CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dwight Howard kept collecting fouls, and all the Magic did was become the first team to advance in the NBA playoffs.
Vince Carter scored 21 points, Jameer Nelson added 18 and the Magic showcased its depth and pressure shot- making in a 99-90 victory over the Bobcats on Monday night to complete a sweep of their first-round series.
Howard was held to six points in his fourth straight game in foul trouble, but the Magic never flinched to accomplish its first four-game sweep in franchise history. Orlando next will face the Atlanta-Milwaukee winner.
Howard did grab 13 rebounds, but was limited to 23 minutes before fouling out for the second straight game.
“If you would have told me that he would have averaged well under 30 minutes for the series and we would sweep, I would have said you’re crazy,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
After Charlotte cut Orlando’s lead to one on Tyson Chandler’s two free throws, Mickael Pietrus hit consecutive 3-pointers directly across the floor from Bobcats owner Michael Jordan’s seat to put the Magic ahead 83-76 with 5:47 left. Nelson’s 3- pointer less than a minute later — after Gerald Wallace missed two free throws — put it away for the Magic.
Tyrus Thomas scored a career playoff-high 21 points for the Bobcats, whose focus will now almost immediately turn to coach Larry Brown’s future.
Bucks 111, Hawks 104
MILWAUKEE — Carlos Delfino scored 22 points with six 3-pointers, and Milwaukee evened the series at 2-2.
Brandon Jennings scored 23 points and John Salmons added 22 for the Bucks, who survived a fourth-quarter surge led by Atlanta stars Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.
Suns 107, Trail Blazers 88
PHOENIX — Reserves Channing Frye and Jared Dudley broke out of their series-long shooting slumps with 20 and 19 points, respectively, and Phoenix overcame an early 14-point deficit to take a 3-2 series lead.
The Associated Press
