Nelson, Magic hold off Clippers

Dwight Howard posted 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, who won their second straight. Trevor Ariza also scored 14 points, while Hedo Turkoglu added 13.

Corey Maggette scored 20 points off the bench for the Clippers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Elton Brand posted 15 points and seven rebounds, while Tim Thomas netted 13. Chris Kaman and Cuttino Mobley both added 12 points.

With LA trailing by six, Maggette converted 1-of-2 free throws with 44.8 seconds left, but Nelson hit a pair from the charity stripe with 27.9 seconds remaining to make it a three-possession game.

Mobley answered with a pair of his own with 20.6 seconds left, but then fouled J.J. Redick, who hit 1-of-2 with 15.1 seconds on the clock. Mobley next nailed a trey from the deep left corner with four seconds left, however, to make it a three-point game.

The Magic threw the ball away on the ensuing inbound pass, taking no time off the clock. LA used a timeout to advance the ball to halfcourt, but Thomas air-balled a three with two ticks left. Nelson then put the game away with a pair of free throws.

The Clippers opened the game with a 28-23 first-quarter lead, and added two points to that in the second for a 48-41 halftime advantage.

The Magic battled back in the third quarter. Orlando closed the third on a 13-4 spurt capped by an Ariza jumper with two ticks remaining to notch a four- point lead heading into the final stanza.

The Magic, who won the rebounding battle 38-28, outscored the Clippers 25-7 in second-chance points. LA also shot a dismal 1-for-7 (14 percent) from beyond the arc.

Game Notes

The Clippers defeated Orlando, 116-91, on December 3 this season at the Staples Center, and have won seven of the last 10 meetings in this series...The Clippers have also won three of their last five trips to Orlando.