It’s Not Pretty, but Magic Is 10-0 at Home

Orlando Coach Chuck Daly has stressed protecting one’s turf to his team since an abbreviated training camp. The Atlantic Division leaders, who defeated Detroit, 87-82, Saturday night, have responded by taking their first 10 games on their home floor.

“You look at the schedule. It’s 50 games with 25 at home. So if you win most of them, you’re going to be in pretty good shape,” the coach said after Ike Austin scored a season-high 23 points to help the Magic stop the Pistons’ six-game winning streak.

Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson shrugged off shooting woes to deliver two key baskets down the stretch as Orlando, Utah (8-0) and Portland (7-0) are the only teams remaining undefeated at home.

“It was not one our prettiest wins, but it maybe was the guttiest,” Daly said. “When you play five games in six nights, there’s not a lot of gasoline in the tank. And that’s true of every team.”

Hardaway scored over Jerry Stackhouse to snap a 72-72 tie. Anderson, who missed 11 of his first 13 shots, made a three-point shot to put Orlando up, 77-72, with just over two minutes to go, and the Magic held the Pistons off down the stretch.

Grant Hill led Detroit with 17 points.

Houston 107, Vancouver 92--Michael Dickerson scored a career-high 26 points as the Rockets extended the Grizzlies’ losing streak to seven with a victory at Vancouver, Canada.

Scottie Pippen added 17 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Brent Price chipped in with 19 off the bench as the Rockets defeated the Grizzlies for the second time in eight days and have led from wire-to-wire in both contests.

The Grizzlies never even got to within single-digits of the lead after Price made a 20-foot jumper to put Houston up, 38-28, with 4:12 left in the second quarter.

Sacramento 111, Phoenix 99--Jason Williams scored a game-high 24 points to lead six Kings in double figures at Phoenix.

Vlade Divac scored 16 points, Corliss Williamson had 15 and Chris Webber added 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Kings, who won for the third time in their last nine games.

Jason Kidd scored 21 points and had 11 assists to lead the Suns, who have dropped three of their last four, all to Pacific Division opponents.

Cleveland 97, Golden State 80--Shawn Kemp scored a season-high 31 points and Brevin Knight provided a spark in the decisive third quarter to lead the Cavaliers past the Warriors at Cleveland.

Kemp also had a season-high 14 rebounds and made 15 of his 17 free throws.

Knight had four steals, four assists and three rebounds during an 18-10 run at the outset of the second half that turned a 42-36 deficit into a 54-52 lead. The point guard sat out the previous two games because of a sprained right index finger.