The Magic solidified its hold on the third playoff seed in the East, topping the fourth-seeded Cavaliers 104-90, reports the Orlando Sentinel, to stretch their margin to 6 1/2 games in the standings. LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points, but Dwight Howard had 23 and 13 rebounds—and his plucky sidekicks proved the difference in a story of two halves.
While James dominated early, giving the Cavs a 45-40 halftime lead, the defense stiffened in the second half and the long-range shooting improved. Sharpshooters Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu combined for 39 points, including 6-of-11 three-point shooting. James had just two teammates reach double figures. (More NBA stories.)