Grant Hill and Dwight Howard will represent the Orlando Magic at the 2005 All Star Weekend in Denver
Magical Road to the 2005 All Star Game
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 After a four-year absence from the All-Star game, Grant Hill was once again voted a starter for the Eastern Conference for the 2005 contest in Denver. Hill has already played in more games this season (50) than in the previous four seasons for the Magic after coming back from numerous surgeries to his ankle, producing the NBA’s ‘feel-good’ story of the year. The NBA veteran hasn’t missed a step since the season tipped off this November, averaging 34.6 minutes per game and only missing two games due to injury, neither of which were a result of his ankle. Hill is currently averaging 4.6 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.34 stlpg while ranking second on the squad with 19.0 points per contest.
Grant Hill history in the All-Star game: 1994-95 Grant Hill started his NBA career with flying colors, sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Jason Kidd of Dallas. The first-team All-Rookie selection averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.77 steals per game in his NBA debut. He ranked eighth in the league in minutes played, 12th in steals, 20th in scoring and 25th in assists en route to being selected a starter in the 1995 All-Star game in Phoenix, becoming the first rookie ever to lead all players in fan voting. Hill made his presence known in the game, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor for 10 points, dishing out three assists and grabbing two steals in 20 minutes of action. 1995-96 Hill became the 15th player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season in just his second year in the league. He averaged 202. ppg, 9.8 rpg, 6.9 apg and 1.23 stlpg for the Pistons in the regular season, grabbing him top vote-getting honors once again in the All-Star game with his tally of 1,358,004 votes. Hill played 26 minutes in the All-Star game in San Antonio in 1996, making 6-of-10 shots and 2-of-2 free throws (14 total points), while pulling in three rebounds and one steal for the East’s 129-118 victory. 1996-97 Hill grabbed his third starting nod in three years in the 1997 All-Star game in Cleveland, scoring 11 points in 22 minutes. He finished the game 4-of-7 from the floor, 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, and with three rebounds and two assists. Hill earned the selection with another solid season, ending the year with averages of 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He also captured the IBM Award for overall contributions to his team and was named All-NBA First Team, Player-of-the-Month for January, and NBA Player-of-the-Week twice. 1997-98 Hill played in a team-high 81 regular-season games for the Pistons, recording four triple-doubles and 31 double-doubles for Detroit. He scored in double figures in an impressive 78 of 81 games played, recording games of 20 or more points 44 times and 30 or more 10 times. Hill was voted for the fourth consecutive year to start in the 1998 All-Star game, where he had his best showing yet. Hill hit 7-of-11 shots and ended the game with 15 points, three rebounds and five assists. The fan-favorite ended the season averaging 21.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 6.8 apg and 1.7 stlpg. 1999-2000 The fans spoke again, nominating Hill to his fifth All-Star appearance in as many years (the 1999 All-Star game was cancelled due to the lockout). Hill represented the East as a starter in Oakland, where he tallied seven points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal in 19 minutes. Hill went on to have his best season in the NBA, finishing the year averaging 25.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.39 stlpg while making the All-NBA Second Team. 2000-2001 Despite playing in only four games for Orlando due to a broken medial malleolus in his left ankle, Hill was voted a starter in the 2001 All-Star game. The six-time selection had to sit out due to his season-ending injury. Watch Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic in the NBA All-Star Game Live on TNT February 20th at 8pm ET!  And the Journey Begins... 2005 All Star Central Off the Glass (Feb. 2005) Grant Hill Voted to Starting Line-Up of 2005 All Star Game
 Dwight Howard has made a splash in the NBA ever since being selected by the Magic with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Howard has made his presence known early on the glass, where he is averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, ranking him amongst the top-10 rebounders in the league. His 83.0 blocks this season also rank him 13th in the NBA, the highest for a rookie. While his defense may have earned him a slot as a headliner in the got milk? Rookie Challenge in Denver this weekend, Howard is also improving on the offensive end of the floor, scoring an average of 10.5 points per outing. Howard is among the statistical leaders of the Magic, leading the squad with 17 double-doubles while being one of only two players (the other is Steve Francis) to play and start in all 52 games in 2004-05.
got Milk Rookie Challenge Dwight Howard Heads Selection for 2005 got milk? Rookie Challenge
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 Sunday, February 20 9:00PM EST Pepsi Center, Denver, CO TV: TNT  Friday, Feb. 18 The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Sprite 7 p.m. ET, ESPN got milk? Rookie Challenge 9 p.m. ET, TNT Saturday, Feb. 19 NBA All-Star Saturday Night Preview Show presented by America Online 8 p.m. ET, TNT NBA All-Star Saturday Night, presented by America Online 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT RadioShack Shooting Stars PlayStation Skills Challenge Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Sunday, Feb. 20 NBA All-Star Game Preview 8 p.m. ET, TNT The 54th NBA All-Star Game 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT  Hill on the All Star Game [flash file] 
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