Dwight Howard was barking in the locker room, mocking some Lakers he claimed called his Orlando Magic team "puppies."

Vince Carter had 25 points, Howard finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds and the Magic beat the visiting Lakers, 96-94, Sunday to hand Los Angeles its first three-game losing streak of the Pau Gasol-Kobe Bryant Era.

"Alpha dogs usually have the big bark," Howard said afterward. "But since we're so-called puppies, we won't bark as loud."

Carter made his first 13 free throws and kept the Magic in control, showing why Orlando made the move for the eight-time All-Star after losing to the Lakers in last year's Finals.

Throw feisty Matt Barnes into the mix to add some physicality, and the Magic finally got some reprieve from the sting of a Finals failure.

"You could see it in everybody's faces and everybody's demeanor," Carter said. "Everybody on that floor wanted to win that game. That game was Game 7."

Bryant played through a minor stomach illness to score 34 points, and Gasol added 20 for the Lakers. But they all walked to the locker room distraught and dejected after Bryant missed a 20-footer at the buzzer to seal their latest loss.

• Pistons 110, Rockets 107: Tayshaun Prince scored a season-high 29 points to help host Detroit snap a six-game losing streak with an overtime win against Houston.

• 76ers 114, Raptors 101: Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 32 points and Jrue Holiday had 21 as visiting Philadelphia beat Toronto to snap a five-game losing streak.

• Celtics 86, Wizards 83: Ray Allen scored 25 points, including a 3 pointer to take the lead with 17 seconds remaining, to lead Boston past visiting Washington.

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