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Orlando Steps Over Kings on Way to Top

NEW YORK -- The Orlando Magic are looking every bit like the U.S. National Basketball Association title contenders they were projected to be at the start of the season.


A 114-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings gave Orlando its eighth consecutive win, a record for the fifth-year franchise, and the best record in the league at 10-2.


"How you start is important, but how you finish means more," Magic coach Brian Hill said. "It may be imperative that we got out to this type of start."


The Magic have been winning with balanced scoring, and Wednesday night's victory was no different. Shaquille O'Neal led the way with 41 points, while Anfernee Hardaway added 23 and Nick Anderson 22.


In other NBA games, it was Boston 118, Detroit 115; Charlotte 105, Miami 87; Cleveland 117, the Los Angeles Lakers 79; Chicago 118, Phoenix 105; and Seattle 109, San Antonio 100.


The Magic have not lost since Nov. 10, when the New York Knicks beat them 101-99 at Madison Square Garden on a late jumper by Patrick Ewing.


O'Neal set the tone for Orlando, scoring his first 13 points and finishing the first period with 17 on 7-for-8 shooting.


Then Anderson scored 16, including four 3-pointers, in the second quarter to give Orlando a 66-52 halftime lead.


The Kings, who received 19 points from Brian Grant and 14 from Bobby Hurley, did not get any closer to closing the gap than 14 points until the final minute.

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