"It took about a dozen games, but rookie Bismack Biyombo offered evidence to Charlotte Bobcats fans Tuesday why he was the seventh overall pick in the NBA draft.

He's what Southerners would call "country strong'' and what coach Paul Silas called the one truly tough guy on this roster. Biyombo did his best to stand up to the baddest dude in the NBA - Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard - and for a while, it worked.

Biyombo played a big part in Howard committing five fouls. It wasn't enough to hold off the Magic in the Bobcats' 96-89 loss at Amway Center, but it held promise for the future, concerning the springy 6-foot-9 big man from the Congo."