TORONTO – T.J. Ford scored 21 points, Jose Calderon had 18 points and 13 assists, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 108-94 on Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Dwight Howard had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Hedo Turkoglu added 24 points and Rashard Lewis had 19.

Jamario Moon had 11 points and 10 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup for Toronto, while Chris Bosh and Jason Kapono each scored 15 points and Anthony Parker 10.

The Raptors finished 12-for-34 from 3-point range and set playoff highs for points in a game and a half (61).

Game 4 is Saturday afternoon in Toronto.

Keith Bogans had 12 for the Magic, who trailed by as many as 23.

Orlando guard Jameer Nelson collapsed with back spasms as he was walking back the locker room after the game and was seen writhing on the floor in pain. Hampered by foul trouble, Nelson went 2-for-8 and scored six points, all in the fourth quarter.

The Raptors were unable to overcome double-digit deficits in the first quarter of Games 1 and 2, and were determined to start better up north.

With Moon back in the starting lineup in place of Rasho Nesterovic, the Raptors had the energy they needed. Down 6-2 early, Toronto responded with a 16-3 run over the next four minutes. Moon capped it with a breakaway dunk, forcing Orlando to call timeout trailing 18-9.

With his teammates struggling, Howard’s inside dominance kept Orlando close. He had 13 points and five rebounds in the opening frame, but Toronto led 28-20 after 12 minutes.

Besides Howard, the Magic shot 3-for-15 in the opening quarter.

Wizards 108, Cavaliers 72

WASHINGTON – LeBron James went up for the shot and had the ball stripped cleanly by Caron Butler, who went the length of the court for a dunk that gave the Washington Wizards a 29-point lead.

That’s right. No contact on the play. Even James couldn’t call it “Hack-a-Bron.” James was beaten on the play and he knew it, much the same way his Cleveland Cavaliers beaten soundly by the Washington Wizards, 108-72 on Thursday night.

Maybe it was the haircuts. Maybe it was Soulja Boy sitting on Row 1. Or the sight of Colin Powell in a Wizards “White Out” T-shirt. Or just the comfort of being home. Or the inspiration of having Gilbert Arenas in the starting lineup, even though he limped out of the game in the first half and might be done for the series.

Actually, there were plenty of reasons the Wizards routed their playoff nemesis in a party at the Verizon Center. DeShawn Stevenson and Butler found their games. James didn’t have his. And, yes, those 15 first-half Cleveland turnovers had a lot to do with it, too.

Stevenson had a “can’t-feel-my-face” 19 points, Butler scored 17 – highlighted by an incredible layup move in the first half – and the Wizards shot 52 percent and took themselves off the ropes by cutting Cleveland’s lead to 2-1 in the first-round series.

One game after setting a franchise playoff record with a 30-point win in Game 2, the Cavaliers set another team postseason mark by losing by 36. The margin of victory also set a Wizards franchise playoff record.

AP-ES-04-24-08 2247EDT