Dwight Howard scored 20 points with 11 rebounds yesterday as Orlando shocked National Basketball Association leaders Cleveland 116-87.
Dwight Howard scored 20 points with 11 rebounds yesterday as Orlando shocked National Basketball Association leaders Cleveland 116-87.
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Rashard Lewis added 22 points, and Hedo Turkoglu chipped in 13 for Orlando, who remained percentage points behind Boston for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Reigning NBA champions Boston defeated Atlanta 104-92 on yesterday.
Cavs superstar LeBron James finished with 26 points and nine rebounds but shot just 7-for-20 from the floor.
The Most Valuable Player candidate helped Cleveland avoid their worst defeat since he was drafted in 2003, but they still suffered their most lopside loss of this season, worse than their 17-point setback to the Los Angeles Lakers in January.
Cleveland had their 13-game winning streak snapped Thursday by the lowly Washington Wizards, and the Magic saw to it that they they lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
All of the Magic starters scored in double figures in the victory, which followed a players-only meeting on Thursday in the wake of a loss to Toronto.
Howard said he addressed his teammates, mostly about sharpening their game heading into the playoffs.
"We're a pretty loud bunch," Howard said. "We're a pretty loose team, but we have to realize some of the foolishness - I don't know if it's foolishness but the goofiness - has to stop."
"We have to make sure we warm up right and get ready to go," he said.
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