1-31 Orlando 98 Milwaukee 73

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Orlando 98 Milwaukee 73

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ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 31 (AP) -- Even if they aren't quite back on track, the slumping Orlando Magic at least took a step in the right direction.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 17 points and Tony Battie added a season-high 15 as the Magic stopped a three-game losing streak by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 98-73 Wednesday night.

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Orlando - The curtain fell on January for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night and it couldn't have happened soon enough.

The Bucks closed one of the most forgettable months in franchise history by again falling behind early and losing convincingly to the Orlando Magic, 98-73, at Amway Arena. The Bucks trailed by 18 after one quarter and by 29 early in the third quarter before staging a mild rally that cut the lead in half

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ON THE COURT
Player of the game: Backup Magic guard Keith Bogans played a prominent role in Orlando's big first half, scoring 13 points and handing out seven assists. Bogans made five of nine shots in the first half and sank 3 three-pointers.

Play of the game: Magic center Dwight Howard took a nice pass from guard Jameer Nelson for a two-handed alley-oop dunk that accounted for Orlando's sizable halftime lead.

Off the bench: Bucks coach Terry Stotts shuffled his lineup for the game, starting Charlie Villanueva and Ruben Patterson, and bringing Earl Boykins and Brian Skinner off the bench. Stotts said he was looking to match up better with the Magic and try to generate more offense.

Statistics sheet: The Magic shot 55% in building a 56-29 halftime lead. The Bucks made 12 of 38 shots in the first half (31.6%).

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