McGrady leads Rockets past Wolves; Yao had 13
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-16 11:38

Okafor got into early foul trouble and had just eight points — all in the fourth quarter — and six rebounds. He entered the game averaging 13 points and nine rebounds.

Charlotte Bobcats' Jurmaine Jones, left, battles Orlando Magic's Steve Francis for a loose ball in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005.[AP]

Keith Bogans led Charlotte with a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Sean May added 15 points and 10 rebounds. No Bobcats starter scored in double figures.

May's performance made Orlando's 2005 draft look pretty bad. The Magic considered taking the North Carolina standout, but opted instead for Spain's Fran Vazquez, who stunned the team by deciding to stay in Europe.

DeShawn Stevenson had 16 points and Steve Francis added 13 points, five rebounds and six assists. Tony Battie had 11 points and 12 rebounds — his first double-double of the season — in the Magic's first home win.

Jameer Nelson scored 13 off the bench, including five points in a 12-4 run in the fourth quarter that helped Orlando take control.

Howard also came up big, hitting a baseline jumper and then adding a putback on consecutive possessions to push Orlando's lead to 76-68 with about 7 minutes to play.

Nelson then drove the lane for a bucket and converted a three-point play to make it an 11-point game.

The Magic failed to score in the final 3:04 of the second quarter, withstanding a 10-point Charlotte run to hold a 47-46 halftime lead.