Magic overpowers short-handed Heat

Wherever you are, Dwyane Wade, your defending champion Miami Heat needs you.

Miami lost again without Wade and his 27-point average, putting in two of its worst quarters of the season in a 97-68 loss to the host Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

Dwight Howard had 18 points and 10 rebounds, helping Orlando own the paint with Shaquille O’Neal also out. Orlando outscored Miami inside, 50-14, and commanded the game for all but the opening minutes.

“They don’t want to admit it in there, but we just got manhandled, absolutely manhandled on the boards, in the paint,” Heat Coach Pat Riley said. “Defensively, they were up and into us and we could never really get anything going at all.”

The Magic ended a four-game losing streak and extended the Heat’s skid to three games.

Wade is resting a strained right wrist he injured Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, and O’Neal has not played in the last 20 games because of a knee injury.

Riley said he’d know more about Wade’s status today. Miami is 0-4 this season without him.

The Heat scored a season-low 10 second-quarter points, and went nearly eight minutes without a point in the period. The Magic scored only 12 during that span, but it was enough to help it take a 48-37 halftime lead.

Miami scored only 11 points in the fourth, and had season lows in baskets (23) and shooting percentage (34%).

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Charlotte 113, Indiana 102 -- Rookie Adam Morrison scored 30 points at Indianapolis to help the Bobcats (9-21) win consecutive games for the first time this season. They beat the Lakers, 133-124, in triple overtime Friday.

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New Jersey 100, Minnesota 92 -- The Nets broke the game open with a 13-6 run to open the fourth quarter at East Rutherford, N.J., taking an 85-72 lead. The Timberwolves pulled to within seven with 2:10 left, but Richard Jefferson ended the potential rally with a three-point basket.

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Chicago 103, Cleveland 96 -- A jump shot by Larry Hughes gave the Cavaliers a 67-60 lead with 7:17 left in the third quarter at Chicago, but they did not score again until he made a three-pointer with 9:23 left in the game. Meanwhile, the Bulls built an 84-67 lead and hung on for their third consecutive victory.

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Milwaukee 119, Washington 102 -- The loss dropped the Wizards into a first-place tie with Orlando in the Southeast Division. The host Bucks pulled away with a 22-5 run to open the fourth quarter and won for the seventh time in eight games. Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, averaging 30.7 points, was held to 19 points.

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Memphis 110, Toronto 104 -- The Grizzlies won at Memphis, Tenn., in the debut of interim Coach Tony Barone. They led by as many as 24 points, but had to withstand a late charge by the Raptors to end a five-game losing streak.

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Dallas 94, New Orleans 80 -- The host Mavericks, who extended their winning streak to nine games, beat the Hornets for the 20th consecutive time, the longest active streak in the four major North American professional sports.

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Utah 96, Portland 86 -- Mehmet Okur scored four points during a late 8-2 run that clinched the win for the Jazz at Salt Lake City. His runner in the lane gave Utah a 94-82 lead with 1:02 left. Portland’s Zach Randolph scored 34 points but got little help form his teammates.

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Sacramento 119, Golden State 96 -- The host Kings, who led, 74-43, at halftime, surpassed their previous season high for points in a half (65) on Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s jumper with 3:22 still left before intermission. They scored 39 points in the quarter. Warriors guard Jason Richardson broke his right hand in the second quarter, adding injury to the insult of Sacramento’s impressive victory.