• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Howard, Magic handle Bobcats

Feb 28, 2011 - 4:49 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Dwight Howard recorded his 18th consecutive double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, as the Orlando Magic handled the Charlotte Bobcats, 100-86.

Brandon Bass and Gilbert Arenas added 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the Magic, who improved to 4-2 on their seven-game homestand. Jameer Nelson donated 13 points and seven assists.

"I thought we played a little bit better tonight," Howard said. "But we still have to play hard for 48 minutes, make all the right rotations, do everything the right way. We did that for a while tonight but we have to continue to do it against every team."

Stephen Jackson finished with 35 points and six rebounds for the Bobcats, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Boris Diaw and D.J. Augustin both tallied 11 points.

Dante Cunningham and Joel Przybilla, who came to Charlotte from Portland in the Gerald Wallace trade, made their Bobcats debuts. They finished with two and zero points, respectively.

The Magic held a 30-28 edge after 12 minutes of action. The home team then started the second quarter on a 10-2 run to create some distance. Ryan Anderson and Arenas each made three-pointers during the burst, which Bass capped with a free throw for a 40-30 advantage.

Orlando's margin reached 15, 58-43, on Howard's slam with two minutes remaining. The Bobcats, though, closed out the half on an 8-1 flurry to get within 59-51 at the break.

The Magic held around a 10-point lead throughout the third and took an 80-69 lead into the fourth.

Charlotte never got closer than eight in the final period.

"I don't think we executed that poorly," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said. "We couldn't make shots for one thing. Defensively, we didn't adhere to a lot of our principles. And when you're playing a really good team such as this and you don't adhere to your principles, you're going to get beat."

Game Notes

Orlando has won 12 of 14 and 13 of the last 16 meetings with the Bobcats, losers in 11 of the 13 matchups as the guest in this series...The Magic will wrap up their homestand versus New York on Tuesday...Howard had scored 30 or more points in four straight games coming into Sunday's contest...Arenas made four three-pointers for the Magic, who went 10-of-28 from beyond the arc...Orlando shot 51.5 percent from the field...Jason Richardson had 11 points and six rebounds for the Magic.