ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hedo Turkoglu hit all five 3-point attempts and scored 21 points, and the Orlando Magic raced to a 38-point halftime lead in a 121-87 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
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Dwight Howard added 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Magic enjoyed their best offensive night, start-to-finish, this season. J.J. Redick added 15 points and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and nine assists in Orlando's 11th straight home victory.
Acie Law scored 16 points and fellow reserve Solomon Jones added 12 for Atlanta. Joe Johnson had 11 points and was the only Hawks starter to reach double figures.
The game was decided early and decisively when the Magic ran off a season-high 41 points in the first quarter tied its season high for a half. The Magic held the Hawks to just 25 percent shooting over the first two quarters (10-of-40) and led 71-33 by halftime.
Orlando hit 11 of its first 12 shots, including three straight 3-pointers, and ran off 14 straight points in a stretch where all five starters scored. Rashard Lewis ended that run with a pair of free throws that made it 22-4.
Redick came off the bench and connected on three straight 3-pointers and two free throws to help push the Magic lead to 41-18 by the end of the first period.
Atlanta contributed to its own misery by missing the first six shots of the second period while the Magic ran off 13 straight points to make it 54-18. The lead grew to 69-30 on a 3-pointer by Courtney Lee with 2:15 left in the quarter. Full story
Bulls 98, Wizards 86
CHICAGO -- Ben Gordon scored 22 points and the Chicago Bulls hung on for a victory over the Washington Wizards after watching a 21-point lead dwindle to seven in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls spent most of the night picking on the Eastern Conference's worst team, then hung on after a defensive lapse allowed the Wizards to get back into the game.
Chicago led 78-57 early in the fourth before Washington made its move. The Wizards were within 89-82 after Antawn Jamison's layup with just under three minutes left, but Gordon answered with one of his own and the Bulls hung on.
Chicago is in a soft spot in its schedule, although it was tough to tell given how it had played recently.
76ers 93, Bobcats 87
PHILADELPHIA -- Andre Miller scored 22 points, Thaddeus Young had 15 and the Philadelphia 76ers won their third straight game, this one over the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Sixers have rapidly put a dreary road trip behind them and won their third game this week to get out of last place in the Atlantic Division and into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
They beat the Rockets, won at Milwaukee, then used a 14-2 run in the third quarter Friday night to pull away from the Bobcats.
Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams each scored 12 points and the Sixers had the fast-break edge, 20-4.



