O’Neal is a flop in loss to the Magic

. -- Dwight Howard made Shaquille O’Neal run. He made him fall. Then he got the ultimate vindication: he made him flop.

Howard had 21 points and eight rebounds in a bruising battle with O’Neal, and the Orlando Magic beat the Phoenix Suns 111-99 on Tuesday.

With nearly 600 pounds of All-Stars on the inside, bodies were flying. On one play in the third quarter Howard backed down O’Neal, sent him to the floor flopping and dunked over the 325-pounder. O’Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

“I’m really too old to be trying to outscore 18-year-olds,” O’Neal said, referring to the 23-year-old Howard. “It’s not really my role anymore.”