Magic's guards can't slow down Miller, Green in Sixers' win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- This is how the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to enter their West Coast road trip.

Andre Miller scored 22 of his 26 points in the first half and Willie Green had a season-high 26 to lead the Sixers to a 101-89 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Sixers have won seven straight at home with their last loss at the Wachovia Center coming to Orlando on Feb. 1 -- and eight of 10 overall. Their next three games are at Golden State, Phoenix and Los Angeles to face the Clippers.

"This is a good confidence booster," Green said. "Especially going into the games on the West Coast have coming up. Tonight we played the way we wanted to play we ran, we got up and down, and we got a win. It was big for us."

Miller and Green, the Sixers' starting backcourt, outscored Orlando starting guards, Jameer Nelson and Maurice Evans, 52-2. Miller was 11-for-16 from the floor and added nine assists and six rebounds. Evans played 10 minutes in the first half and did not return.

The Sixers had lost their first two meetings to Orlando earlier this month, four straight overall and six of the last seven to the Magic. Orlando also had won the last four meetings in Philadelphia.

Andre Iguodala added 24 points, and the Sixers held Orlando to 40.5 percent shooting, forced 20 turnovers and had 12 steals. Despite hitting 11 of 26 from 3-point range, the Magic failed to reach 100 points for the first time in 10 games.

"I thought a lot of it was due to our pick-and-roll defense," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We trapped the pick-and-roll, got out to the 3-point shooters and made them put the ball on the floor."

Before the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy called the Sixers "the best running team in the league." The Sixers outscored Orlando on the break, 21-9.

"Twenty-plus fast-break points is the way we're trying to play," Cheeks said.

The Sixers also constantly harassed Orlando All-Star Dwight Howard, who managed 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting and 16 rebounds. He also went just 2-for-7 from the free-throw line.

"I was just frustrated. I couldn't hit a lot of shots. I missed a lot of free throws," Howard said. "It was just myself. They played great defense, but I was really frustrated on the offensive end."

Sixers center Samuel Dalembert, who missed the last two days of practice with left foot, ankle and quad injures, started and had nine points and 12 rebounds, which helped trigger the Sixers break.

"Sam has been playing really good defense and allowing us to get out and go," Miller said.

The Sixers scored the game?s first seven points and never trailed. In the first quarter, they hit their first six attempts from the field, 11 of their first 12 and 15 of their first 17.

"It was like 90 percent from the field -- that?s what it felt like," Howard said. "It's tough to come back on a team like that."

But defense wasn't Orlando's primary problem. In the second quarter, the Magic missed 10 straight shots from the field and went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal.

"Honestly, this is one of the few games that I thought our biggest problem was our offense," Van Gundy said. "We never got into any rhythm or flow offensively."

The Sixers led by as much as 24 in the second quarter and 61-42 at halftime. Miller was 9-for-10 from the field in the half with six assists and three rebounds.

"This was a heck of a game for us," Cheeks said. "I thought our attention to detail at the start of the game was huge."

The Sixers led by as many as 20 in the third before a 13-6 run brought the Magic within 13 early in the fourth. Seldom-used guard J.J. Redick had a chance to cut the deficit to 11 but missed two free throws. Redick entered the game shooting 89.0 percent from the line.

"I've never liked the Wachovia Center rims," Redick joked.

But the former Duke star, booed almost every time he touched the ball, helped key a modest rally. Redick scored five straight points, and Rashard Lewis hit a three to get the Magic within 89-80 with 5:53 remaining.

Green finished it for Philadelphia. After hitting a jumper over Redick, Green beat him for a three-point play to give the Sixers a 97-82 lead with 3:09 remaining.

Game notes
Magic guard Keyon Dooling sprained his left foot. The Sixers avoided their first five-game losing streak to Orlando since 2001-02, when they lost 6 in a row. The Sixers won for the first time this season when allowing an opponent to hit at least 10 three-pointers (they're 1-6). The Magic had won three straight.