Magic Keeps the Touch Against Cleveland

ORLANDO, Fla.--Darrell Armstrong scored 25 points, and Horace Grant had 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-86 yesterday.

Armstrong's basket with 4:29 left gave Orlando an 85-73 lead, but Danny Ferry scored seven of Cleveland's next nine points to help the Cavs pull within 88-82 with 1:52 remaining. The Magic then closed the game with an 8-4 run.

Penny Hardaway scored 14 points, Nick Anderson had 12 and Matt Harpring added 12 for the Magic. However, Anderson continued his shooting slump, going 5-for-18 from the field. He is shooting only 24 percent over his last six games.

Shawn Kemp led Cleveland with 22 points and 16 rebounds. He was 6-of-21 from the field but made 10 of 13 free throws.

Rockets 113, Raptors 104

HOUSTON--Sharpshooters Michael Dickerson and Cuttino Mobley, picking up the slack as Hakeem Olajuwon was ejected, combined for 14 of Houston's club-record 17 three-pointers as the Rockets held off the Toronto Raptors 113-104 last night.

The Rockets broke from a 63-63 deadlock with an 18-2 run in the third quarter that featured five 3-point baskets, four by Dickerson. He got a career-high 28 points, including 7-of-9 from three-point range.

Mobley also hit 7-of-9 from beyond the arc in scoring a career-high 26 points, helping the Rockets to their sixth straight victory. The Rockets finished 17-for-30 from three-point range.

The Rockets took control with their big run but with 2:55 left in the third quarter, Olajuwon was ejected with a flagrant foul after an altercation with Charles Oakley.