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Carter’s 18 Gives Magic Revenge Over Thunder
(Sports Network) - Vince Carter ended with a team-high 18 points and five other Magic players scored in double figures, as Orlando routed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-94, at Amway Arena.
Rashard Lewis narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 10 boards and nine assists, while Mickael Pietrus chipped in with 14 points for Orlando, which was coming off a 97-91 win over Charlotte on Monday. That win proved to be costly as the Magic lost guard Jameer Nelson to a knee injury that will keep him sidelined four-to-six weeks. The Magic have won three straight and four of five overall.
Ryan Anderson finished with 12 points and Dwight Howard added 11 points and 10 boards.
James Harden ended with a game-best 24 points for the Thunder, who were unable to keep the momentum going after gaining an impressive 100-87 decision over Miami on Tuesday. Despite the loss, Oklahoma City has still won three of its last five. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green donated 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Orlando led 28-17 after the opening quarter, then stretched its advantage to 45-26 after J.J. Redick and Lewis hit from beyond the arc in the early stages of the second. The Magic held a comfortable double-digit edge throughout the period and were up 61-43 at the break.
The Thunder started to show the fatigue from playing on Tuesday night as Orlando outscored Oklahoma City 15-6 to begin the third quarter and raced out to a 76-49 advantage at the midway point. Lewis and Pietrus each went for five points during the surge. The lead then ballooned to 88-58 after three.
Things didn’t change in the fourth as Orlando used its reserves for the majority of the quarter and cruised to the easy win.
The Magic have won eight of the past nine meetings with Oklahoma City, including six straight at Amway Arena...The Magic went 13-of-31 from three- point range.
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