NBA Game Summary - Denver at Orlando

Orlando, FL (Basketball News) - DeShawn Stevenson scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 94-83 win over the Denver Nuggets at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Dwight Howard added 17 points and 14 boards for the Magic, who used a balanced attack to end a five-game losing streak. Tony Battie chipped in with 15 points and seven rebounds before fouling out, while Steve Francis also reached double figures with 15 and seven assists.

The dynamic Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting for Denver, which lost for the first time in four games. Marcus Camby added 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Andre Miller chipped in with nine points and 10 assists. Voshon Lenard added 14 points.

The game was a nip and tuck affair for most of the first quarter until Orlando guard Jameer Nelson’s jump shot spurred an 8-2 run in the final 2:31 of the quarter to give the Magic a 27-21 advantage.

Orlando kept their distance in the second quarter until a 9-2 spurt ignited by the hot shooting of Anthony and a close-out three pointer by Lenard with just five seconds left in the half cut the score to 48-46.

Anthony led all scorers at the intermission with 16 points.

Orlando seized back control in the early third when Stevenson buried two consecutive buckets to fuel a 13-5 run that put the Magic up by 10 at 61-51.

The Magic kept building on the lead and headed into the final stanza with a commanding 71-57 advantage.

A fourth quarter Denver run wasn’t in the cards. Pat Garrity’s three with 11:20 left stretched the lead to 17 and left the Nuggets scrambling for answers.

The visitors managed to close the deficit to nine with under a minute remaining, but were unable to put much pressure on the Magic late in the game.