Magic 85, Pacers 81
Dwight Howard led all scorers with 27 points as the Orlando Magic overcame the ejection of Quentin Richardson to post an 85-81 win over the host Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Howard shot 10 for 16 while adding eight rebounds and three steals for the Magic (15-9), who have won three straight following a four-game losing skid.
Danny Granger scored 19 points but shot just 4 of 16 for the Pacers (16-7), who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
With the game tied 39-39 following a sloppy first half, Orlando shook off its offensive struggles with a quick start to the third quarter, fashioning a 14-2 run over a seven-minute span. As the quarter wound down, Richardson was inadvertently elbowed by Granger and had some choice words for the Indiana star, kicking off a minor brouhaha between the teams.
Richardson was given a double technical and an automatic ejection, while referees handed out three other technical fouls after order was restored.
The Pacers shot 5-for-15 with eight turnovers in the third quarter to find themselves down 62-53 entering the fourth.
Indiana stormed back in the final quarter, closing to within a single point on a Paul George three-point play with 7:28 remaining. Ryan Anderson countered with his own three-point conversion, and Indiana went four minutes without a field goal as Orlando built a six-point lead it wouldn't relinquish.