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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| PACERS | 30 | 24 | 27 | 17 | 98 |
| MAGIC | 17 | 36 | 26 | 27 | 106 |
Recap:
ORLANDO (AP) -- Dwight Howard overcame a slow start to finish with 21 points and 23 rebounds, powering the Orlando Magic past the Indiana Pacers 106-98 on Monday night.
Howard endured hard-hitting fouls and a Pacers team determined to not let him dunk. He went 4 for 9 from the field, still struggled with free throws but helped Orlando snap its two-game losing skid with some physical play in the paint.
The Magic big man had some help with 28 points from Vince Carter, who missed the past two days of practice because of a stomach ailment, sore right knee and slight hip discomfort.
Mike Dunleavy had 26 points, and Troy Murphy added 14 points after frustrating Howard early for Indiana, which had its two-game winning streak end.
Howard's defense forced the Pacers to shot from outside. And when they collapsed in the paint defensively, that left the streaky Magic shooters with open looks.
Rashard Lewis and J.J. Redick hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final two minutes to put Orlando ahead by eight and seal the victory.
The Pacers had the Magic off to a woeful start.
Indiana stifled Howard early, made Orlando into a jumpshooting team and rushed out to a 34-17 lead early in the second quarter. That cushion could have been bigger.
But Carter made sure it wasn't.
Carter made back-to-back 3-pointers late in the opening quarter, finishing with 14 points in the period to keep the game from being a blowout early.
Behind strong efforts off the bench from Redick and Anthony Johnson, the Magic slowly edged closer. Then their big man got going.
During one stretch in the second quarter, Howard swatted a layup by Murphy, sprinted to the other end for the rebound off Matt Barnes' missed 3-pointer and slammed it down over Solomon Jones to start a three-point play.
That play brought the arena alive and highlighted a 28-10 run by the Magic that helped close Indiana's lead to 54-53 at the half.
The Pacers tried not to let Howard get loose again, quickly fouling him on catches deep in the paint.
Howard and Murphy got tangled up in the third quarter after the Magic center was hacked on the neck shooting a layup. Howard pushed his right arm out after the play to create separation, the two exchanged stares and were each called for a technical foul.
NOTES: Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula was sitting courtside. ... The Magic have started a run of playing seven of eight at home, including a Christmas Day matchup against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics. ... The Pacers are in the middle of playing four of five on the road.
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POSTGAME VIDEO:
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Preview:
(STATS) -- Back home following a mediocre road trip, the Orlando Magic look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season.
They'll get that opportunity Monday night against an Indiana Pacers team trying to win three straight for the first time in nearly a month.
After setting a single-season franchise-record with eight straight road wins before Thursday's loss in Utah, the Southeast Division-leading Magic (17-6) settled for a split of their four-game road trip with a 106-103 defeat to Phoenix on Friday. Orlando nearly rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit, but lost consecutive games for the first time.
"Our guys fought back,'' said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, "but the bottom line is if you had laid down and lost by 40 points, it's the same in the standings.''
The Magic, who play seven of their next eight at home, have won three straight and five of six at Amway Arena against Indiana. They routed the Pacers 135-111 in the last game at Orlando behind 27 points and 10 rebounds from Michael Pietrus and 24 points from Rashard Lewis.
Dwight Howard looks to extend his double-double streak to eight versus the Pacers. He had 21 points and 20 rebounds - his second 20-20 game in that current streak - in a 107-102 loss at Indiana on Feb. 6 that snapped the Magic's five-game winning streak in this matchup.
Howard, who matched a career low with one field goal attempt Friday, will look for another big game against Indiana, which has won two of three since learning leading scorer Danny Granger will be out for at least four weeks with a torn right plantar fascia.
The Pacers (8-13) won their second straight and snapped a six-game road losing streak with Saturday's 114-113 victory at Washington.
Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 24 points, including two free throws with one-tenth of a second remaining, as Indiana won consecutive games for the first time since a five-game run from Nov. 4-17.
Indiana benefited from three replays in the final moments: a basket by Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was waved off with 50 seconds remaining; five-tenths of a second was put on the clock after T.J. Ford's missed shot was knocked out of bounds; one-tenth of a second was put on the clock for Dunleavy's two free throws after he was fouled by Brendon Haywood.
"To scratch out a back-to-back on the road says a lot about the toughness our guys are starting to develop," said Pacers coach Jim O'Brien, whose team defeated the visiting New Jersey Nets 107-91 on Friday.
Pacers forward Troy Murphy scored a season-high 28 points with 12 rebounds Saturday, while rookie Tyler Hansbrough continued his strong play with 19 points off the bench. He is averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 boards in his last three games.
Magic guard Vince Carter is questionable Monday after leaving in the second half of Friday's loss with a sore right knee. Playing for the Nets last season, Carter averaged 32.3 points in three games versus Indiana.
The Pacers' last victory in Orlando was 115-109 on Dec. 7, 2007.
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Live Baseline Blog:
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Game Notes:
Dec. 14 vs. Indiana: Orlando is 34-40 vs. Indiana (22-15 at home, 12-25 at Indiana) during regular season action…The Magic went 3-1 last season against the Pacers...Orlando is 4-6 vs. Indiana in the playoffs (1994 First Round, 1995 East Finals)...The Magic have won five of the last six meetings between the two clubs...Orlando has won six of the last eight matchups at home and have split the last four meetings in Indiana…Anthony Johnson played 211 games during three seasons with Indiana from 2003-06…Brendan Malone served as an assistant coach for the Pacers for three seasons from 2000-03.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. PACERS: 49 pts., Shaquille O’Neal (@ Indiana, 12-9-93)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 38 pts., Jermaine O’Neal (@ Indiana, 1-15-05); Reggie Miller (@ Indiana, 4-2-94; @ Orlando, 4-6-90)
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