East's Best Magic Down Rockets
The Orlando Magic played like a team with something to prove, even if they wouldn't say it.
The Atlantic Division leaders, asserting themselves as a club to be reckoned with during this lockout-shortened season, improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 8-2 Sunday with a 109-83 rout of the Houston Rockets.
"We're not thinking about anybody else. We're concentrating on what we do," Orlando's Nick Anderson, shrugging off suggestions that the Magic made a statement in the nationally televised game.
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"Before the season there was nothing said about this team. So be it. We're going to keep playing basketball. We're not going to pick up the newspaper and say: `Hey, we're the best team.' We're not thinking about that. You're only as good as your last game."
Anderson and Darrell Armstrong each scored 19 points and Penny Hardaway had 16 points and 11 assists for the Magic, which never trailed in remaining unbeaten in five home games.
The loss was the third in four games for Houston after a 5-1 start. A day after scoring a season-low 71 points in a 10-point loss at Miami, the Rockets were unable to overcome being held to 17 points in the first quarter and only 10 in the third.
"This hasn't been a very good road trip for us, but we are going to go back home and get some wins," said Houston's Scottie Pippen. "We have to start scoring and executing better under pressur. Turnovers really hurt us."
Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Pippen had 19 points, but was ejected during a scoreless second half in which he missed all four of his shots and drew two technicals in verbal exchanges with the officials.
"They didn't have Charles Barkley. But they had the rest of their team and they've been playing everybody else tough," Hardaway said.
"We felt really confident because they had two rookies starting in the backcourt. We felt like Nick and myself really had to force the issue on the defensive end, and it worked for us."
The Magic had 17 steals and forced 22 turnovers to extend the team's regular-season winning streak against Houston to nine games over the last four seasons.
The Rockets last victory at Orlando Arena was June 9, 1995 when they took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. They won the next two games at home to sweep the series.
"I think we were fortunate that we caught them on a tough back-to-back. They had a difficult game last night in Miami," Orlando coach Chuck Daly said. "Sometimes the schedule gets you and sometimes the you get the schedule. However, I can't dismiss the effort we had."
Pippen single-handedly kept the Rockets in the game early, scoring 16 in the second quarter and helping Houston trim a 13-point deficit to 46-43 at the half.
That was as close as it would get the rest of the way.
The Magic began the third quarter with an 18-4 run, then scored the last eight points of the period and first three of the fourth to build their lead to 75-53.
Houston's frustration peaked when Pippen was called for a technical foul while sitting on the bench early in the fourth quarter. The Rockets star was ejected after exchanging words with referee Hue Hollins with 4:41 remaining.
Notes
- Orlando is off to its best start winning 13 of 15 to open the 1995-96 season.
- The Rockets' last regular-season win in Florida came on Dec. 26, 1994, when they beat Miami 108-97.
- Houston shot 71 percent in the second quarter, making 12 of 17 shots after missing 12 of 19 in the opening period.
- Dominique Wilkins, signed by the Magic on Feb. 5, appeared in a home game for the first time. He scored nine points in the final 3:36.
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