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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Darrell Armstrong has been the go-to guy for the Orlando Magic all season, so it's not surprising he stepped up with the season and their playoff hopes on the line
against the New Jersey Nets on Friday night.
|  | | Pat Garrity, right, had one of the Magic's seven blocked shots. |
Armstrong scored six of his 23 points in the final 1:17 and the
Magic took sole possession of the eighth playoff berth in the
Eastern Conference with a 96-88 win on Friday night.
"We were struggling, we needed a win and Darrell Armstrong saved us," coach Doc Rivers said after the Magic snapped a two-game losing streak.
Coupled with Charlotte's 109-106 overtime win over Milwaukee,
the Magic opened a one-game lead over the Bucks with three games
left. The Magic and Bucks will play in Orlando on Monday in the
next-to-last game of the season.
Ron Mercer added 22 points, John Amaechi hit two key free throws
with 2:26 to go and Ben Wallace, playing on a bad foot, grabbed 20
rebounds as the Magic handed the Nets their season-high ninth
straight loss.
"We just wanted to put all the bad things that happened the
last two games behind us and get that winning mentality back,"
Orlando's Pat Garrity said. "Darrell, Ben and Corey (Maggette)
were just huge."
New Jersey played without starting guards Stephon Marbury and
Kerry Kittles, and backup forward Scott Burrell was limited by a
knee injury.
Even without them, the Nets made the Magic sweat. Johnny Newman
scored a season-high 27 points, including 15 straight during a
fourth-quarter stretch for New Jersey, and Keith Van Horn added 25
points and 17 rebounds.
"It's just frustrating," said Newman, who was 4-of-6 from the
field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final quarter.
"We're hanging in there, making a strong effort but we are playing
shorthanded. We just have to keep going."
Newman's hit an off-balance floater for his 15th straight point
with 4:17 to go cut the Magic's lead to 84-83.
Bo Outlaw pushed the margin back to three points with one of his odd-looking jumpers, but Van Horn hit another floater in the lane to make it 86-85 with 2:43 to go.
"We knew the Nets would play hard," Armstrong said. "When
they made that last run, we stepped up and met the challenge."
Amaechi was fouled in the lane with 2:21 to play and made both
shots. The Nets had two chances to tie, but Van Horn missed an open
shot from the corner and then turned the ball over on the next
possession.
Armstrong, who was 9-of-14 from the field, then hit consecutive
jumpers and added two free throws to put the game away. His first
jumper came after the Nets left him alone for a double-team, while
the second came after Armstrong told Rivers to call a
pick-and-roll.
"When you're point guard says he wants to run the
pick-and-roll, you know he wants to shoot," Rivers said. "He's
been our leader all season and I decided to go with my gut and put
the ball in his hands because he wanted to win it for us."
The Nets had pulled to 70-67 at the end of the third quarter on
the most unlikely of 3-pointers. Kendall Gill heaved the ball from
halfcourt and it hit the top point of the backboard, went straight
up in the air and swished through on the way down.
Gill was so certain he had missed the shot he turned his back
and walked to the Nets bench. Even after the crowd went wild and
teammates went to congratulate him as he approached the bench, Gill
still didn't understand the shot went in and counted.
Game notes
Despite losing the last two games against Orlando, the
Nets won the season series 3-2. ... Wallace's 20 rebounds were one
shy of his career-high. The same with Van Horn, whose 17 was one
shy of his best. ... Wallace was averaging 11.8 rebounds over his
last 12 games. ... The Magic outrebounded New Jersey 56-36. It was
their 20th 50-rebound game this season. ... Orlando is now 26-12
vs. sub-.500 teams and 14-27 against plus-.500 teams. ... The road
win was Orlando's 15th in 40 games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 106
Chicago 91
Philadelphia 104
Atlanta 92
Orlando 96
New Jersey 88
Indiana 105
Miami 101
Charlotte 109
Milwaukee 106
Toronto 86
New York 71
Dallas 117
Seattle 103
Denver 105
Golden State 97
Phoenix 112
LA Clippers 88
Minnesota 104
Vancouver 94
LA Lakers 121
Sacramento 114
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