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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, November 1, 2009

NBA: Nelson, Redick lead way as Magic beat Raptors


Associated Press

TORONTO — Jameer Nelson scored 30 points, J.J. Redick had a career-high 27 and the Orlando Magic used a season-high 17 3-pointers to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-116 on Sunday.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 20 and the Magic (3-0) remained unbeaten after going 8-0 in the preseason.
Chris Bosh led Toronto with 35 points and 16 rebounds while Andrea Bargnani had 26, including 22 in the second half. Former Magic swingman Hedo Turkoglu had 19 points for Toronto, which has lost two straight following a season-opening victory over Cleveland.
The Magic were without former Raptor Vince Carter, who left Friday’s win at New Jersey with a sprained left ankle, and swingman Mickael Pietrus, who was sent home to Florida with flulike symptoms. Redick and Barnes took their places in the starting lineup.
Carter, who scored 16 points in 15 minutes before leaving in the second quarter Friday, did some straight-line running before the game but was not strong enough to play
“He’s still struggling to move laterally,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “It’s a tough loss for us but it’s a good sign that he could go out and do the other stuff. It’s not anything real long term or serious, so that’s positive.”
Trailing by 10 points on Matt Barnes’ 3-pointer with 7:30 left, Toronto cut it to four on a running dunk by Bosh, a layup from Turkoglu and a jumper by Bosh over Howard, making it 111-107 with 5:27 to go.
At the other end, Howard took exception to a foul from Bosh, who put both arms around Howard’s upper body under the basket, then jawed with the Magic star, but the referees stepped in before the situation escalated. Howard made both free throws, pushing the lead back to six.
Bargnani made two more layups but the Magic answered each time, with Anderson and Howard each scoring off Nelson’s misses keep the Raptors at bay.
Anderson had three 3s in the first quarter as the Magic went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc and built a 36-28 lead.
Orlando opened the second quarter on an 18-4 run, taking a 54-32 lead with 7:03 left, before Toronto answered with a 14-3 spurt over the next five minutes, cutting the deficit to 57-46. Howard was forced to the locker room with a right shoulder injury with 2:21 left in the half and did not return before the break, but Orlando held firm without its star center and led 64-53 at halftime.
Howard returned to start the second half and scored nine points in the third quarter, while Nelson made three 3s and scored 14 points as Orlando took a 99-89 lead into the fourth.
Toronto guard Jose Calderon went four for six from the free throw line and has already missed more free throws this season (four) than he did all of last season, when he set an NBA record by shooting 98.1 percent (151 for 154).
Notes: Bosh got a technical foul for arguing a non-call on a blocked shot in the first, and Barnes got one after tangling with Bargnani as they went for a rebound in the third. ... Van Gundy said Pietrus could rejoin the team in Detroit for Wednesday’s game against the Pistons if his symptoms improve. ... Howard went 14 for 16 at the line.