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Orlando shoots down Bucks for seventh straight win

Jan 6, 2011 - 7:11 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Dwight Howard totaled 28 points and 13 rebounds as Orlando fended off a late rally in a 97-87 victory over Milwaukee at Amway Center.

Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson added 13 points each while Brandon Bass, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick chipped in with 10 apiece for the Magic, who won their seventh straight game.

"We just want to get wins. We're learning about ourselves," Richardson said.

Corey Maggette came off the bench to score 21 points and grab seven rebounds and Larry Sanders supplied 15 points and eight boards in a reserve role for the Bucks, who have dropped two in a row and four of their last five.

Trailing 71-57 entering the final stanza, an Earl Boykins jumper and a pair of Maggette free throws helped the visitors shave the lead to six with 6:38 to go in the game.

After a John Salmons jumper drew the Bucks to within 84-79, Howard put back his own miss and Turkoglu drained a triple to push the lead back to 10 with just over three minutes remaining.

Milwaukee would not get closer than eight the rest of the way.

Orlando forged a 25-17 lead after holding the Bucks to 7-of-22 shooting from the floor through the first 12 minutes.

The Magic quickly pushed the lead to 12 less than four minutes into the second stanza and Nelson's triple extended the advantage to 45-29 with just under two minutes to play before the break.

The hosts led 49-33 at the intermission behind 17 points from Howard.

"We fell too far behind and had to play catch up. When you do that, you have to play perfectly and we weren't able to do that," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said.

Orlando twice led by 19 in the third quarter before Sanders and Maggette closed the period with buckets in the final 40 seconds to trim the lead to 14.

Game Notes

Howard was 9-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-15 from the foul line...Nelson ended with nine assists and seven boards while Redick matched a career-best with seven rebounds and handed out four assists...Orlando made only 5-of-22 from three-point range...Maggette was an efficient 7-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the line, where the Bucks were a paltry 15-for-32...Sanders made 7- of-10 shots from the field...The Bucks had only 11 assists on 33 made baskets.