The Orlando Magic overcame a season-high 24 turnovers to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-99 on Tuesday and tighten its grip on the NBA's Southeast Division. Dwight Howard had 21 points and eight rebounds in a bruising battle with Shaquille O'Neal, as Orlando went ten points clear atop its division. The Magic has the league's fourth-best record overall. O'Neal finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, outmuscling his original team for most of the night before he lost his cool late, again drawing boos by the Orlando crowd. His technical foul with 3:38 left contributed to nine straight points for the Magic that gave them a 10-point lead to put the game out of reach. Pistons 110, Nuggets 95: In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Detroit overcame a strong performance by former favorite to beat Denver. Chauncey Billups scored a season-high 34 points in his return to the Palace, but the Pistons still beat a Nuggets team missing a suspended Carmelo Anthony. The Pistons have won three straight for the first time in two months to move a game over .500 in a season that was stunted by a trade that sent Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson. Iverson missed his third straight game with a back injury. The Nuggets suspended Anthony for the game after he refused to go to the bench when coach George Karl tried to take him out of their previous game. Lakers 99, Grizzlies 89: In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 31 points to lead Los Angeles over Memphis and avoid the Lakers' first three-game skid of the season. Rockets 107, Raptors 97: In Houston, the hosts extended their home-court winning streak to 10 games by downing Toronto. Nets 99, Bucks 95: In Milwaukee, Jarvis Hayes hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to lift New Jersey over Milwaukee. Bobcats 96, Bulls 80: In Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte won a fourth straight game for the first time this season, comfortably beating the Bulls. Pacers 117, Kings 109: In Sacramento, California, Indiana downed Sacramento to move within two games of the provisional last playoff spot in the East. Warriors 118, Timberwolves 94: In Minneapolis, Golden State ended a run of three losses by cruising past Minnesota.
