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Howard-less Magic roll over Pistons

Apr 10, 2012 - 5:12 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Jason Richardson scored 22 points, J.J. Redick had 20 and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 119-89 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night despite missing the biggest piece of their team.

The Magic set a season-high in points scored without the services of center Dwight Howard, who sat out with back spasms.

Jameer Nelson added 18 points and nine assists while Glen Davis went for 16 points and 16 rebounds to pick up some of the slack in Howard's absence.

Tayshaun Prince had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Pistons, who have lost three in a row to start a four-game road trip.

"It's very embarrassing," said Detroit head coach Lawrence Frank. "We've got to figure out which group we want to be. Do we want to be the group that was 4-20? Or do we want to be the group that went near .500 basketball. It's humiliating. It's unacceptable."

The Magic hadn't scored so many points since dropping 120 in an overtime loss at Golden State on March 11, 2011.

They pulled even with idle Atlanta at 34-23 but remained No. 6 in the Eastern Conference behind the Hawks. Still, it was the second straight victory for the Magic on the heels of their first five-game losing streak in more than five years.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, still the focus of headlines after saying last week that Howard had asked he be fired, said the lockout-shortened season, with so many games packed so closely together, doesn't look interminable any more.

"I like the level we've played at the last two games," he said -- and he must have especially been pleased with Monday's start.

Prince scored 13 points in the first quarter and the Pistons out-shot the Magic 50 percent to 41, but still trailed 29-22 entering the second after Orlando knocked down five of its 10 three-point attempts.

Nelson and Redick combined for 18 points in the quarter and both hit two threes.

The Magic used a 17-4 run spanning the first and second quarters to build a 43-26 lead on back-to-back three-pointers by Ryan Anderson and Quentin Richardson.

Jason Richardson scored 11 points in the quarter and gave Orlando its biggest lead on a three that made it 64-41 in the final minute. The Magic, with four scorers in double digits already, took a 64-43 lead into halftime.

They led by as many as 30 in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth.

Game Notes

The Magic snapped a three-game losing streak in the series, which had included setbacks in the first two games against the Pistons this season. It was their final meeting of the season...Orlando forward Earl Clark was ejected with 7.5 seconds remaining after receiving two technicals...Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva was whistled for a flagrant foul with 1:40 left after grabbing Von Wafer around the neck on a drive in the lane...Orlando plays at Washington on Tuesday...Detroit's road trip finishes at Charlotte on Thursday.