Carter's collision sparks Magic's win over Bucks

[December 31, 2009]  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Vince Carter overcame a hard collision to score 25 points, rallying the Orlando Magic for a 117-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

Carter was thrust under the courtside seats on a hard hit by Ersan Ilyasova late in the third quarter that gave Orlando a brief scare. The Magic's star shooting guard shook off the pain and never exited, igniting a 17-2 run that helped them pull away.

Dwight Howard had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jason Williams added 16 points to help Orlando rebound from its Christmas Day loss to Boston.

Brandon Jennings had 20 points, and Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who lost for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Carter's big collision was the Magic spark.

Ilyasova was trying to take a charge but was called for a block. Carter clutched the right side of his neck and grimaced, pulled his jersey over his head, lying on the ground four rows from his mother in the stands.

The arena fell silent. Fans sitting in the area checked to see if they could help. Nearly everyone stood to see how hurt Orlando's star offseason acquisition was. About 3 minutes later, still shaken, he finally stood up.

Then so did the Magic.

Perhaps ignited that Carter never left the game, the Magic scored 13 straight points during the 17-2 run to end the quarter with a 79-74 lead. Carter made two jumpers during that stretch, and Matt Barnes hit a pair of 3-pointers.

The Bucks never recovered.

Until the collision, they seemed to have the right formula.

Bogut was aggressive early and got Howard in foul trouble in the first and second quarters. He took advantage with Howard sidelined, helping the Bucks score 10 straight points to take a 21-11 lead in the opening quarter.

Orlando was able to keep it close.

Carter's one-handed layup with his back to the basket over Bogut wowed the home crowd, but that would be about the only highlight for the Magic in the half. Bogut and the Bucks' frontline twice disrupted alley-oop dunks by Howard, and they held Orlando to 1-for-9 shooting from 3-point range to go ahead 49-41.

NOTES: Thursday night was the 19-year anniversary of Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles' NBA-record 30 assists during the Magic's 155-116 victory against Denver. Skiles, who spent five seasons with Orlando, said there's hardly a place he goes where people don't ask about that game. "No offense, but I'll be glad the day it is (broken) because I get kind of tired of talking about it some times," Skiles said. "It's one of those things where it all came together in one night. Yeah, it'll be broken at some point." ... Some of the Bucks staff attended the Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday night, when Wisconsin beat Miami 20-14.

[Associated Press; By ANTONIO GONZALEZ]

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