The Orlando Magic were able to avenge the loss they received at the hands of the Warriors last week, Friday night.
The Magic won 124-120. Nikola Vucevic has been on an absolute tear over the past couple of weeks. Yesterday was no different for Big Vooch. He finished with a Triple-Double. He finished with 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. This was his third career triple-double. After the game, Vucevic spoke on his performance and the Magic’s mindset overall.
“We were able to stay together because it’s difficult to have a big lead and then have it disappear in like 3 minutes just from our mistakes,” Vucevic said. “We were just able to fight back. We stuck together and that’s something we struggled to do in the past. It shows growth.”
This game was a game of runs. At one point in the game, the Magic were up as much as 17 points. The Warriors turned it around and they led by as much as 13 points. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors led 106-93 with 8:50 to play in the 4th. However, the Magic showed their grit and togetherness as of late and were able to complete the comeback. Every game like this will add to the team’s confidence.
The Playoff push is very much in play for the Magic. They sit just a half-game out of the 10th seed (this year, seeds 7-10 will participate in a play-in tournament. Long season ahead but as long as they continue to do the right things on the court the standings will take care of themselves.
Evan Fournier also chipped in big time with 28 points. Since his return from his back injury, he has been playing some serious ball. He’s been looking focused and has been very aggressive. Terrence Ross is also looks aggressive as of late just like Fournier. Ross scored 24 points against the Warriors. He knocked down four three-pointers during the contest. The Magic seem to be hitting their stride on both ends of the basketball. They allowed 120 points but made key stops when they had to. In the NBA that’s all that matters. The Magic play again Sunday, 2/21 in Orlando at Amway against the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is at 7 pm Eastern.
