Magic extends streak

Orlando cruises to 6th straight win

First, Stan Van Gundy praised the Orlando Magic after its latest win. Then, he criticized his team for a lackluster second half.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead the host Magic to an 88-68 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday in a matchup of division leaders.

"Our first half was our best offensive half of the year," the Orlando coach said. "The second half was easily our worst."

However, Van Gundy said he understood how his team could build a 61-31 halftime lead and then shoot 23 percent in the second half.

"When my wife wants me to do things around the house, I do just good enough of a job to not get yelled at," he said. "That's human nature."

Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds in Southeast-leading Orlando's sixth straight win. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Jameer Nelson 14.

The Magic's only loss in its past 11 games was by one point to the Suns at Phoenix on Dec. 12.

David West had 13 points for New Orleans. Chris Paul and Devin Brown each added 12.

Paul, the NBA steals leader with a 3.7 average, saw the end of his league-record string of 108 games with at least one.

"Half the time when I got a steal, I didn't even know it," said Paul, who was unaware his streak ended until after the game. "It was going to end at some point, so why not Christmas?"

The Magic led by 31 points early in the third quarter. The Hornets did not get closer than 19 the rest of the game.

"You don't want to give the championship already, but they played well tonight," Paul said. "They got us."

ALSO THURSDAY

CAVALIERS 93, WIZARDS 89: Down by eight to woeful Washington, Cleveland scored 11 straight points in the final 1:33 to preserve its perfect record at home.

Mo Williams scored 24 points, and LeBron James and Delonte West had 18 apiece for the Cavs, who at 15-0 are the NBA's lone unbeaten team at home.

Cleveland trailed 89-82 before storming back with three free throws by James, a 3-pointer by Williams and five more free throws in the last 26 seconds.

Antawn Jamison scored 28 points for the Wizards, who lost their eighth straight.

NOTES

HOWARD TO DEFEND DUNK TITLE: Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard will try to defend his Slam Dunk championship at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix in February.

In New Orleans last season, Howard edged defending champion Gerald Green for the title in one of the most creative competitions in recent history. Howard scored perfect 50s on both of his first-round dunks -- one of which included his donning a cape for a "Superman" dunk.

Howard will face off against Memphis' Rudy Gay and 2006 winner Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks. A fan vote will pick the fourth competitor between Milwaukee's Joe Alexander, Portland's Rudy Fernandez, and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.

FARMAR OUT EIGHT WEEKS: Los Angeles Lakers backup point guard Jordan Farmar underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee and is expected to be out approximately eight weeks.