CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Dwight Howard has played a role in winning more than a few games for the Orlando Magic in his career.

On Sunday night, the Magic showed that they can win a game without him.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead four Orlando players in double figures in a 90-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

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Mickael Pietrus added 18 points, Rashard Lewis had 17 and Jameer Nelson 15 for Orlando, which overcame a five-point halftime deficit for its third straight road win.

``We have to prepare ourselves (because) sometimes even (Howard's) having an off night,' Turkoglu said. ``Tonight, we all just stepped up and did a great job as a group.'

The Magic's All-Star center was shut down by Charlotte's defense, scoring just four points (all on free throws), and he only played 7 1/2 minutes in the second half before fouling out for the first time this season with 3:18 remaining.

``Tonight just wasn't my night,' said Howard, who had his lowest-scoring game since putting up eight points in 44 1/2 minutes in a 90-89 loss to Detroit in Game 4 of Orlando's second-round NBA playoff series last May.

``We started off pretty bad, and our effort wasn't there. I've got to be the catalyst, and I didn't have it tonight. But I'm glad my teammates stepped up.'

Gerald Wallace scored 17 points, and Raymond Felton and Adam Morrison had 14 each for the Bobcats, who led 51-47 with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

But Pietrus capped a 7-point run with a 3-pointer to put Orlando up 54-51 with 5:45 left, and the Magic never trailed again.

``They did a good job, and they exploited mismatches,' Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. ``They've got some pretty good players ... and they just find a weakness and exploit it.'

Still, Charlotte wouldn't go down without a fight, pulling to 70-69 with 9:31 remaining in the fourth quarter on Morrison's jumper and two free throws.

However, Pietrus' layup 25 seconds later kicked off a 7-1 run that pushed it to 77-70, and the Bobcats would pull no closer than five points the rest of the way.

``We played at a very, very low energy level, but we hung in and did some good things in the second half to get the win,' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``This did give our guys some confidence ... with Dwight not into the flow of things and sitting on the bench the whole time.'

Notes: The last time Howard went without making a field goal in an NBA game came on Jan. 20, 2007, when he went 0-for-6 from the field and scored just one point in 26 minutes in a 101-94 loss at New Jersey. ... Charlotte forward Sean May scored four points in 12 1/2 minutes in his second consecutive start. However, Brown said that May - who missed the 2007-08 season after having surgery on his right knee, and was held out of five straight games this season for ``conditioning issues' - wasn't at the level he needs to be yet. ``He's not ready to play like he's capable of playing,' Brown said before Sunday's game. ... The Bobcats wrap up their six-game homestand on Tuesday against Dallas. ... The Magic will play three of their next four at home, beginning Tuesday against Toronto.