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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- J.J. Redick had 20 points, Rashard Lewis scored 18 and the Orlando Magic blew past the Utah Jazz 104-99 on Monday night with some potent 3-point shooting.
Redick and Lewis led a 15-2 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away, highlighting a 9-for-21 night from beyond the arc for the Magic. Orlando won for the fourth time in five games.
Jameer Nelson returned for the Magic for the first time since he had surgery Nov. 18 to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. The All-Star point guard finished with two points in limited play.
Paul Millsap had 23 points and Deron Williams added 18 for the Jazz, who put Dwight Howard in foul trouble early but couldn't slow Orlando's outside shooters.
It was all about the Magic's perimeter players in this one.
Nelson's return became even more important when starter Jason Williams was ejected with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter after he was called for a foul on Deron Williams, exchanged words with referee Sean Corbin and assessed two technicals.
But it was another Magic guard who provided the highlights.
After his desperation 3-pointer beat the shot-clock buzzer, Redick followed that up by stealing a pass by Carlos Boozer and drawing a foul on Mehmut Okur at the other end. Redick was hit hard on the play, skipping over a photographer and nearly bumping into Magic general manger Otis Smith standing against a corner railing. Smith couldn't help but laugh and even gave Redick a high five.
But Redick wasn't done.
He faked an alley-oop pass to Howard on the next play and got caught mid-air before banking in a layup that capped the 11-0 run and put Orlando ahead 39-28. Later in the quarter, Redick tumbled over an advertisement table trying to save the ball.
The second half was close until Redick and Lewis got hot.
Utah was ahead 84-79 when Lewis hit a pair of 3-pointers, Redick chipped in another and added two layups to help stretch Orlando's lead to 94-86. The deficit was too much for the Jazz to overcome.
NOTES: Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said during the team's morning shootaround that "nothing impresses me more in coaching" than Jerry Sloan's 22 years at the helm for the Utah Jazz. "I'm impressed. And then at the same time, I think he's nuts," Van Gundy joked. "For him to be able to do it as long as he has, I don't know if that's great mental toughness or if the guy's out of his mind." The 67-year-old Sloan is already the longest-tenured coach in NBA history and has signed on for a 23rd year with the Jazz.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
