Howard, Anderson help Magic rout Suns

The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ryan Anderson had 20 and 10 rebounds, Dwight Howard scored 25 and the short-handed Orlando Magic defeated the previously unbeaten Phoenix Suns 122-100 on Wednesday night.

Playing without injured Vince Carter and suspended Rashard Lewis, the Magic built a 23-point lead in the third quarter to pull away from the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix (4-1), which was looking to match the 1984-1985 team for the franchise's best start. The Suns had come back from deficits in the first half but never did come close after the Magic built a big lead late.

Jameer Nelson added 16 points, and Mickael Pietrus had 15 points for the Magic. And they did it despite Carter missing the game with a sprained left ankle that coach Stan Van Gundy said doesn't appear serious, while Lewis is suspended for the first 10 games after testing positive for an elevated level of testosterone.

The Magic turned a close game into a blowout.

Led by a powerful performance by its front court, Orlando opened the third quarter with a 16-4 spurt. Howard and Anderson were slicing through the paint for dunks, and their dominant play inside opened up shots on the perimeter that Orlando — at times — couldn't seem to miss.

The Magic shot 52.2 percent from 3-point range and 52.3 percent from the field for the game. But they didn't get much resistance.

The Suns started slow for the second straight night.

Orlando used a flurry of 3-pointers, including a pair by Anderson, to take a 14-point lead in the first quarter that didn't last long. The Magic started missing, the Suns started running — as they so often do — and ended the period on a 12-2 run that tightened the gap to 29-25.

The Magic's starters returned in the second quarter and, at first, hardly missed. That potent 3-point attack was in full force, with J.J. Redick and Pietrus connecting to open up an 11-point lead.

Howard picked up his third foul with 4:46 remaining in the half after he got tangled up with Jarron Collins underneath the basket. Then Howard picked up a technical foul for arguing.

RAPTORS 110, PISTONS 99 — In Toronto, Andrea Bargnani had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, Chris Bosh scored 25 points and Toronto beat Detroit.

Hedo Turkoglu added 16 points and Antoine Wright had 12 for the Raptors, who had lost seven of their previous eight games against the Pistons.

Toronto became the first team this season to score more than 100 points against Detroit, which came in second behind Boston in points allowed at 85.3.

Ben Gordon had a season-high 30 points, former Raptors player Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum each scored 16 for the Pistons, who have lost three of four. Rodney Stuckey added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

NUGGETS 122, NETS 94 — In East Rutherford, N.J., Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony woke up the unbeaten Nuggets in a 44-point third quarter and Denver continued its best start since 1985-1986 with a victory over winless New Jersey.

The win was the fifth straight for Denver, one shy of the 85-86 start, and it handed the Nets their fifth straight loss, tying the worst start in franchise history, set in 1996-97.

Ironically, New Jersey led 51-50 at intermission until Denver put on an offensive show in the third quarter, hitting 17 of 25 shots and outscoring the Nets 44-26.

Chris Douglas-Roberts had 19 points to lead the Nets, who were without All-Star guard Devin Harris and four other injured players.

HEAT 93, WIZARDS 89 — In Washington, Dwyane Wade scored 40 points, including a go-ahead jumper with 25 seconds left, to lead Miami in a victory over Washington.

It was the first time Wade reached 40 points since getting a career-high 55 in April against New York. Quentin Richardson had 19 points and nine rebounds for Miami (4-1).

Wade took the spotlight away from Washington's Gilbert Arenas, who scored 32 but was 9 of 27 from the field.

Arenas missed a layup with 17 seconds left after Wade's jumper, falling hard to the ground after driving through traffic, and rushed a short jumper on the next possession with the Wizards trailing by three points to end Washington's chances.

PACERS 101, KNICKS 89 — In New York, T.J. Ford scored eight of his 16 points in the final 3:12, and Indiana won for the first time this season, holding New York without a field goal for the final 9-plus minutes.

Dahntay Jones had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers (1-3), who came in as one of the NBA's three winless teams and had lost all three games by double digits. Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Brandon Rush had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Pacers pulled it out despite losing Danny Granger, who led Indiana with 21 points, to fouls with 3:38 remaining.