THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY DECEMBER 10,2009
SPORTS
9B
NBA
Magic earn sixth straight victory
BY GREG BEACHAM Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Dwight Howard had 25 points and 11 rebounds on his 24th birthday, Rashard Lewis added 17 points and the Orlando Magic held off the Los Angeles Clippers for their sixth straight victory, 97-86 Tuesday night.
game, setting a new franchise record for a single season.
Jason Williams scored 16 points while hitting four 3-pointers for the Magic, who kept pace with Boston atop the Eastern Conference with their 11th win in 12 games.
Thanks to a smooth fourth-quarter surge, the Magic also won their eighth straight road
Clippers, who had won five of seven before losing to the Magic for the sixth straight time.
Vince Carter had just 13 points - four in the final minute - for Orlando, which broke open a tight game with a 14-2 run that stretched into the fourth quarter.
Eric Gordon scored 21 points and Baron Davis had 18 points and 11 assists for the
The defending Eastern Conference champions looked solid in their return to the building where they lost the first two games of last summer's NBA finals to the Lakers.
As usual, the Magic were led by Howard, who heard shouts of birthday well-wishes throughout the night at Staples Center.
He frequently played up to the crowd, exchanging small talk and joking with officials — and several dozen fans waited to scream his name after the game, when he threw his jersey
into the crowd.
The Magic won nine straight road games spanning two seasons in 2007. Halfway through a four-game road trip, Orlando will attempt to match that record Thursday night in Utah.
The 97-86 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers is the Magic's eighth straight on the road.
Chris Kaman scored 16 points and Al Thornton added 15 for the Clippers, who have beaten just two teams with winning records this season.
Orlando had its biggest offensive game of the season last Saturday night at Golden State, while the Clippers had their best defensive game of the year against Indiana.
The Magic's success carried
Howard made his first five shots, barreling past Kaman for more than one embarrassing dunk, while Lewis hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions midway through the period, drawing appreciative oohs from Clippers fans.
Neither star missed a shot until late in the first half, and Williams also hit three 3-pointers in the opening period to put Orlando up by 10. Yet the Clippers kept it close with balanced scoring while forcing turnovers.
Los Angeles took its first lead by scoring nine straight points in the third quarter, but Anthony Johnson put the Magic in front to stay late in the period, and Mickael Pietrus made a desperate 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left as part of the decisive run.
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard works around Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman, left, for a basket during the first half Tuesday, in Los Angeles. The Magic earned their 6th straight victory.
NFL
Chiefs rank in Top 10 for kicking and returning
Under the direction of first-year special teams coach Steve Hoffman, the Chiefs (3-9) have made giant strides in both punt and kickoff coverage, ranking in the top 10 in both. They're pretty good in returning kickoffs, too, ranking ninth in the league with 25 returns of 20 yards or more.
Punter Dustin Colquitt is having a terrific year and is fourth in net average. Placekicker Ryan Succop may turn out to be one of the greatest Mr. Irrelevant picks in history. The last man taken in last year's draft has made 18 of 22 field goals and leads all rookies with 72 points.
All that hasn't been enough to make up for an offense that's 30th overall and a defense that's 31st.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Former Pitt State coach pleads not guilty in DUI
GALENA, Kan. — Former Pittsburg State football coach Chuck Broyles has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving.
Head over heels
Broyles resigned last week from his coaching job after 20 years leading the Gorillas. The resignation came several days after Broyles was arrested in Galena on suspicion of under the influence.
The Joplin Globe reports that Broyles' lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday in Galena City Court.
Broyles remains on paid administrative leave from his job as Pittsburg State athletic director. University President Steve Scott said Broyles will remain on leave until the DUI charge is resolved.
Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry, right, is upended by Dallas Stars left wing Brenden Morrow during the third period of a hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., on Tuesday. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NFL
NFL Donnie Jones outdoes himself in Bears game
ST. LOUIS — Donnie Jones will have a tough time topping his last game, even if it was in another losing cause.
The St. Louis Rams' punter pinned the Chicago Bears down at the 7, 2, 2 and 3 in Sunday's 17-9 setback.
His left-footed kicks helped the defense stuff the Bears after a slow start while leading to favorable field position for a feeble offense — even it wasn't able to capitalize.
A case can be made that he was the team's most valuable player that day.
Jones is sixth in the NFL with a 46.4-yard average, but his net average of 41.4 yards is third-best. He's had a career-best 24 punts downed inside the 20 already, with four games to go.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kyles shines in Wichita
State victory over UMKC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — David Kyles came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points and lead four players in double figures as Wichita State beat Missouri-Kansas City 73-52 Wednesday night.
Associated Press
The Shockers (8-1) won their sixth consecutive game and broke a two-game losing streak
against the Kangarooos. UMKC beat Wichita State in each of the last two seasons.
Wichita State only trailed once in the game at 6-4 with 16:46 left in the first half.
After Jay Cousinard's basket gave the Kangaroos the lead, the Shockers went on an 18-3 run to lead 22-9 with 6:59 remaining in the first half.
The largest lead for Wichita State came at 71-46 with 1:46 left in the contest.
Associated Press
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