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NBA Game Summary - Denver At Orlando

POSTED: 9:07 pm MST November 15, 2006

(Sports Network) - Keyon Dooling scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Orlando Magic past the Denver Nuggets, 108-99.

Dooling came off the bench and hit 8-of-14 from the floor, including 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. Hidayet Turkoglu added 18 points and six boards as the Magic bested the Nuggets for the 14th straight game in Orlando.

Grant Hill added 15 points in the win while Carlos Arroyo chipped in with 14 as Orlando's bench outscored its starters, 57-51.

"The second unit was responsible tonight," said Magic head coach Brian Hill "I thought Carlos Arroyo was great when he came in. Carlos just kind of settles us down, he spreads the floor out, made them chase us defensively, made some great finds of people. He was really the guy who got Keyon the open looks during that stretch."

Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 34 points and Earl Smith added 17 points for the Nuggets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Marcus Camby added 13 points and 12 boards in the loss.

Denver's day got off to a bad start as the club learned it will be without Kenyon Martin for the rest of the season. Martin had surgery on his right knee that revealed more damage than what was originally shown on an MRI, shelving the forward for the year.

"That hurt me. I was seeing the way he was coming around and the way he was playing in a couple of the games he played in," Anthony said. "I saw him gaining confidence in himself and his knee. Just to hear something like that and hear we are not going to miss him is wrong. We are going to miss him."

It was Dooling who provided a spark for the Magic, who won their third straight game.

The Nuggets opened up the third with a 9-0 run to grab a 10-point edge. Smith started the burst with a four-point play followed by another pair of free throws from the line. Eduardo Najera then hit a jumper and a free throw to make it 60-50 less than two minutes into the frame.

Dooling then caught fire to put the Magic in front. After a technical free throw and a jumper by the guard pulled Orlando to within 64-62, he knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the Magic ahead 68-64 with 3:38 to go in the third.

A Dooling jumper with 1:10 remaining put the Magic up 79-68, but Denver closed the frame on a 6-0 run to make it 79-74.

"It's easier to get more attempts when they're going down," Dooling said. "That's the unique thing about our team. If we got a guy with a hot hand, everybody tracks that guy. It's not about getting any individual glory; it's about winning as a team."

The Nuggets pulled within two early in the fourth, but a jumper by Keith Bogans later put Orlando ahead 88-79 with 9:34 to go. The Magic kept the Nuggets at bay from that point on as Jameer Nelson netted four straight for a 96-86 edge with 5:35 left.

Denver, though, made a move before the end of the frame as a jumper by Anthony cut the deficit to four at 97-93, and after a Hill free throw, Smith made it a two-point game after a triple with 2:54 left.

Orlando responded in the form of a three-point play by Trevor Ariza for a 101-96 lead with 2:24 to play.

Anthony then hit only 1-of-2 from the line to cut it to four, and Nelson missed a jumper at the other end. Dwight Howard, though, grabbed the offensive board, allowing Orlando to run off more time before a Denver steal.

The Nuggets failed to convert on the other end and Smith picked up a technical foul with 1:07 to go. Hill hit the free shot for a 102-97 edge and Dooling followed with a layup for a seven-point advantage with just over one minute to go.

Camby then missed a jumper 49 ticks on the clock and the Nuggets were forced to foul Nelson, who hit on 1-of-2 free throws to put Orlando comfortable ahead.

"I haven't won here in Orlando even since AAU ball," said Anthony. "I can't wait to get home and get up out of here in Orlando. I can't take it here in Orlando. I haven't won here yet."

Denver led by as many as nine points in the first half, but carried just a 51-50 lead into the break.

Game Notes:

The two teams split two games last season...Denver's last win in Orlando was on March 10, 1992...Camby's two blocks tied him with Bobby Jones (625) for third on the team's all-time list...Earl Boykins had 11 points off the bench, while Reggie Evans had seven points and eight rebounds in the loss...Howard ended with nine points and eight rebounds.

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