Teammates jokingly nickname Howard 'Foul on You'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Move over Superman, a new nickname is catching on for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

You can call him "Foul on You."

"That's my new nickname.They've been killing me all day calling me 'Foul on You,"' Howard saidof his teammates after shootaround Monday before their playoff gameagainst Charlotte. "So I've accepted by new role."

The teasingstems from the four-time All-Star being called for 16 fouls in thefirst three games against the Bobcats, who have used three centers tofrustrate him.

Howard fouled out with 3:32 left in Game 3 onSaturday, but the Magic still rallied to win to take a 3-0 series leaddespite Howard playing just over 82 of a possible 144 minutes.

"Myteammates say when we wrestle I shouldn't use 100 percent of mystrength. They said I should use 50 or 40 percent," said Howard,smiling. "So that's been the main focus today, using 40 percent of mystrength to hold guys off."

Coach Stan Van Gundy was a littlemore serious, knowing the Magic can't afford Howard sitting on thebench later in the playoffs. He showed Howard video on Sunday of hisfrustration elbows and shoves that have put him in chronic foul trouble.

"Wewatched I think nine clips, maybe 10 clips, just trying to get anunderstanding of what's going and what their strategy is in the wholething," Van Gundy said. "He's a very smart guy, but you're in verydifficult, very physical situations out there. He's got to take a lotof hits and a lot of grabbing and holding. Obviously, he has to handlethat in the right way."

Maybe levity will help. As teammates andothers shouted "Foul on You" at the end of Monday morning's workout,Howard raised his arm and clenched his fist to mimic a referee's foulsignal.

Forward Mickael Pietrus then walked by with some advice.

"Maybe you need your own whistle," he said.

Earlier,Howard indicated he was going to walk back to their nearby hotelbecause he might be whistled for a foul on the team bus.

"It'sbeen frustrating, but everything happens for a reason. That's the onlyway I look at it," said Howard, who has 18 blocks in the series. "Maybethis situation has to happen for me and my teammates. We're justlooking at all the positive things that can come out of this situation."