet but never had an opportunity. I know how the fans feel when they see someone they idolize see on TV and magazines. I want to show them I?m not on a different level where I can?t be touched; I can be touched.?

The love Howard received from the fans will fuel him for the upcoming playoffs. The Magic currently have the NBA?s third-best record and look to be peaking at the right time. Howard loves to play for the fans and looks forward to giving them something to be excited about.

Magic center Adonal Foyle isn't expected to return to the floor this season.

If he does have to retire in the near future, the veteran has his sights set on becoming an NBA general manager one day.

"Building a team is intriguing to me," Foyle told the Orlando Sentinel.

Magic swingman Vince Carter sprained his right big toe less than a minute into Sunday's win over the Nuggets and did not return.

X-rays revealed no fractures, according to the team.

Carter was already suffering from a sprained right ankle that he hurt on Friday.

J.J. Redick played the remainder of the game, excelling with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy understands why forward Matt Barnes was frustrated following Wednesday's loss to the Hawks.

Barnes said after the game that Van Gundy doesn't trust him down the stretch.

"I understand his frustration," Van Gundy said. "He wants to be in the game all the time. Certainly all of my moves don't work. That one worked ? unequivocally worked. That one's even hard to argue. ...

"The second thing is, I think it's laughable that he would say that I don't have trust and confidence in him. He's certainly finished many, many big games and has played a lot of minutes. So, when I read stuff like that, it doesn't make a lot of sense, and I think it comes out of frustration of the moment, a very difficult loss. If it were coming at calmer times, I might be worried about it, but not over something like that."

Magic forward Matt Barnes doesn't think head coach Stan Van Gundy trusts him to be on the court in crunch time.

Barnes is considered Orlando's best perimeter defender, but was pulled midway through the fourth quarter of the team's loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

"(Van Gundy) obviously must not trust me down the stretch. Only thing I can think of. I'm knocking down 3s, I'm playing D, I'm rebounding. I couldn't believe it," Barnes said. "I could see it if the person I'm coming out for is cooking or something… but that wasn't really the case tonight.

"It's very frustrating to sit on the bench the last five minutes when I held Joe [Johnson] to 13 points. It's very frustrating."

When asked about the decision to pull Barnes, Van Gundy said he needed "to get more shooting on the floor."

Magic center Dwight Howard is one technical foul away from an automatic one-game suspension.

Orlando has 12 regular-season games remaining.

"I would say I might get it," Howard said Sunday. "I'm going to try not to, but chances are my emotions tend to fly. I'm going to try [not to get a tech]. A lot of people have talked to me about it. They call me 'Little Rasheed Wallace' and stuff like that."

Howard has amassed 15 technicals this season. NBA rules dictate that players and coaches that receive 16 fouls must miss a game. He'd receive a one-game suspension for every two technicals thereafter.

"It's just not something I worry about a whole lot," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It's more than likely going to happen, and then we'll deal with it the game he's out. It's just not anything I spend a whole lot of time on, because I've got no control over it."

There was an overtime battle in South Florida between a pair of Sunshine Staters on Thursday night.

- Orlando 108, Miami 102 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Magic +18.8, Heat ? 18.8

The Orlando Magic (49-21) needed overtime to beat the Miami Heat (35-34) on Thursday night. Vince Carter led with 27 points and six assists, Rashard Lewis posted 24 points and 11 rebounds and Dwight Howard added 10 points, 11 boards and four blocks. Orlando held Miami to 41% shooting and won the rebounding battle by just five. Dwyane Wade starred with 36 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Jermaine O?Neal tallied 14 points and six boards and Carlos Arroyo contributed 11 points and five dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 27.0

Rashard Lewis, Orlando ? 19.0

Vince Carter, Orlando ? 15.4

Carlos Arroyo, Miami ? 11.1

- Denver 93, New Orleans 80

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +30.2, Hornets -30.2

The Denver Nuggets (47-22) led by 25 points at halftime and held on to defeat the New Orleans Hornets (33-37) at the Pepsi Center. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 26 points and 18 rebounds, Chauncey Billups tallied 10 points and eight assists and Nene put up 20 points, six boards and five dimes. Denver hit just 40% of their shots, but they outrebounded New Orleans by five and forced 21 turnovers. Darren Collison had 15 points and six assists, Emeka Okafor posted 11 points and 10 rebounds and Darius Songaila chipped in 13 points and nine boards.

Game FIC Scores

Nene, Denver ? 23.4

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 21.5

Darius Songaila, New Orleans ? 11.5

Emeka Okafor, New Orleans ? 10.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

In a Tim Duncan vs. Dwight Howard debate on Wednesday?s ESPN First Take, Skip Bayless questioned the Orlando center's?winning intangibles. Bayless also said ?I don?t know if Howard is going to show up in a big playoff game.?

Dwight on Skip Bayless? comments

?Skip Bayless has called me out a million times,? Howard said. ?I don?t think he?s ever put on a jockstrap or stepped on the floor and played any type of basketball. That?s his job, to criticize players. The only people that we have to listen to are our coaches. Those are the guys that get paid to make us better players.

?Skip has called everybody out,? Howard continued. ?He?s called LeBron ?Prince? James. LeBron is one of the best players in the world and he doesn?t think LeBron is good; it?s just somebody talking.

?Scottie Pippen has said things and also Skip,? Howard said. ?I think everybody has a problem with anything I do on the floor. We got to the Finals last year with me playing the same way I?m playing this year.?

Dwight on his personality and people saying he smiles too much

?I?ve been playing basketball since I was three years old and I?ve never changed one part of myself in this game,? Howard said. ?I?ve gotten a lot better, but one thing that is always going to remain consistent is that I?m going to have fun out there. Basketball brings me joy. I don?t care what people say about me smiling too much or having too much fun; I?m doing something I love and I?m going to have fun doing it.

?I?m not going to change who I am,? he said. ?I?m not going to change my personality; I?m not going to change anything about me for anybody.

?I?m blessed to be playing basketball,? Howard said. ?I could be working somewhere doing a nine-to-five, but I?m doing something I love so I?m going to be thankful and have fun doing it.?

Howard on knowing what it takes to win

?I know in order to win you have to work hard and that?s one thing that I do,? Howard said. ?I work extremely hard at both ends. I might have nights when I don?t shoot the ball well, but I?m still going to work hard. I?m still going to play defense and do all the small things to win.?

Vince Carter isn't consumed with individual awards, but still hopes that he'll be worthy of the Basketball Hall of Fame when he retires.

"I'll just finish my career and hopefully, at the end of the day, it's good enough. I don't play the game for that reason. It's an honor, but before that happens, I'd like to try to win a championship," he said.

An eight-time All-Star, Carter sits 43rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose doesn't blame Magic center Dwight Howard for a hard foul that caused him to sprain his left wrist.

He's listed as day-to-day after missing Friday's contest against the Heat.

"It hurts," Rose said. "I've never had a wrist injury, but you can't dribble the ball. Last night, I had problems just sleeping on it."

Still, he doesn't hold a grudge.

"It's basketball," Rose said. "You're gonna get hit when you go to the hole. I just have to find a way to be able to when I come out the air land right."