NBA

Lose 9 in a row to Heat? Magic says no

ORLANDO - Dwight Howard had 15 points and 16 rebounds, and the Magic ended an eight-game losing streak against the Miami Heat with an 80-77 victory Saturday night.

Jameer Nelson and Steve Francis went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 12 seconds to help Orlando win its season-high third straight.

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 21 points and four assists, but the Heat shot a season-low 32 percent in losing for the third time in four games. Alonzo Mourning added 15 points and 21 rebounds, and Jason Williams was the only other Heat player in double figures with 14 points.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 18 points for Orlando. DeShawn Stevenson added 12, and Steve Francis had 10 points and four assists.

The Heat was within 66-63 with 8:15 left on a steal and layup by Williams. The Magic scored seven straight to push the lead to 73-63 on a pair of free throws by Stevenson with 4:54 remaining.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Williams started another Miami rally, and a dunk by Wade made it 76-74 with 1:29 left. Wade missed a 20-footer with a chance to tie, and Gary Payton stepped out of bounds with 13 seconds to play to prevent another attempt at a tying shot.

Nelson made two free throws with 12 seconds to go, and Francis sank two more with six seconds left.

The Magic never trailed in the first half after one of its best defensive performances of the season. Orlando limited Miami to 29 percent shooting (11-of-38) but couldn't get more than 10 points ahead because of its own shooting problems.

The Magic shot 38 percent for the half, and Pat Garrity's baseline jumper with just less than a minute left in the half gave it a 41-31 lead.

The Magic built the lead to 12 points twice late in the third quarter, but both teams still were plagued by poor shooting. Payton's 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left cut Miami's deficit to 61-54 going into the fourth quarter.

[Last modified November 27, 2005, 01:18:21]