The Orlando Magic recorded their ninth successive win by beating the Dallas Mavericks 117-107 on Saturday, boosted by 13 points and 17 assists by Hedo Turkoglu.
Trailing by three points early in the fourth quarter, the Magic went on a 20-2 run sparked by Turkoglu, who scored five points and had five assists during the key five-minute spurt.
“Hedo was great tonight passing the ball,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters.
“Seventeen assists for anybody is incredible, but a [2.08m] forward with 17 assists? That’s a phenomenal, phenomenal game. He made a lot of plays for us. We made a lot of shots in the second half,” Van Gundy added.
Dallas got off to a quick start and led by as many as 16 points late in the first half, but fell for the fifth time in seven games since Dirk Nowitzki went down with a knee injury.
The win allows the Magic to tie the franchise record for consecutive wins.
Dwight Howard recorded a double-double for the Magic with 23 points and 13 assists, while Jason Anderson added 20 points. DeShawn Stevenson led the Mavericks with 24 points.
BULLS 90, CELTICS 79
In Chicago, Derrick Rose scored 36 points as the Chicago Bulls cooled off the hot form of the Boston Celtics.
Rose set career highs for free-throws made and attempted, with a 15 for 19 performance from the line, driving by Rajon Rondo over and over again before usually drawing contact from one or more of Boston’s big men. Rondo and Jermaine O’Neal each finished the game with five personal fouls and Shaquille O’Neal had four.
Carlos Boozer added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls.
Paul Pierce had 21 points to lead Boston, which had won four straight.
PISTONS 112, 76ERS 109, OT
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Austin Daye made a tying three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in regulation, as Detroit went on to beat Philadelphia in overtime.
Detroit trailed by three when Philadelphia’s Lou Williams missed two free-throws with 6.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
After a timeout, Daye caught an inbound pass in the corner and made the tying shot from long range.
The 76ers nearly rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 20 seconds of overtime, pulling within one point on three-pointers by Evan Turner and Jodie Meeks. After Rodney Stuckey made two free-throws for Detroit with 6.6 seconds left. Meeks then attempted an off-balance shot with two defenders on him that bounced off the rim.
In Saturday’s other action, it was:
‧ Thunder 109, Grizzlies 100
‧ Jazz 103, Rockets 99, OT
‧ Hawks 108, Pacers 93
‧ Bucks 115, Nets 92
‧ Bobcats 104, Wizards 89
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