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Sports in brief: Anderson, Howard spark Magic victory

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard goes up for a shot over Phoenix Suns center Channing Frye Wednesday. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
From Staff And Wire Reports
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard goes up for a shot over Phoenix Suns center Channing Frye Wednesday. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Basketball: Ryan Anderson had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Dwight Howard scored 25 and the short-handed Orlando Magic defeated the previously unbeaten Phoenix Suns 122-100 Wednesday night in Orlando, Fla.

Playing without injured Vince Carter and suspended Rashard Lewis, the Magic built a 23-point lead in the third quarter to pull away from the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix (4-1), which was looking to match the 1984-85 team for the franchise’s best start.

•Nuggets stay unbeaten: Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony woke up the unbeaten Nuggets in a 44-point third quarter and Denver continued its best start since 1985-86 with a 122-94 victory over the winless New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, N.J.

The win was the fifth straight for Denver, one shy of the 85-86 start, and it handed the Nets their fifth straight loss, tying the worst start in franchise history, set in 1996-97.

•Lakers outlast Rockets in OT: Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 17 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers won in overtime for the second straight game, beating the Houston Rockets 103-102 in Houston.

Carl Landry scored 20 points to lead six players in double figures for Houston.

•Celtics remain unbeaten: Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 11 rebounds in his third game back in Minnesota since he was traded in 2007, helping the Boston Celtics remain undefeated with a 92-90 victory over the Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Rajon Rondo scored 14 of his 18 points in the third quarter for the Celtics (6-0), who join the Denver Nuggets as the only two teams in the league without a loss.

•UCF loses deal with adidas: A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan’s son will wear at the University of Central Florida has cost the school any future sponsorship with adidas.

In an e-mail to the AP, adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso says the school “has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas,” prompting the company not to continue its relationship with the school.

Freshman guard Marcus Jordan wore a pair of white Air Jordans during UCF’s exhibition game against Saint Leo Wednesday night.

Boyle’s shootout goal sparks Sharks

Hockey: San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle scored the lone goal in a shootout, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped all three Columbus shooters to give the Sharks their sixth straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio.

•Sabres blank Islanders: Ryan Miller made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season and 14th overall, and Thomas Vanek had a goal and assist in the Buffalo Sabres’ 3-0 road victory over the New York Islanders.

•Flames win in OT: Jarome Iginla scored on a power play at 1:25 of overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 3-2 comeback victory over the Dallas Stars in Dallas.

•Rangers’ Byers suspended: New York Rangers forward Dane Byers was suspended one game for his role in a fight during the third period of Monday’s game in Vancouver.

•U.S., Canada in final: Natalie Darwitz scored twice to help the United States women beat Sweden 3-2 and set up a final against Canada in the Four Nations Cup in Vierumaki, Finland.

Westbrook expects to play Sunday

Football: Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said he will be back on the field for Sunday’s game against Dallas following a concussion that forced him to miss a game.

Westbrook returned to practice Wednesday. He said he is feeling no effects from the concussion that forced him to miss last week’s 40-17 win over the New York Giants.

•New bowl game added: The replacement for the Cotton Bowl game has been lined up.

Dallas city leaders say the Dallas Football Classic is planned for New Year’s Day 2011.

The plan calls for using teams from the Big Ten to play teams from Conference USA and the Big 12 on a rotating basis.

The plan needs NCAA approval.

San Jose awarded ice skating nationals

Miscellany: San Jose, Calif., will host the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the second time the city has staged the event.

Those nationals will be held Jan. 22-29.

The other time nationals were hosted by San Jose was in 1996, when Michelle Kwan won the first of her nine championships.

Spokane is host for this January’s nationals. Greensboro, N.C., will stage the 2011 event.

•IndyCar adds sponsor: IndyCar officials are expected to announce today that clothing maker Izod will become the series’ title sponsor next season.

It would be the first time since 2002 that the IndyCar series has had a title sponsor.

•Boxing Hall of Famer dies: Lou Filippo, a boxing Hall of Famer who became a referee and ring judge, memorably counting out Sylvester Stallone’s champion rival Apollo Creed in the film “Rocky II,” died Monday at Downey Regional Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. He was 83.