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National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Orlando 104, Houston 95
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, December 26, 2011
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 18846

Dwight Howard bounced back from a flat opening-day performance with 21 points and seven rebounds as the visiting Orlando Magic picked up their first victory with a 104-95 triumph over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points and J.J. Redick added 20 off the bench for the Magic, who fell at Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Howard, whose trade request has the franchise in limbo, struggled to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in Sunday’s setback. The All-Star center had no such trouble early on Monday, connecting on eight of 11 shots in the first half to guide Orlando into the locker room with a 53-50 edge.

An 11-4 burst to begin the third quarter pushed the lead to double figures.

Houston made a run in the fourth, closing to within 89-85 with 6:31 left, but Turkoglu hit a 3-pointer to spark a 9-2 burst and the Magic coasted to the finish.

The Rockets, who were rebuffed by the commissioner’s office in their efforts to rebuild during the preseason, got 20 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds from Kyle Lowry.

Kevin Martin, one of the key pieces heading out of town in the squashed trade that would have landed Pau Gasol in Houston, went 1-of-10 from the floor and finished with four points.
Top Game Performances
 
Houston   Orlando
Kyle Lowry 20 Scoring Hedo Turkoglu 23
Kyle Lowry 12 Assists Jameer Nelson 6
Kyle Lowry 7 Rebounds Dwight Howard 7
Kyle Lowry 9 Free Throws Made Glen Davis 3
Samuel Dalembert 2 Steals Jameer Nelson 1
Samuel Dalembert 3 Blocks Dwight Howard 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Houston 95 43.9 6-27 17-20 26 41 5 4 10
Orlando 104 53.0 9-22 7-10 19 35 4 1 11
Upcoming Games
  • Orlando will play their next game at home against New Jersey. The Magic have a W/L % of .000 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Houston will play their next game at home against San Antonio. The Rockets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.