Joseph D'Amico
Jim Feist
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Rocky Atkinson
My Handicapping and Betting Philosophy: I use my own unique power ratings for each sport along with trend analysis, stats and line value.
Johnny Banks
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Tony George
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NBA Update; Magic Down Nets for Fifth Straight Win
Orlando, FL (Sports Network) – Dwight Howard scored 21 points with 14 rebounds and the Orlando Magic pulled away for their fifth straight win, 95-85 over the New Jersey Nets.
Hedo Turkoglu added 20 points and Jason Richardson had 16, but the Magic lost starting point guard Jameer Nelson in the first half to a sprained left knee.
Anthony Morrow scored 19 points to lead six New Jersey players in double figures, but the Nets lost for the fifth time in six games.
The Magic moved a season-high 21 games over .500 (47-26) but remain entrenched in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference between the third-seeded Heat and fifth-seeded Hawks.
Losing Nelson, if his injury is serious, could prove to be a problem. He played just 3:57 of the second quarter before leaving the game and did not return in the second half.
“Hopefully he’s OK,” said Howard. “It looked pretty bad. Any time you get hit around your knee it could be bad.”
The Magic were able to handle the Nets despite allowing them to tie the game in the third quarter and go ahead in the fourth.
Down by 10 at halftime, New Jersey used an 18-8 run over 6 1/2 minutes of the third quarter to tie the game at 63-63 on two Brook Lopez free throws with 1:50 remaining in the frame.
Turkoglu scored three straight points to make it 66-63 Orlando going into the fourth, but the Nets later took a 68-66 lead on a Sasha Vujacic three-pointer.
Orlando followed with a 13-0 run, keyed by two three-pointers from Ryan Anderson and one from Turkoglu. Chris Duhon capped the burst, making it 79-68, and New Jersey was never closer than four down the stretch.
The Magic got 12 points from Brandon Bass in the first quarter and carried a 25-20 lead into the second. Travis Outlaw scored all 10 of his points for the Nets in the second quarter, but Orlando doubled its lead and went to the locker room ahead, 48-38.
Game Notes
Orlando has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 against the Nets…Bass finished with 14 points, while Anderson had 15 off the bench…Because Miami beat the 76ers, Orlando remained 3 1/2 games behind the Heat in the conference as well as the Southeast Division. The Magic, who have already clinched a playoff berth, are 6 1/2 games ahead of fifth-seeded Atlanta…The Nets are 1-1 on a three-game road trip that ends in Atlanta on Saturday.
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