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Magic outlast Kings, Howard returns

Mar 10, 2011 - 7:49 AM Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - Jameer Nelson scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Orlando Magic outlasted the Sacramento Kings, 106-102, at Power Balance Pavilion.

Dwight Howard returned from a one-game suspension and posted 16 points and 15 rebounds to help get Orlando's five-game road trip started on a winning note.

Jason Richardson scored 19 points and Hedo Turkoglu ended with 13, including a game-sealing free throw after Luther Head missed a potential tying three- pointer in the closing seconds.

"It was a win we take poorly," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I'm not happy but we got a win so we'll take it and move on."

DeMarcus Cousins recorded 29 points and seven rebounds, Marcus Thornton chipped in 22 points and Jason Thompson netted 16 off the bench in Sacramento's fourth straight loss.

The largest lead for either team was eight, and the tightly-played contest appropriately came down to the final possessions.

An Omri Casspi three-pointer gave the Kings a 95-89 lead with 5:18 to play, but Nelson scored 10 points on Orlando's subsequent 16-5 spurt, which Turkoglu capped with a three-pointer for a 105-100 lead with under a minute to play.

Cousins made two free throws with 33.5 seconds remaining to make it a one- possession game, and Richardson, an 81-percent free-throw shooter this season, missed two at the stripe to give the Kings a chance to tie.

Head, though, was short on his deep three-point try, and Turkoglu's free throw at the other end sealed it.

"We just didn't do what we needed to do down the stretch. They made big plays; give credit to them," Thornton said.

Sacramento led 33-29 after the first quarter and 59-56 at the break. An evenly-played third ended with hosts holding a 79-76 advantage.

Game Notes

Howard missed Monday's loss to Portland after being suspended by the NBA for one game for receiving his league-high 16th technical foul of the season in the previous game...Sacramento was trying for its first home-and-home sweep of the Magic since the 2003-04 campaign...Gilbert Arenas ended with 12 points for Orlando, which was outrebounded 51-36.