LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dwight Howard led Orlando with 23 points and 22 rebounds, and the Magic beat the Los Angeles Clippers 95-88 on Monday night.
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- Eight Bulls beat seven Knicks
- Yao, Rockets shove around Hawks
- Spurs outlast Mavs in double OT
- Shaq has 35 as Suns trounce Bucks
- Visiting Magic just edge Blazers
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Howard hit 20-20 for the second game in a row and it was his 17th double-double of the season. He also had six blocks and four assists on his 23rd birthday. Howard had 21 points and 23 boards in a 98-89 over Oklahoma City on Friday.
Orlando took a big lead early against the Clippers, fell behind, then came back in the fourth quarter.
Baron Davis, who finished with 27 points for Los Angeles, hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 75-66 lead, their biggest margin of the game.
Orlando moved back in front at 76-75 on Brian Cook's 3-pointer with 9:41 left to play during a 22-2 run that began at the start of the final quarter. Los Angeles missed nine of its first 10 shots in the period to fall behind.
Rashard Lewis added 18 points for Orlando and Jameer Nelson had 15.
Zach Randolph had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Marcus Camby had 17 rebounds in the loss.
The win over the Clippers (4-17) improved Orlando's record to 16-5, but the Southwest Division-leading Magic have faced only seven teams with records above .500 and are 4-3 in those contests.
The Magic didn't miss much in the opening quarter, then didn't make much in the second as they and the Clippers reversed roles.
Orlando got out quickly, went 11-of-22 in the first 12 minutes and led 24-9 with 2:14 left in the period. Los Angeles finally starting hitting late in the quarter to finish 8-of-26 and trailed 26-19 heading into the second.
Then, sparked in the second quarter by Randolph's 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, the Clippers made 13 of 26 shots, while the misfiring Magic went 4-of-17. Randolph's 9-foot jumper 2:56 before halftime gave Los Angeles its first lead, at 42-41 with 2:56 remaining, and the Clippers went on to lead 48-42 at the break.
Davis had 11 first-half points for Los Angeles, matched by Howard's 11 for Orlando.
Notes: Howard averaged 19.5 points and 15 rebounds as the Magic swept the Clippers in their series last season. ... The Clippers had gone 6-1 against the Magic in Los Angeles until Orlando beat them 113-106 last Jan. 9. ... Los Angeles was coming off a 107-84 win at Minnesota that was the team's most lopsided road win since a 102-68 romp over Indiana on Nov. 10, 2004.
