ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 33 points and 19 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson added 13 points and eight rebounds and the Orlando Magic held off the Atlanta Hawks 88-82 on Tuesday night.
Orlando used a 10-1 run to close the third quarter to take an 11-point lead into the fourth and fought off a late Atlanta charge down the stretch.
Jamal Crawford led Atlanta with 25 points and Josh Smith added 17.
The series resumes Friday in Atlanta.
Magic evens series