The San Antonio Spurs refused to let the Orlando Magic beat them with long-distance shots.

"We made a decision to make them penetrate," Ginobili said. "We were not going to let Rashard (Lewis), Hedo (Turkoglu) and Keith (Bogans) take wide-open shots."

The strategy worked. Manu Ginobili scored 28 points and Michael Finley added 24 as Ginobili's team beat Howard's team 107-97 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 21 rebounds, his eighth game this season with at least 20 in both categories, but it wasn't enough for Howard's team. Rashard Lewis added 24, Keyon Dooling 19 and Carlos Arroyo 17.

"We missed some opportunities, missed some layups, turned the ball over on fast breaks," Lewis said. "We played good defense, but we couldn't convert running out."

Turkoglu didn't have too many chances. He left in the second quarter with a sprained right wrist, and fellow starter Jameer Nelson got knocked out of the game with a bruised jaw after apparently running into Howard.

Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds for Ginobili's team, Michael Finley scored 24 points and Tony Parker and Bruce Bowen each added 11 points. Parker also had nine assists.

Howard's team led 69-61 in the third quarter, its largest margin of the game, before a 6-minute scoring drought. It started after Keith Bogans missed all three free throws following a foul while shooting a 3, and ended with Ginobili's team ahead 76-69, then their biggest lead.

"We hit a little stretch in the third quarter where we couldn't score," Dooling said. "From that point on, they took control of the game.

Howard's team trailed 80-73 entering the fourth quarter, but drew to 87-85 on Lewis' 3. But Howard's team scored only two points over the next 3 minutes - also from Lewis - as Ginobili's team pulled away.

Ginobili scored 13 in the fourth quarter, half of a guard tandem that burned Howard's team for at least 20 apiece in its second straight loss.

Ginobili's team, the NBA's second-best team guarding the 3, held Howard's team to 7-for-16 shooting behind the arc. Howard's team had made at least 10 3-pointers in the past 10 games.

"We kept them under their season average in points," Duncan said. "We know they have a lot of great shooters."