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From Orlando Sentinel

NUGGETS 113, MAGIC 103

Unheralded players again foil Orlando Magic

Anthony Carter lights up the Magic for 14 points in the final period, lifting the Nuggets to victory.

Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
January 12, 2008

DENVER - It wasn't the high-profile co-stars, Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, who beat the Orlando Magic Friday night.

It was the non-stars, Anthony Carter and Linas Kleiza.

The Denver Nuggets, leaning heavily on some unheralded players, used a fourth-quarter surge to bury the Magic, 113-103.

Carter scored 21 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, stunning the Magic with a flurry out of nowhere. Kleiza had 18 points, including 13 in the second period when he carried his teammates.

Anthony led everyone with 32 points, but he and Iverson (21 points) merely matched their combined averages. Carter and Kleiza more than doubled their combined average.

They made the difference.

"It's happened to us before. It's frustrating," said Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy. "Guys are making shots that the percentages say they don't normally make."

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Rashard Lewis led with 21 points. The Magic played well through much of the night, never trailing in the second or third periods. They broke down badly in the fourth when they were outscored 29-17.

"For three-and-half quarters, I thought it was a helluva game," Van Gundy said. "But down the stretch, they made the big plays and we didn't."

The Magic finish this four-game Western swing tonight in Salt Lake City. They have fared surprisingly well in back-to-back sets this season, going 8-2 on the second night of a back-to-back.

Anthony scored back-to-back baskets to open the fourth, giving the Nuggets their first lead since the opening period. The Magic still looked strong when Keith Bogans hit his third 3-pointer to regain the lead, 94-92. Carlos Arroyo tied it at 96 and Howard tied it at 98.

Then it all fell apart. The Nuggets closed with a 15-5 run, sparked by some good defensive plays that led to easy baskets.

The Nuggets outscored the Magic 48-42 in the lane, where Van Gundy felt that Howard was unfairly penalized throughout the game.

"They were allowed to do a lot of pushing and shoving," he said. "When you play small like they did at times, the refs gave them a lot of liberty to do that. We had a little history with that [officiating crew]."

Two of the three officials in the game were working the Magic game last week when they lost to Houston after a controversial call that negated a last-second basket by Adonal Foyle.

There was no doubt about this one down the stretch when the high-scoring Nuggets turned defensive to shut down the Magic.

The Magic led 56-53 at intermission, getting a hurried 3-point heave from Keyon Dooling just before the buzzer sounded.

The Nuggets, after trailing the entire second period, tied the game at 53 when Kleiza hit a 3-pointer with :03.4 remaining. Dooling raced down court to nail his response, a running jumper.

It was the reserves who made the difference for both teams in the first half. The Magic jumped to a 41-30 lead when Bogans, who lost his starting role two games ago, scored eight quick points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Kleiza scored 13 points in the second period, including 10 of 12 for the Nuggets in one stretch.

The Magic started with Jameer Nelson and Maurice Evans in the backcourt for the second consecutive game, and it helped translate into a faster-than-normal start. Evans had 11 points in the first two periods.

He finished with just 15. Bogans had 14.


Dwight Howard's brother transfers to UCFD6

Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel

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