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Afflalo's eight 3s rally Magic past Bucks

Nov 14, 2013 - 4:29 AM Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Arron Afflalo put on a shooting clinic in leading a second-half rally that propelled the Orlando Magic to a 94-91 victory over a short-handed Milwaukee Bucks squad at the Amway Center.

Afflalo knocked down a career-high eight 3-pointers in 11 attempts and racked up a personal-best 36 points -- 29 of which came after halftime -- as Orlando overcame a 19-point second-quarter deficit to halt a three-game skid. The talented guard finished 11-of-15 from the field while adding eight rebounds and six assists.

"He had a courageous effort, I call it, to not let his team lose," Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Afflalo. "On both ends of the floor he was great tonight."

Nikola Vucevic contributed a double-double to the Magic's comeback, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Milwaukee, which dressed only eight healthy players due to injuries, was outscored by a 71-55 margin after the first quarter en route to a third consecutive defeat and 15th straight to the Magic in Orlando.

"I was hoping we would be able to sustain, particularly in the second half," said Bucks head coach Larry Drew. "And we did wear down."

O.J. Mayo tallied 25 points and Caron Butler had 20 for the Bucks. Khris Middleton set a career high with 19 points while pulling down eight rebounds in the loss.

Orlando trailed 70-59 with under five minutes to go in the third quarter, but Afflalo and rookie Victor Oladipo sparked an 11-0 run that changed the momentum of the game. Oladipo netted the first five points of the burst, which Afflalo capped with a pair of 3-pointers that drew the Magic even.

"I was a little disappointed in the first half at our energy level, so I just basically wanted to come out and be aggressive in the second half," said Afflalo.

The teams then traded baskets for several minutes before Afflalo took over once more, canning another triple with 7:49 left that gave Orlando its first lead of the night at 79-76. He buried another a minute later for an 84-78 advantage.

Milwaukee battled back, though, using an 8-2 surge capped by John Henson's layup off a Butler feed to go up 89-88 with 2:47 remaining.

The Bucks came up empty on their next possession, however, and Afflalo was fouled while driving to the hoop with 2:06 to play. He calmly sank both free throws to put Orlando back in front.

Following another unsuccessful Milwaukee trip, Afflalo hit two more foul shots for a 92-89 edge, then sealed the win by dishing to Vucevic for a dunk with 9.2 seconds on the clock.

The Bucks' offense was clicking early on, firing on 58.3 percent of its field goal attempts in the opening quarter to build an early lead. A 13-5 sequence in which Butler put up seven points put Milwaukee up 21-11 midway through the period, and the veteran forward made all three free throws when being fouled beyond the arc shortly afterward to stake the Bucks to a 32-17 cushion with 2:35 left in the frame.

Butler carried his success into the second quarter, swishing through a 3- pointer just over four minutes into the stanza to extend the Bucks' margin to 47-28.

Orlando, which went a woeful 2-of-11 from the perimeter prior to the intermission, finally got something going late in the first half. The Magic outscored Milwaukee by an 11-4 margin over the final four minutes, and closed within 54-45 at the break after Moe Harkless' steal and fastbreak dunk right before the buzzer.

Game Notes

The Bucks last won in Orlando via a 105-97 decision on Mar. 3, 2004 ... Guards Brandon Knight (hamstring) and Gary Neal (sore left foot) and center Zaza Pachulia (foot) all missed the contest for Milwaukee, while forward Ersan Ilyasova (ankle) and center Larry Sanders (thumb surgery) sat out a fourth consecutive game. In addition, guard Luke Ridnour (back) and forward Carlos Delfino (foot surgery) have yet to play this season, while Butler injured his left shoulder when colliding with Middleton for a loose ball with 1:24 left to play ... Afflalo's previous career best was 32 points, set against Sacramento while with Denver on Mar. 5, 2012 ... Middleton's former career high was 14 points, set against Dallas while with Detroit on Mar. 8 of last season ... The Magic fined injured forward Glen Davis an undisclosed sum Wednesday after he was caught destroying property at an Orlando hotel that reportedly didn't hold his reservation.