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Rested Orlando Cruises

Associated Press

A week off certainly didn’t hurt Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and the Orlando Magic.

O’Neal scored a career playoff-high 41 points and Hardaway equaled his postseason best with 32 Wednesday as the Magic began their second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 117-105 victory.

The game was the first in eight days for the Magic, who finished a first-round sweep of Detroit on April 30 but couldn’t begin preparing for this series until Atlanta got past Indiana last Sunday.

Coach Brian Hill worried that his players might be rusty, but O’Neal and company showed no such signs in beating the Hawks for the sixth straight time at Orlando Arena. Game 2 is Friday night in Orlando.

O’Neal dominated Atlanta’s Christian Laettner, making 18 of 28 shots and grabbing 13 rebounds - including nine offensive boards. Hardaway was 12 for 19, while Nick Anderson scored 21 and Horace Grant contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“They didn’t double-team me much, and when teams don’t double-team me I try to get as many points as I can down low,” O’Neal said.

For the third time in four playoff games, Orlando opened a double-digit lead early in the second half and coasted to victory. The Hawks trailed 92-80 going into the fourth quarter and didn’t get closer than 10.

Magic 117, Hawks 105

Atlanta (105) - Augmon 7-14 9-11 23, Long 5-11 0-0 11, Laettner 3-5 1-2 7, Smith 5-16 8-10 18, Blaylock 6-14 4-4 18, Rooks 2-3 2-4 6, Bullard 1-3 0-0 3, Jordan 1-2 0-0 2, Henderson 8-10 1-2 17. Totals 38-78 25-33 105.

Orlando (117) - Grant 8-11 1-1 17, Scott 2-8 0-0 5, O’Neal 18-28 5-11 41, Anderson 8-16 3-3 21, Hardaway 12-19 6-9 32, Koncak 0-0 0-0 0, Shaw 0-1 0-0 0, Wolf 0-0 0-0 0, Bowie 0-0 0-0 0, Royal 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 48-83 16-26 117.

Atlanta 24 32 24 25 - 105

Orlando 29 33 30 25 - 117

3-Point goals-Atlanta 4-15 (Blaylock 2-6, Long 1-1, Bullard 1-2, Augmon 0-1, Smith 0-5), Orlando 5-16 (Hardaway 2-3, Anderson 2-7, Scott 1-5, Shaw 0-1). Fouled out- None. Rebounds-Atlanta 44 (Henderson 8), Orlando 49 (O’Neal 13). Assists-Atlanta 23 (Smith 9), Orlando 26 (O’Neal, Hardaway 6). Total fouls-Atlanta 23, Orlando 22. Technical-Orlando illegal defense. A-17,248 (17,248).