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Magic Rout Spurs 110-84
Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Vince Carter recorded 24 points and eight assists, leading the Orlando Magic in a 110-84 rout of the San Antonio Spurs in a matchup between the NBA’s two hottest teams.
Both teams came in having won eight of nine, but it was the Magic who never trailed in a game they dominated from start to finish. Rashard Lewis added 20 points, while Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick each poured in 10.
Dwight Howard contributed with nine points and seven rebounds for Orlando, which has won three straight over San Antonio for the first time in franchise history.
The Magic also came into the game having clinched their fourth playoff berth in as many years after theCharlotte Bobcats lost on Tuesday.
“We can’t be satisfied just getting to the playoffs at this point, with what we went through last year,” Nelson said. “To have a taste of the championship, you want to win it. It’s what we’re playing for. We’re not one of those teams that are happy all year and let’s celebrate just because we made the playoffs. We’re one of the teams that wants to win it, to have a legit chance.”
Richard Jefferson scored 20 points to lead the Spurs, who could not record their third five-game win streak of the season Manu Ginobili added 18 points in the defeat.
Tim Duncan went a miserable 1-for-10 from the field for only a season-low five points.
“It was a tough game,” Ginobili said. “We were coming from Miami on a back-to- back against a great team. They started making a lot of shots. We kind of gave up in the third quarter after a good run at the end of the second, but we just couldn’t hold it.”
Orlando jumped out to a 29-24 lead after the first quarter, then grabbed a 43-26 advantage behind a 14-0 burst early in the second.
Brandon Bass and Redick each had four points during the stretch, and Redick drilled a pair of free throws to cap the stretch with five minutes left.
A Matt Barnes layup quickly increased the lead to 20 at 48-28, but the Spurs finished the half on a 14-4 run to close to within 10, 52-42, at halftime.
The Magic did not relinquish their lead in the third, pushing the margin back to 15, 65-50, on a Barnes shot midway through the period.
A 9-0 burst later had the hosts ahead by a score of 74-52 after a pair of Nelson free throws with 3 1/2 minutes left, and it was 80-58 heading to the fourth.
Orlando maintained their enormous advantage down the stretch.
The Spurs had held seven of their last eight opponents to fewer than 93 points...San Antonio fell to 4-2 since guard Tony Parker broke his finger...The Spurs are a half-game ahead of idle Portland for the seventh spot in the West...Orlando is 28-7 at home, and San Antonio is 16-16 on the road...Barnes returned from a one-game absence (toe) to score eight points.
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