Howard leads Magic to easy 86-70 win over Nets

[March 17, 2012]  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Dwight Howard scored 18 points, Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis each had 13 and the Orlando Magic easily beat the New Jersey Nets 86-70 Friday night.

Ryan Anderson added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who built a 20-point lead and cruised from there. Orlando won for the fourth time in five games and extended its winning streak against the Nets to 10.

Reserve Gerald Green scored 15 points to lead the Nets. DeShawn Stevenson, who scored 11 points, was the only New Jersey starter to reach double figures.

The Nets have now lost three of four as they prepare to open a three-game homestand Saturday against New Orleans.

Orlando heads to Miami on Sunday for its final regular-season meeting against the Heat.

Had Howard not signed a waiver of his early termination option before Thursday's trade deadline, which will keep him in Orlando to begin next season, New Jersey was likely one of the six teams Magic general manager Otis Smith said put in offers for the All-Star center.

None of that mattered Friday, though.

Howard was 8 for 10 from the floor, but didn't take this first free throw until the 1:56 mark of the third quarter as he was forced for most of the night to pass out of double teams when he got the ball in the post.

It did open up the floor for his teammates, who were able to get free for several open jump shots.

The game was never really in doubt as the Magic got makeable shots throughout the game and got their lead back to 20 in the fourth quarter against a short-handed Nets team that was missing starters Deron Williams and Brook Lopez to injury.

Howard got a huge ovation from the Orlando fans during player introductions and had 10 points in the first half to help the Magic take a 46-36 lead into the break. His scoring effort was better than that of the entire Nets' starting lineup, which produced just seven points in the first two quarters.

Davis was also was productive early with nine points.

New Jersey also was outscored 26-10 in the paint in the half and shot 38 percent from the field (15 for 39). Green's 14 points helped pick up the offensive slack and kept the score from getting out of hand early.

NOTES: Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said while it was nice to see the season-long Howard saga resolved, it didn't dominate his day when it went down. "I was doing my New Jersey film, I don't really remember exactly (when he found out)," he said. "It was a big moment for our organization, but it wasn't like the JFK moment where everybody remembers what they were doing. It wasn't quite that big." ... Magic G Jason Richardson returned to the starting lineup after sitting out three straight games with a sprained left ankle. Without trade acquisition Gerald Wallace in uniform, the Nets dressed 10 players. ... Williams missed his fourth consecutive game with a strained right calf. Lopez continues to nurse a sore ankle and is expected to miss at least another week. New Jersey signed G Jerry Smith to a 10-day contract.

[Associated Press; By KYLE HIGHTOWER]

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