MINNEAPOLIS — Rashard Lewis scored 21 points, and Matt Barnes added 17 to help the Orlando Magic snap a three-game road losing streak with a 106-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
Jonny Flynn led Minnesota with 23 points, Kevin Love added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Al Jefferson [stats] had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Magic, who have won five of six overall, won despite below-average scoring nights from Vince Carter and Dwight Howard. The two entered the game averaging a combined 36.5 points, but Carter was held to 12 points and Howard had nine.
With Orlando’s two leading scorers limited, the Magic relied on Barnes’ energy plays and Ryan Anderson’s 3-point shooting.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy inserted Barnes into the starting lineup Wednesday against Milwaukee because he wanted to add more energy to the starting unit.
Barnes responded by leading Orlando in scoring for the first three quarters against a Minnesota team that hung around against a Magic team that trails only Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.
In the fourth, Anderson’s long-range shooting helped put the Timberwolves away.
The Magic led by only two points after three quarters, 73-71, and Minnesota briefly took a 77-75 lead when Wayne Ellington hit a 3-pointer with 10:06 to play.
But Orlando responded by making threes on its next four offensive possessions, three by Anderson. The final 3-pointer in the stretch gave Orlando an 87-81 lead with 7:56 to play.
Anderson, who entered the game averaging 9.3 points, made four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.
Orlando, which leads the NBA with 10 made 3-pointers per game, finished with 15 long-range jumpers against Minnesota. When Jameer Nelson (16 points) made a 3-pointer with less than 5 minutes to play, the Magic lead was 95-88.
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