Magic hot from the arc to beat Spurs

01/13/2009

SAN ANTONIO — Dwight Howard scored 24 points on nine-of-12 shooting and Jameer Nelson chipped in 22 points as the Orlando Magic defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-98 on Sunday.

Hedo Turkoglu added 21 points for the Magic, who knocked down 14-of-22 three-points attempts.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said his team’s long-distance shooting was the deciding factor.

“We shot the heck out of the three, and that was the difference tonight,” Van Gundy said. “Across the board, it was pretty even for both teams, but the threes decided it.”

Coming into the National Basketball Association game, the Spurs were hitting over 40 percent of their three-pointers, the best in the league, but were just three-of-13 against Orlando.

With the game tied, 94-94, with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter, Howard found an open J.J. Redick, who hit a three-pointer for Orlando as the shot clock was expiring.

Nelson then scored all eight points for the Magic as part of an 8-2 run that finished off the Spurs, who were swept in the series against Orlando this season.

In other matches, it was Boston over Toronto, 94-88; Philadelphia over Atlanta, 109-94; Phoenix over Los Angeles Clippers, 109-103; Sacramento over Dallas, 102-95; Golden State over Indiana, 120-117; and Los Angeles Lakers over Miami, 108-105. AFP

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