Second Half Surge Lifts Magic in Charlotte
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CHARLOTTE, December 14 (AP) -- Dwight Howard had 33 points and 18 rebounds and the Orlando Magic wore down the undermanned Charlotte Bobcats 103-87 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Hitting the court an hour after a trade that sent starting center Primoz Brezec and forward Walter Herrmann to Detroit for center Nazr Mohammed, the Bobcats were no match for Howard inside.
Howard, who recorded his league-leading 20th double-double, would have had an even bigger night if not for 11-of-20 shooting from the free throw line.
Hedo Turkoglu added 22 points for the Magic, who improved to an NBA-best 12-3 on the road and snapped out of their recent doldrums after their surprising 16-4 start.
Raymond Felton scored 18 points and Gerald Wallace scored 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting for Charlotte, which blew a 13-point third-quarter lead. Emeka Okafor had 16 points and 12 rebounds, but was again outplayed by Howard in a matchup of the top two picks in the 2004 draft.
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