Howard, Magic top Celtics

Grant Hill returned from a foot injury to add 21 points for the Magic, who won their fourth straight game. Darko Milicic chipped in with 12 points while Tony Battie finished with 11 and 10 boards.

Tony Allen dropped in 21 points and had seven steals for the Celtics, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Wally Szczerbiak tallied 15 points while Delonte West netted 13 for Boston.

The Celtics entered the fourth quarter down by 10 points and quickly cut Orlando’s advantage to six, 66-60, thanks to an Allen dunk and a pair of free throws by Brian Scalabrine.

But, the Magic responded with a 9-2 run to stymie Boston’s momentum. Milicic’s hook shot capped the mini-run and gave Orlando a 75-62 cushion with 6:51 left in the game.

The Celtics never seriously threatened the rest of the way as the Magic cruised toward victory.

The Magic closed the opening quarter with a 13-4 run to take control of the contest. Howard highlighted the flurry with a hook shot and a three-point play as Orlando took a 29-17 edge.

The Magic continued to play well in the second quarter and extended their lead to 54-38 at intermission.

The Celtics used a stout defense to get back into the game in the third. Boston allowed just 12 points in the frame and trailed, 66-56, heading to the final stanza.

Game Notes

Hill had missed the previous three games for Orlando...This was the second meeting of the season between the clubs. On November 13th, Jameer Nelson scored 24 points to lead the Magic to a 92-89 victory over the Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden...The Magic are now 14-6 as the host this season...The Celtics fell to 8-10 on the road this season.