Orlando at Phoenix

[Real Deal]

TIME: 8:00 PM ET

TV: NBALP

[Built Ford Tough]

http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/nba/img21339582.jpg

 

PHOENIX -- A smooth rookie led the Orlando Magic to a successful end of a long road trip.

 

Andrew Nicholson scored nine of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Magic pulled away to hand the Phoenix Suns their seventh loss in a row, 98-90 on Sunday night.

 

"I am going out there playing hard," he said. "They are just trusting me."

 

The 6-foot-9 first-round draft pick from St. Bonaventure made 9 of 11 shots and grabbed nine rebounds, also the best of his young career.

 

"He's a scoring machine," teammate Glen Davis said. "He scored a bunch and today this is one of those games where you need that guy off the bench to step up and make sure that we get over the hump"

 

Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said he and the team are gaining confidence in Nicholson.

 

"He is a scorer," Vaughn said. "He can do that so we are going to continue to work on other facets of his game and make him the best player he can be."

 

J.J. Redick scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half for the Magic at the end of a 3-2 trip.

 

Shannon Brown scored 17 and Jared Dudley 15 for the Suns, who were without starting point guard Goran Dragic due to illness.

 

Phoenix's losing streak is its longest since 2004.

 

"It's a real frustrating loss, a real disappointing loss," coach Alvin Gentry said. "You know, we are playing spot basketball. We play good for two minutes, then we play bad for seven, then we're good for five and we're bad for three. You just can't have any consistency and you just can't win any basketball games in this league when you play that way."

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121209_ORL@PHO