The AP reports: The Orlando Magic got the win, but Caron Butler got too many points for Stan Van Gundy. Butler scored 29 points, 21 in the third quarter, turning a potential blowout into a close game. The Magic held on for an 89-80 victory Tuesday night… Hedo Turkoglu led Orlando with 22 points as the recently energized Wizards (7-26) failed in their bid to win for the fourth time in six games… Orlando center Dwight Howard had his league-leading 25th double-double, with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Jameer Nelson added 14 points for the 27-8 Magic, who rebounded from their loss at Toronto on Sunday. Antawn Jamison scored 13 for the Wizards, who fell to 0-3 against Orlando this season.
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Parker scores 26 points as Raptors beat Magic 108-102
The AP reports: It’s hard to imagine anything lacking in a 39-point performance by Dwight Howard, but Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy wasn’t too happy about his star center’s seven missed free throws. Especially considering the Magic lost by six. Anthony Parker scored a season-high 26 points, Chris Bosh added 23 points and 10 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors overcame Howard’s big game to beat the Magic 108-102 on Sunday. Howard matched career highs in both points and field goals. But while Toronto went 14-of-15 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, Howard was languishing through an 11-for-18 performance from the stripe… Anthony Parker was 13-of-16 from the field and came within one point of his career high. The Raptors also got 18 points from Andrea Bargnani, 12 from Roko Ukic and 11 from Will Solomon… Rashard Lewis had 20 points and six 3-pointers for the Magic, who shot 15-for-34 from beyond the arc, one shy of a season-high. Jameer Nelson scored 15 for Orlando.
Lewis leads Magic over Bulls, 113-94
The AP reports: The way he’s pouring in the points, Rashard Lewis just might shoot his way into the All-Star game. Lewis set the tone by scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic rolled over the Chicago Bulls 113-94 for their eighth win in nine games… Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points. Dwight Howard scored 15, and the Southeast Division leaders came through with a dominant performance after their seven-game win streak ended in a six-point loss at Detroit on Monday… Joakim Noah came through with a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Larry Hughes scored 15 and Ben Gordon 18, but Chicago shot just 42 percent. Derrick Rose had a rough afternoon finishing with just 11 points and no assists.
Rashard Lewis the ironman for Orlando
The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports: Rashard Lewis continues to be the Magic’s Ironman. Lewis remained the only member of this season’s original starting lineup to play every game. He was on the floor on Monday night against the Pistons despite sitting out the morning shootaround because of a bone bruise on his left ankle. Lewis said he was injured after being kicked during the Magic’s game Saturday night in Minneapolis against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “I’m going to play if I have to drag my leg out there,” laughed Lewis before the game.
Stuckey, Pistons end Magic’s winning streak at 7
The AP reports: Allen Iverson grinned as he looked at the boxscore after the Detroit Pistons’ 88-82 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night. “I’m not used to seeing myself with 15 points and knowing that I had a good game,” he said. “Before, even if I only had 20 points, I didn’t think I was doing my job.” Iverson was Detroit’s fourth-leading scorer on a night when no Pistons player reached 20… Detroit has now won four in a row, the last two without Richard Hamilton (groin)… Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 19 points, while Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace each added 16. Antonio McDyess came off the bench with 11 points and eight rebounds despite a fourth-quarter rib injury… Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 23 points while Dwight Howard added 18 points and 18 rebounds.
Dec 27: Magic 118, Wolves 94
The AP reports: Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu made sure there would be no letdown for the Orlando Magic. Turkoglu scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, Nelson returned with an injured toe to score 12 in the final frame, and the Magic slowly pulled away to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-94 on Saturday night. Rashard Lewis added 24 points, Nelson 20 and Dwight Howard 17 for the Magic, who won their seventh straight and 11th in 12 games—all against the Western Conference. The last time Orlando won seven straight was March 31-April 15, 2006, when the team won eight in a row… Rashad McCants scored 21 points for Minnesota, which ended a 13-game losing streak Friday in New York. Al Jefferson had 16 points and Ryan Gomes 14 for the Timberwolves, who have lost nine straight at home.
Dec 25: Magic 88, Hornets 68
The AP reports: Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead the Magic to an 88-68 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday in a matchup of division leaders… However, Stan Van Gundy said he understood how his team could build a 61-31 halftime lead and then shoot 23 percent in the second half… Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds in Southeast-leading Orlando’s sixth-straight win. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Jameer Nelson 14… David West had 13 points for New Orleans. Chris Paul and Devin Brown each added 12. Paul, the NBA steals leader (3.7 average), snapped his league-record string of 108 games with at least one… With Peja Stojakovic also out for the fourth straight game with back spasms, the Hornets were weak up front, and the Magic took advantage.
InsideHoops.com says: The Magic stomped the Hornets something nasty. It was 29-14 after the first quarter and 61-31 at the half. For the game, Turkoglu hit 4-of-6 three-pointers for 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists (but 5 turnovers). Rashard Lewis on 12 shots had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jameer Nelson hit 4-of-6 threes for 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Dwight Howard shot just 4-of-15 for 12 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Orlando shot just 40.5% but the Hornets were just 33.3%.
Dec 22: Magic 113, Warriors 81
The AP reports: Jameer Nelson has elevated his play during the Orlando Magic’s five-game winning streak. Nelson scored 22 points and had seven assists to help the Orlando Magic rout the Golden State Warriors 113-81 on Monday night. Nelson, named NBA Player of the Week for the first time in his career earlier on Monday, was 9-for-9 from the field—including hitting four 3-pointers… Rashard Lewis scored 21 points and Dwight Howard added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who held Golden State to just 31.9 percent shooting for the game… Jamal Crawford led the Warriors with 18 points, but was 7-for-21 from the field. Anthony Morrow had 13 points and Marco Belinelli 12 for the Warriors, who lost for the sixth time in the last seven games.
Coach: Refs frustrate D.Howard
Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy is sticking up for Dwight Howard in regard to the officiating. The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports: “I think (Howard) is very frustrated they way the game is being called right now,” Van Gundy said. “It’s different in this league. The real good perimeter players seemed to really get the benefit of every call, any touch. The real good big guys, it seems it’s just the opposite.
“That they let people do more in there. I think it’s part of the an ongoing thing — they won’t say that — but I think the league is trying to do everything it can to make it a perimeter league and not a post-up league.”
Players of Week: Nelson, Paul
The Orlando Magic’s Jameer Nelson and the New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 21.
Nelson helped the Magic to a 3-0 week, including wins over the Spurs and Lakers. The fifth-year guard led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each game, including a career-high-tying 32-point effort in Orlando’s 109-98 win at Golden State. Shooting a blistering .593 from the field and .556 from three-point range, Nelson, who also added 5.3 apg and 4.0 rpg, has keyed Orlando’s recent success – the Magic has won eight of nine.
Paul led the Hornets to a 3-0 week, averaging 23.7 points, 10.0 assists, 5.3 steals and 4.3 rebounds. The fourth-year guard set an NBA record for consecutive games with a steal (107 and counting), surpassing the 105-game mark set by Alvin Robertson. Paul recorded eight swipes in a 99-90 win over the Kings on Dec. 20.
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, Charlotte’s Boris Diaw, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Delonte West, Golden State’s Jamal Crawford, Houston’s Tracy McGrady, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire and Portland’s Brandon Roy.