11/25/2008 | 11:30 AM


ORLANDO, Fla. – Dwight Howard had 24 points and 13 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-101 on Monday night.

Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis each added 22 points for the Magic.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points to lead Milwaukee, which lost Andrew Bogut to a left knee bruise in the third quarter.

The Magic saw point guard Jameer Nelson leave with a groin strain.

Orlando led by 12 with just under two minutes left, but poor free throw shooting and Jefferson almost brought the Bucks back. His short jumper with 24 seconds left cut the lead to 103-100, but free throws by Turkoglu and Lewis sealed the win.

Bogut got the better of a matchup of back-to-back No. 1 overall draft picks early. Bogut made a pair of jump hooks over Howard to start the game. He then drew charges for two of the three fouls that sent Howard, the 2004 top pick, to the bench with about seven minutes left in the
second quarter.

Bogut had 16 points and three rebounds in the first. Howard, the No. 1 pick had only four points and six boards.

In the first three minutes of the second half, Bogut picked three fouls trying to stop Howard inside, sending Bogut to the bench with four. A minute later, Bogut was taken to the locker room for X-rays.

Turkoglu hit a 3 at the end of the first quarter to give the Magic a 33-23 lead. Milwaukee cut the lead to six midway through the second quarter, but another Turkoglu basket gave Orlando a 58-47 halftime lead.

Both teams have already been hit hard by injuries. The Bucks were already playing without their starting backcourt, Michael Redd and Luke Ridnour. The Magic announced earlier Monday that sixth man Keith Bogans would miss at least a month with a broken thumb.

Redd, out since Nov. 5 with a high ankle sprain, was joined on the inactive list by point guard Ridnour, who suffered a scraped and bruised knee against the Bobcats. Ridnour had missed two games earlier this year with lower back spasms.

Redd was averaging 21.3 in four games before his injury.

Orlando's early-season schedule was littered with teams that finished last in their divisions, and three of the Magic's losses early wins were against the four teams they've played with a winning record. - AP

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/135506/Magic-beat-Bucks-108-101-as-Nelson-Bogut-hurt