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Orlando beats Detroit for fourth straight win

Dec 1, 2010 - 5:20 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Rashard Lewis scored 20 points while Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus provided 13 each for Orlando in a 90-79 win over Detroit at Amway Center.

Dwight Howard added nine points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, who have won four in a row.

Tayshaun Prince scored 16 points and Rodney Stuckey chipped in with 14 for the Pistons, who have dropped six of their last eight contests.

"We just have to learn how to close out games," Detroit forward Charlie Villanueva said. "I think we played well for three quarters but when it came down the stretch in the last five or six minutes, they made their run and we didn't' have an answer for them."

Ben Wallace grabbed nine caroms in defeat to join Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan as the only active players with 10,000-plus rebounds (10,003) and 2,000-plus blocked shots (2,050).

Redick drilled a triple to give the Magic the lead for good at 75-72 with 6 1/2 minutes to go, and another three-pointer from the Duke product pushed the lead to 80-73 two minutes later.

The Pistons drew to within 83-79 with 3:13 to go before Lewis hit a layup and a three to extend the margin to 88-79 with 1:19 to play.

"I thought we finished the game extremely well," said Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy. "It took us a long time to get going tonight. We struggled shooting the ball for a while, but, generally if you keep taking good shots we're going to hit a stretch somewhere in the game where we get on a bit of a roll."

Trailing 58-51, the Magic closed the third quarter with an 13-3 spurt to take a 64-61 lead into the fourth quarter. Carter hit two jumpers and then added a put-back dunk and three-pointer to move the hosts in front with just over a minute remaining in the period.

Prince scored all nine of his first quarter points in a 14-0 spurt that put the Pistons ahead 18-6 with just under seven minutes to play in the stanza. The visitors held a 23-18 advantage after the first 12 minutes.

A Lewis three gave Orlando a brief 36-34 edge, but the Pistons scored the next six points to move ahead and took a 45-43 at the break.

Game Notes

Lewis made 7-of-10 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc...Carter had missed the last three games due to a strained knee...Pietrus hit on 3-of-7 from three-point territory for the Magic, who were 10-of-24 from long distance...Redick finished with 10 points...Jameer Nelson contributed nine points and nine assists in the win for Orlando...Prince made 7-of-12 from the floor...Richard Hamilton and Villanueva added 12 points, while Ben Gordon supplied 10 for the Pistons, who have lost four in a row on the road.