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Howard, Magic down slumping Knicks

Mar 24, 2011 - 5:05 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Dwight Howard finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Orlando Magic used a strong fourth quarter to top the New York Knicks, 111-99, at Madison Square Garden.

Hedo Turkoglu added 16 points and 11 boards while Jameer Nelson posted 19 points in the win, Orlando's fifth in six games. Brandon Bass scored 15 with seven caroms and Jason Richardson rounded out the Magic's starters with 12 points and six rebounds.

"I thought in the second half our defense was very, very good," said Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy. "They had some shots that they could make, but we didn't give them too much easy stuff."

The Magic have won six straight in the series and have topped the Knicks in four consecutive visits to MSG.

Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks with 24 points and nine assists. Chauncey Billups and Tony Douglas both scored 17 and Amare Stoudemire added 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the loss, New York's seventh in eight games.

"I think we're still staying together and still staying focused," said Stoudemire. "We're not panicking cause we know this is a work in progress, it just takes time."

The Knicks have now dropped two games back of Philadelphia for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and are 3 1/2 games ahead of Indiana for the final playoff spot.

The Magic took a 79-78 lead into the fourth, and after a Richardson three- pointer and consecutive baskets from Gilbert Arenas their lead was 90-82. The Orlando lead remained between four and eight points in the next few minutes until a 1-of-2 showing from Nelson at the line widened it to 101-92.

The Orlando lead stayed around nine down the stretch as Bass added a pair from the line with 1:54 remaining and Howard iced six from the stripe to create the final margin.

Nelson and Bass both scored nine in the first quarter, and after the Magic held a lead as high as 19-9 in the closing minutes, the Knicks ended the first on a 5-0 run to cut Orlando's advantage to 28-25 entering the second.

Billups posted 10 points on 3-of-3 from the field in the second as the Knicks took a 59-55 lead into the half.

Game Notes

The Knicks are 7-10 since acquiring Anthony and Billups from Denver on February 22...The Magic held a 49-35 rebounding advantage...Orlando was 25- of-28 from the line, while New York went 19-of-24 from the charity stripe.