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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Surprising Orlando isn't showing any signs
of buckling under the pressure of the NBA playoff race.
Chucky Atkins scored 20 points and the Magic won their fourth
straight on Sunday, equaling an NBA record for fewest points
allowed in a half by holding the Miami Heat to 19 in the second
half of a 94-69 victory.
"Wow," first-year coach Doc Rivers said, beginning his
postgame news conference. "There's not a lot to say. They take
your breath away sometimes."
This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, one in which the
losses would far outnumber the wins as Orlando (35-36) positioned
itself to pursue big-name free agents and improve through the draft
next summer.
But with a little more than three weeks left in the regular
season, the Magic have the eighth-best record in the Eastern
Conference and insist they won't be satisfied with just holding on
to the No. 8 position.
"In order for us to be successful, we can't just look at the
eighth spot. We've got to try to catch those guys at seventh and
sixth. They're not that far away from us," Atkins said. "If we
just try to keep fending off those guys behind us, we could get
caught up in that and they could easily pass by us."
Miami was just 5-of-34 in being held to 12 points in the third
quarter and seven in the fourth. Coach Pat Riley emptied his bench
with just over four minutes to go, and the Heat got its first field
goal of the fourth period with 2:19 left.
The 19 points scored by the Heat were an NBA record-low for a
second half and tied the mark for the all-time low in any half, set
this season by the Los Angeles Clippers during a loss to the Los
Angeles Lakers on Dec. 4.
"That is the roughest second half I have ever seen," Miami
guard Tim Hardaway, in his 11th season, said. "My mama said there
would be days like this. She wasn't kidding. That was a doozy."
Miami shot 55 percent and led 50-49 at the half, then missed 14
of their first 15 shots in the third quarter. They began the fourth
period 0-for-11 and trailed 90-64 before getting the first of just
two field goals they scored down the stretch.
The loss was the Heat's third in four games.
"This is probably the worst second half that I have ever
coached," Riley said.
"I am very concerned about it, but that is not what is
important. The important thing is how concerned our players are
about a loss like that."
Orlando began the day 1½ games ahead of Milwaukee, and 3½ in
front of Boston in the race for the final playoff spot in the East.
The eighth-place Magic, 3-0 on a current eight-game homestand,
host the Celtics on Tuesday night.
Atkins shot 7-of-13 in his backup role to Darrell Armstrong, who
had 16 points and keyed Orlando's defense with four steals. John
Amaechi finished with 10 points after needing eight stitches to
close scalp lacerations caused by an inadvertent elbow to his head
from Miami's Alonzo Mourning.
Mourning led the Heat with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Hardaway
had 12, but missed on 7-of-8 3-point attempts as Miami went
2-for-16 from behind the arc.
Atkins scored 13 second-quarter points and the Magic wiped out
an 11-point deficit to lead briefly before falling behind 50-49 at
the half. He and Armstrong were 11-for-15 up to that point,
offsetting Miami's frontcourt advantage.
Amaechi left midway through the first quarter when Mourning's
elbow appeared to catch him on the top on the head after a dunk.
The game was stopped for several minutes while blood was cleaned
from the floor, and Amaechi headed to the locker room for stitches.
The Orlando center returned to the bench in the final minute of
the period, then re-entered early in the second quarter.
The Heat missed 14 of their first 15 shots in the third quarter
and were held to two free throws, by Mourning, in the first 9:41 of
the fourth. Bruce Bowen broke the drought with a jumper in the
lane.
Game notes
The Heat shot 59 percent in the opening quarter, making 13
of 22 shots, but were 15-for-54 the rest of the way. ... Orlando
has won eight straight home games. ... The Magic won at home for
the first time when scoring fewer than 100 points. ... The Heat
were outrebounded 48-34. ... Dan Majerle, held to two points, was
0-for-4 on 3-point attempts and 1-for-7 overall.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Orlando Clubhouse
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RECAPS
Orlando 94
Miami 69
Philadelphia 111
Indiana 101
Denver 112
New Jersey 110
Houston 123
Chicago 78
Milwaukee 99
Boston 84
Minnesota 106
Toronto 101
LA Lakers 90
Sacramento 89
Phoenix 90
Golden State 82
New York 93
Portland 89
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