ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A 21-point, 23-rebound effort from Dwight Howard Friday lifted the Orlando Magic to a 92-80 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Los Angeles scored only 10 points in the opening quarter and faced a 17-point halftime deficit in losing its second in a row.
The Lakers traveled across the country to play back-to-back games in Florida, losing both, and now will return home to meet Indiana Sunday.
Orlando hit just 41 percent of its field goal tries and Howard was a mere 9-of-17 from the foul line, but the Magic made 12 shots from 3-point range and seized 15 offensive rebounds.
Jameer Nelson added 17 points for the Magic and J.J. Redick had 15.
Kobe Bryant had 30 points for the Lakers, the eighth time in 11 games he has reached that plateau. He has averaged 30 a game this season, the only player in the NBA to do so.
Orlando, at 11-4 for the season, has moved into the lead in the Southeast Division a half game ahead of Atlanta and Miami.
