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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| WOLVES | 29 | 25 | 19 | 24 | 97 |
| MAGIC | 27 | 32 | 23 | 24 | 106 |
ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) Dwight Howard had 24 points and 19 rebounds, reserve forward Ryan Anderson added 19 points and nine boards, and the Orlando Magic handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their 15th straight loss, 106-97 on Friday night.
J.J. Redick scored 14 points and Vince Carter had 13 as the Magic swept the season series.
Al Jefferson had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Darko Milicic, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn and Kevin Love all scored 14 points, but Minnesota couldn't withstand a second-half spurt from the Magic bench players.
Anderson and Redick combined for 16 points as the Magic opened the fourth quarter with an 18-6 run that pushed their lead to 21 points. The Magic reserves had two 3-pointers and eight points apiece during the spurt that ended with Redick making two free throws to put Orlando up 100-79.
The Magic started the second half with a 15-5 run that gave them a 74-59 lead with 5:42 left in the third quarter. Jameer Nelson and Carter finished the run with back-to-back 3-pointers as Orlando punished the Timberwolves for laying back in the paint to help defend Howard.
Minnesota trimmed the deficit to 82-73 by the end of the period, but Redick opened the fourth quarter with a pair of 3-pointers and the Magic lead was back to 15 points. Minnesota never got closer than 11 after that.
Jefferson scored 14 points and Milicic 10 in the first half, when Minnesota battled the Magic basket-for-basket. The Timberwolves hit 10 of their first 16 shots from the field and finished the half shooting 51 percent against the NBA's best field goal percentage defensive team.
The teams traded the lead 11 times in the second quarter before Matt Barnes hit a 3-pointer that gave Orlando a 59-54 halftime advantage. The Magic shot 57 percent for the half (24 of 42), but committed 10 turnovers that kept things close.
NOTES: The Timberwolves have won only once since Super Bowl Sunday. That's 21 losses in their last 22 games. Anderson, who played 23 minutes, played only once in the previous six games. ... Carter has a team-high 34 assists in the last six games.
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POSTGAME VIDEO:
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Live Baseline Blog:
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Preview:
(STATS) -- After being tested in a game that felt like the playoffs, the Orlando Magic face a contest that should be much less intense.
The Magic look to rebound from one of their worst shooting games of the season when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, losers of 14 straight, on Friday night.
Orlando (50-22), in second place in the Eastern Conference, has 10 games remaining as it tunes up for the postseason.
The Magic fell short Wednesday night in a game that had a postseason feel to it, shooting 37.5 percent and losing 86-84 to Atlanta. The Hawks clinched a playoff spot on Josh Smith's buzzer-beating dunk.
Orlando had won three straight and 10 of 11, mostly against teams that are out of playoff position. A matchup with the Timberwolves (14-58) should provide a good chance for the Magic to get back on track.
Minnesota, which has the league's second-worst record, is a loss away from matching its worst skid of the season and two shy of tying the longest streak of futility in franchise history, set in 1991-92.
The Wolves limited Dwight Howard to nine points Jan. 1, but six Magic scored in double figures in a 106-94 win. Howard had 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The four-time All-Star grabbed a season-best 24 rebounds - two shy of his career high - versus Atlanta. Howard, a notoriously poor free-throw shooter, made 11 of 16 attempts after converting 39.5 percent (15 for 38) over his previous four games.
Minnesota has the personnel to match up with Howard in talented 6-foot-10 forwards Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, but it hasn't had many other bright spots this season. The Wolves committed 17 turnovers and slipped to 5-32 on the road with a 108-95 loss to Charlotte on Wednesday night.
Minnesota has allowed an average of 114.4 points over its last 13 games.
"Our team has difficulty sustaining their defense. They lose focus," coach Kurt Rambis said. "They get away from their defensive game plan. It's inexcusable for us as a team to turn the basketball over as much as we do."
After building a 43-34 lead with 7:22 left in the second quarter, Minnesota appeared to have a chance to earn its first win since Feb. 23. The Wolves, however, then allowed 20 unanswered points.
"We let teams go on their run. We can't stop it," guard Corey Brewer said. "And we don't go on a run. We stop scoring. It's tough."
Jefferson continues to give the Wolves a consistent effort, averaging 21.5 points and shooting 56.3 percent over his last two games. Love, however, has struggled in the past two weeks.
The second-year big man averaged 9.1 points and shot 35.1 percent in his last seven contests. He is averaging 14.4 points and 10.7 rebounds this season.
Love had 17 points in the first matchup with the Magic.
Orlando is 3-0 at home against Northwest Division foes. The Magic shot 44.0 percent from 3-point range in their last five games against the Wolves, winning four.
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Game Notes:
Mar. 26 vs. Minnesota: Orlando is 25-16 all-time vs. Minnesota (14-6 at home, 10-10 on the road) during regular season action, including 1-0 this season (see recap below)…The Magic went 2-0 last season against Minnesota…The Magic have won five of the last seven and 13 of the last 23 outings with the Timberwolves overall…Orlando has won 14 of the 20 outings at home, and five of the last six games at Minnesota…The Timberwolves and Magic both entered the NBA as expansion teams in 1989-90…Trainer Tom Smith began his career as a student trainer for the Timberwolves back in 1990-91, went to Northwestern College (MN) and is a Minnesota native…For last season’s stats and Magic career numbers vs. Minnesota, see p. 268 of the media guide…Jan. 1 @ Minnesota – Magic 106, Timberwolves 94: Rashard Lewis poured in 21 points, as Orlando defeated Minnesota, 106-94, at Target Center. Matt Barnes tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, while Jameer Nelson chipped in with 16 points. Jonny Flynn netted a game-high 23 points for the Timberwolves. Orlando led 73-71 heading into the fourth quarter, then took control during the final stanza, outscoring Minnesota, 33-23. The Magic were 15-of-37 from beyond the three-point arc.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. WOLVES: 53 pts., Shaquille O’Neal (@ Orlando, 4-20-94)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 36 pts., Ricky Davis (@ Orlando, 4-1-07); Tyrone Corbin (@ Minnesota, 4-13-90)
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