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Magic Defeat Seventy Sixers In A Shootout
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Jameer Nelson scored 22 points and dished out 10 assists, and seven Orlando players scored in double-figures to help the Magic rout the 76ers, 126-105, at Wachovia Center.
Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter each added 19 points for the Magic, who have won eight of 11 overall and six straight regular season games over the Sixers, whom the team beat in the first round of last year's Eastern Conference playoffs.
Matt Barnes contributed 16 points, and Dwight Howard had 14 points. J.J. Redick recorded 11 points, and Mickael Pietrus 10 to complete the balanced attack, as Orlando shot a blistering 58.4 percent from the field and 65.2 percent from three-point range.
"Obviously we shot the ball very well, and this game came down to who made shots," said Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. "I don't think either team put much effort in defensively quite honestly. It was pretty easy for both teams to get shots and we shot better than they did."
Jrue Holiday posted a career-high 23 points -- 15 in the first quarter -- for the Sixers, who were coming off a 1-3 road trip. Andre Iguodala added 19, while Thaddeus Young had 17 in a losing cause.
"We lost the passion to compete," said 76ers head coach Eddie Jordan. "We were dominated, but we have to learn how to compete and keep our chin up. This team hasn't learned that, and it's a lack of leadership in that room (the locker room). The coaches are trying -- believe me."
Lou Williams scored 13 points and dished out seven assists, and Samuel Dalembert had 12 points and 11 boards for Philadelphia.
Holiday matched his career-high in points in the first quarter with 15, as the Sixers took a 36-35 lead after 12 minutes. But the Magic went in front by a 68-61 margin at halftime.
Orlando then dominated Philadelphia in the third quarter, pulling away for good.
A Barnes three-pointer in the early moments had the visitors ahead by 10, 73-63, and a Lewis triple later put the Magic ahead by a score of 94-79 with just over three minutes to go.
After Marreese Speights drilled a shot for Philadelphia, Orlando scored eight straight points to end the quarter. Nelson’s three capped a period where the Magic went 11-of-16 from the field, giving the team a commanding 102-81 advantage heading to the fourth.
Orlando led by as many as 28 in the final period.
Orlando defeated Philadelphia in six games in last season's playoff series...Holiday had six assists...Carter had seven rebounds...Howard had a season-low in rebounds with three. The last time he was held to three or fewer rebounds was when he grabbed only three boards in a loss to Phoenix on December 11, 2006...Philadelphia shot 48.8 percent from the field...The Sixers played without forward Elton Brand, who sat due to Achilles' tendinitis.
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