Orlando Needs Overtime To Beat Warriors

Magic 123, Warriors 117

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 3 (AP) -- After Dwight Howard nearly cost the Orlando Magic the game in the final minute of regulation, he helped them win in overtime.

Howard scored four of his 18 points in the extra session and the NBA's top road team pulled off a hard-fought 123-117 victory against Golden State on Monday night to snap the Warriors' six-game winning streak.

Howard missed a dunk with 18.7 seconds left in regulation and was fouled, but smacked the padding on the basket standard for an automatic technical. Stephen Jackson hit a free throw for the infraction, then Howard converted both of his chances from the stripe - on a play that sent Golden State star Baron Davis to the bench for good with his sixth foul.

But Monta Ellis missed the first of two free throws with 17.4 seconds left and a 3-pointer at the buzzer. That came after Rashard Lewis made two free throws for the Magic to tie the game at 109 with 13.4 seconds left.

Jackson scored all 25 of his points after halftime in only the Warriors' second defeat in 11 games since an 0-6 start.

Jameer Nelson had 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, Keith Bogans also scored 22 points and Lewis added 20 for the Magic, who are 11-2 on the road this season and 16-4 overall under first-year coach Stan Van Gundy.

Ellis finished with 22 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and seven assists and Davis scored 19 points to go with nine assists for the Warriors, who certainly had their chances in this one.

Lewis' 3-pointer tied the game at 105 with 1:10 to play in the fourth quarter, then Hedo Turkoglu missed a long 3 from the top of the arc with a chance to give the Magic a lead. Turkoglu fouled Jackson on the other end and he converted both free throws with 24.5 seconds left. But Turkoglu still finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Jackson missed his first seven shots before playing like the forward who earned Western Conference player of the week honors. Howard, who got the same recognition in the East last week, watched as Orlando blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead.

The Magic turned a five-point lead into a 90-81 cushion on one play with 11:24 left, when Turkoglu scored and was fouled and Warriors coach Don Nelson was whistled for a technical after apparently making it known he thought Al Harrington drew a charge.

Then Golden State scored seven straight points, including Davis' three-point play to make it 90-88. Andris Biedrins had a three-point play to give Golden State a brief lead with 7:22 remaining. Biedrins had his fourth double-double in six games with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Both teams played on consecutive nights but looked plenty fresh after the Warriors won at Seattle and Orlando against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Lewis, the Magic's second-leading scorer behind Howard, didn't score his first points until making a running hook with 6:41 left in the second and Orlando led 57-48 at halftime. The Warriors shot 3-for-17 from 3-point range in the opening half.

Adonal Foyle returned to the Bay Area after the Warriors parted ways with the 10-year veteran and the team's longest-tenured player in August. Foyle had spent his entire career with Golden State, and received a warm welcome.

A video tribute was shown for Foyle before the game and he waved in all directions to greet the crowd, which gave him a standing ovation. The video board read "Thanks for a decade of commitment.''

source : NBA.com