ORLANDO, Fla. — Jason Richardson scored 17 points and J.J. Redick added 14 to help the Orlando Magic stay alive in the playoffs with a 101-76 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
The win kept alive the Magic's hopes of becoming the ninth team in NBA history to win a playoff series after trailing 3-1. If they can win Game 6 Thursday in Atlanta, they would host the decisive Game 7 on Saturday.
Magic center Dwight Howard battled foul trouble throughout the night and had just one field goal, finishing with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Orlando didn't need his offense, though, as it broke out of a series-long shooting slump with 11 3-pointers.
Josh Smith scored 22 points to lead Atlanta, which shot below 40 percent for just the second time this series.
The Magic cruised in the second half, allowing Howard to log his first extended rest of the series as their lead crept above 30 points early in the fourth quarter.
They were able to coast, though, based on what they did much earlier in the game.
Orlando put together easily its best half of the series in building a 58-35 halftime lead.
Everyone was involved as the Magic, who led by as many as 24 points in the half, moved the ball in the half court to open up great looks from the perimeter. Following another cold start, Orlando picked things up in the second quarter and finished the half shooting 45 percent and 46 percent from beyond the arc (6 for 13).
Richardson had 12 by the break.
Smith paced Atlanta with 11 first-half points, but the Hawks struggled on offense, going 13 for 38 (34 percent) — making just two 3s. They also had eight turnovers that led to nine of Orlando's points.
The Magic were leading 10-8 when Howard picked up his second personal foul of the night with 5:40 left in the first, but Orlando closed with a 16-5 run without him. Redick had the hot hand, going 5 for 5 in the period and scoring the Magic's last 11 points.
Atlanta was just 3 for 19 in the first quarter.
Notes: Tuesday marked just the second time in the series that the Hawks didn't hold a double-digit lead at some point during the first half. ...According to Stats Inc., with a career playoff scoring average of 20 points per game entering Game 5, Howard joined Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Pettit as the only players in NBA history to have postseason career averages of at least 20 points and 14 rebounds.
The Magic is back
Atlanta drops Game 5, 101-76