LOS ANGELES, 7 January 2005 — The Orlando Magic has gone from sizzling to fizzling recently, before finding the right time to get that magic feeling back again.
Steve Francis scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half, helping the Magic snap a four-game losing streak, with a 105-87 victory over the visiting Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night.
The Magic opened the season with a surprising 15-10 record after beating powerhouse San Antonio on Dec. 22, but fell into a four-game funk until snapping Seattle’s six-game road winning streak.
“We’ve been the same team that won those first 15 games but shots weren’t falling and teams were hitting,” said Francis, who added 11 rebounds and six assists “We’ve been hearing for four, five, six games in a row, we’re the worst team since slice bread. So we came out tonight and played hard.”
Grant Hill scored 21 points and Hedo Turkoglu added 14 for host Orlando, which outscored its opponents, 58-38, after intermission to earn its first victory in two weeks.
Sharpshooter Ray Allen scored 30 points, while Rashard Lewis had 20 and 11 rebounds for Seattle, (23-7), which ended Miami’s franchise-best 14-game winning streak on Monday.
“Steve Francis got hot,” Allen said. “He carried the team in the second half.”
Francis and Hill combined for 22 points in a 26-6 burst, turning a three-point half-time deficit into a 72-57 Magic lead with 3:02 remaining in the third period.
Seattle drew to within 81-78 on Allen’s 3-pointer early in the final period Francis, however, scored 12 points, including consecutive 3-pointers to give Orlando a 100-85 lead with 4:28 remaining.
“Steve made big plays throughout,” Magic coach Johnny Davis said. “He was the finisher.”
Suns 108 Rockets 98: Shawn Marion scored 13 of his 22 points in the final quarter, and Quentin Richardson had 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Suns shot down the Rockets.
Amare Stoudemire netted 19 points, Joe Johnson, 17, while Steve Nash collected 12 and 13 assists as Phoenix made 15-of-34 3-pointers to improve its league-best record to 28-4, including 14-2 on the road.
Tracy McGrady led Houston with 24 points, while Yao Ming added 14 and 10 rebounds.
Heat 102 Knicks 94: Shaquille O’Neal had 33 points and 18 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 21 and nine assists, leading the Heat to their 15th victory in the last 16 games.
Stephon Marbury had 28 points, while Kurt Thomas equaled a season-high with 23 points and 12 rebounds in New York’s third straight loss.
Mavericks 118 Lakers 104: Jason Terry scored a season-high 28 points, while Dirk Nowitzki added 25, leading the Mavs to their third straight win over the Lakers. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points.
76ers 106 Jazz 99: Kenny Thomas scored 30 points, and Allen Iverson added 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, leading the 76ers to their second win at Utah in the last 16 visits.
Clippers 102 Blazers 98: Corey Maggette scored 15 of his 31 points in the final quarter, including the go-ahead free throws and a key jumper in the final 77 seconds, lifting the Clippers to their fourth win in the last five games.
Cavaliers 101 Hawks 85: Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half, while LeBron James added 20 along with nine assists, helping the Cavaliers ground the Hawks. Antoine Walker led Atlanta with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Celtics 84 Warriors 83: Paul Pierce had 19 points, along with eight rebounds and eight assists, leading the Celtics to their fifth straight home win. Troy Murphy collected 15 points and 16 rebounds in Golden State’s third straight loss.
Bobcats 102 Timberwolves 84: Gerald Wallace had 21 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Bobcats snap a six-game slide. Kevin Garnett had 23 points and 20 rebounds in Minnesota’s fourth straight setback.
Raptors 96 Kings 93: Chris Bosh had 23 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Raptors to their fifth consecutive home win. Mike Bibby scored a season-high 32 points for Sacramento, winners in eight of its previous nine road contests.
Bucks 97 Nets 74: Joe Smith and Mike James scored 17 points apiece as the Bucks stopped a three-game slump.
Bulls 95 Hornets 89: Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points and Eddy Curry added 17, helping the Bulls hand the league-worst Hornets (2-28) their ninth straight loss.
