Magic Top Pacers For Fourth Straight Win
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INDIANAPOLIS, Feb 2 (AP) -- Dwight Howard had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Indiana Pacers 121-115 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and Rashard Lewis added 19 points for Orlando (31-18).
Danny Granger finished with 29 points, Mike Dunleavy scored 19 and Troy Murphy chipped in 17 for the slumping Pacers (19-29), who dropped their sixth consecutive game.
The Magic trailed by two points at halftime, then took their biggest lead of the game, 105-93, on Turkoglu's 3-pointer with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Pacers answered with an 8-0 run to get within four points, but Lewis' 3-pointer and Turkoglu's jumper pushed the lead back to 110-101 with 4 minutes left.
After falling behind by six points late in the first quarter, the Pacers went on a 17-2 run, capped by Murphy's 3-pointer, to take a 43-34 lead in the second quarter. Orlando used three consecutive 3-pointers to regain a four-point advantage later in the period, but Indiana took a 60-58 lead into the break following Shawne Williams' layup.
Orlando began to take control with a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter. Turkoglu, who scored 11 points in the period, gave the Magic an 85-77 edge on a jumper with 4 minutes left. Orlando pushed the lead to 94-85 following Keith Bogans' 3-pointer to end the quarter.
Notes: Pacers F Jermaine O'Neal missed his eighth straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee. ... Granger extended his streak of consecutive free throws made to 37. He finished the game 12-of-12 from the line. ... The Magic won for the seventh time in their last eight games. Their only loss during the stretch came Jan. 25 at Detroit. ... Orlando improved to 11-24 all-time in Indianapolis during the regular season. ... The Pacers, who lost to Houston on Friday, dropped the finale of a back-to-back for the fifth straight time.
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