Log In | Register
NEWARK — Dwight Howard had 20 points and 17 rebounds and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 108-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.
Howard, who can become a free agent in July if the Magic don't trade him by the March 15 trading deadline, got the loudest cheers from the crowd of 15,364 in the pregame introductions.
And the center didn't disappoint in leading the Magic to their ninth straight win over the Brooklyn-bound Nets.
Glen Davis, who hit his first seven shots, added 16 points for Orlando, which won for the eighth time in 11 games.
Deron Williams had 23 points, six rebounds and eight assists to lead New Jersey, which headed into the All-Star breaking having lost 8 of 11. Rookie MarShon Brooks added a game-high 24, while Brook Lopez had 15 in his second game of the season after recovering from a broken right foot.
Orlando shot 62.5 percent in the opening 12 minutes and jumped to a 34-17 lead. The final 4:16 were the key with the Magic closing the quarter with a 13-2 spurt that came mostly with Howard sitting on the bench.
Davis hit all four of his shots and Jameer Nelson, who also had eight points in the period, hit a 3-pointer, one of 13 on the night by Orlando.
Nets' fans started chanting: "We want Dwight" in the final minute and it continued late in the game.
Orlando increased the lead to 22 points in the second quarter, and the only time it was challenged was in the third quarter when Williams put on a show for Howard, his good buddy, hitting three straight 3-pointers and scoring 12 straight points to get the Nets within 67-57.
After New Jersey blew a couple of chances to get the lead under double figures, Orlando closed the quarter with a 16-9 spurt to take an 87-70 lead into the final quarter.
JJ Redick started and ended the run with 3-pointers and Chris Duhon, who came off the bench to slow down Williams on the defensive end, sandwiched two 3-pointers and a jumper in scoring eight straight points for the Magic.
Ryan Anderson added 14 points for Orlando, Redick had 12 and Hedo Turkoglu and Nelson had 10 apiece.
NOTES: Nets played without power forward Kris Humphries, who was sidelined with a strained left calf. ... Nets F Shawne Williams had surgery earlier in the day to repair an old fracture and remove two small bone fragments in his left foot. He will miss the rest of the season. ...With all the injuries, this was the Nets' 17th starting lineup. ...Orlando is 15-1 when it scores more than 100 points. ... Williams' streak of 25-points games ended at six, tied for second best in Nets history.
