Dwight Howard leads Orlando Magic to 112-72 win over the Toronto Raptors
Hitting a mix of bank shots, hooks and turnaround jumpers - Dwight Howard scored a game-high 31 points and 19 rebounds, to help the Magic rout the Toronto Raptors 112-72 on Friday night at Amway Center. Howard kept getting easy baskets, so the Orlando Magic
kept feeding him the ball. In addition, he went 12 for 21 from the field and had nine offensive rebounds, almost as many as Toronto had as a team.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said after the game, "There wasn't a whole lot of balance tonight; the ball just kept going to Dwight. But, I mean, if they're going to give you lay-ups at the basket, you're not really going to look for anything else."
Ryan Anderson had an impressive game as he registered 21 points for Orlando, who won their 28th game of the season. In his last eight games, Anderson is averaging 16 points for the Magic in 25 minutes. J.J. Redick posted 12 points and Brandon
Bass ended with 10 points for the victors.
DeMar DeRozan did all he could and led the Raptors with 16 points in the defeat. Andrea Bargnani scored all 11 of his points in the first half while Amir Johnson also contributed 11 for the Raptors. Jerryd Bayless and Sundiata Gaines added 10 points apiece
for Toronto, who picked up their sixth consecutive loss of the 2010-11 season.
One Man Show
The Raptors tried defending Howard with one man, even though they were not equipped to do so. Howard earned his 31st double-double of the season and has scored at least 30 points in three of Orlando's last five games.
Ryan Anderson appreciated the sizzling performance of Howard after the game. He said, "Sometimes it looks like he's playing against high school kids out there. Actually, all the time it looks like he's playing against high school kids."
Match Analysis
Orlando managed to make it to the free throw line early, taking a 26-18 lead into the second. Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, before the Magic put the game away in the third quarter.
Even though the Magic pushed to within five late in the second quarter, the game was truly never in doubt. In the second Orlando played sloppy basketball, but slowly began to build their lead, taking a 47-41 advantage into half time. It was a four-point
game early in the second half when Howard went on a tear, scoring on two lay-ups, three dunks and a tip in a five-minute span that extended the lead to 15 points.
In the third, Orlando continued to increase their lead, eventually capping out at 26 points and limiting their opponents to just 16. The Magic successfully maintained a 73-57 lead heading into the final stanza. The fourth quarter was nothing more than a
formality, as Orlando continued to play defensively and outscored the Raptors 39-15. The 72 points were a season-low for the Raptors and tied a season-low for a team facing the Magic.
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