NBA

Magic keep clawing, pull out one-point win

By wire services
Published April 3, 2005

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Refusing to quit, the Orlando Magic mounted several comebacks and defeated the New Jersey Nets 103-102 Saturday night to clinch the tiebreaker between the teams.

Steve Francis had 33 points, five assists and seven rebounds for Orlando, which won the season series 3-1 with a gutty performance by a team fighting to make the playoffs.

The Magic, who were missing starters Grant Hill (sore shin) and Jameer Nelson (torn rib muscle), had lost 11 of 14 coming in and were at risk of falling two games behind Philadelphia for eighth place in the East.

Rookie Nenad Krstic scored a career-high 28 and Jason Kidd had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Nets. Kidd had a chance to give New Jersey the win, but missed an open 20-footer with 2 seconds left. The Nets could not control the rebound.

Josh Howard added 15 and DeShawn Stevenson had 14 for Orlando. Vince Carter had 21 for the Nets.

The game featured an oddity - a technical foul that was rescinded, causing a point to be taken off the scoreboard. Nets coach Lawrence Frank was called for his second technical foul of the fourth quarter after he charged onto the court following a flagrant foul by Stacey Augmon against Krstic with 4:06 left.

After Pat Garrity made the technical free throw, referee Derrick Stafford rescinded the call and took the point off the board.

Krstic picked up a technical foul for shoving Augmon with 3:34 left, and Garrity made the foul shot for a 96-96 tie. Consecutive jumpers by Andre Barrett, who is playing on a 10-day contract, put Orlando ahead 100-96.

Carter hit a 3-pointer to give the Nets a 102-101 lead with 38 seconds left, and Francis made a pair of free throws with 25.5 seconds remaining to give the lead back to Orlando.

The Nets pulled ahead to take seemingly comfortable margins several times, but the Magic kept fighting back. New Jersey was ahead by 13 in the second quarter before Orlando pulled within two by halftime, then went ahead by 13 again in the third quarter only to see the Magic pull within five entering the fourth.

After Orlando pulled within two, New Jersey got its lead back to seven before allowing the Magic's final comeback.

The Nets playes most of the game without guard Jacque Vaughn, who broke a bone in his right foot early in the first quarter.

HEAT 111, HORNETS 99: Shaquille O'Neal had 34 points and 15 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 33, and the pair combined for more than a dozen dunks.

Wade and O'Neal entered the game averaging a combined 47.1 points, a mark they surpassed in the third quarter, when the Heat lead by as many as 20.

Miami scored 64 of its points inside. Hornets centers Jamaal Magloire and Chris Andersen tried to defend O'Neal cleanly - sending him to the foul line only seven times - but posed few problems for the imposing center, who routinely spun by or muscled through them for dunks or easy layups.

P.J. Brown led New Orleans with 21.

SPURS 95, LAKERS 94: Brent Barry banked in a running layup with 6.7 seconds left to lift San Antonio over reeling Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant had a chance to win it, but missed an 18-footer off the back rim at the buzzer. The Lakers have lost 10 of 11, and are now 33-39. Barry scored 20 for the Spurs. Caron Butler led Los Angeles with 27.

BULLS 112, BOBCATS 97: Othella Harrington scored 22 and the Chicago Bulls won their ninth straight despite playing without center Eddie Curry for the third consecutive game.

Emeka Okafor finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Bobcats.

[Last modified April 3, 2005, 00:10:19]