Basketball: Howard leads Magic over high-flying Hawks
Posted: 27 November 2009 1457 hrs

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ATLANTA, Georgia: Dwight Howard had 22 points and 17 rebounds as the Orlando Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 93-76 on Thursday.

Vince Carter chipped in 21 points for the Magic who posted their sixth win in seven games.

Joe Johnson finished with 22 points for the Hawks, who were attempting to tie Phoenix for the National Basketball Association's best record.

Atlanta dropped to 11-4 and are a half-game behind Orlando for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks also missed a chance to improve to 8-0 at home for the first time since the 1993-94 regular season.

Atlanta failed to hold a 14-point lead and have now lost two consecutive games after winning seven straight.

The Magic went on a 25-10 run that Carter finished off with a three-point play for 64-63 lead with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

Magic guard Anthony Johnson scored 17 points in just 21 minutes of playing time. He nailed a three-pointer with 6:58 left to give Orlando its first double-digit lead of the game at 79-69.

Johnson averaged just 1.6 points during his first 20 games of the season.

Josh Smith was Atlanta's second-leading scorer with 13 points.

- AFP/yb