Orlando Magic Grades: L.A. Clippers 113, Orlando Magic 108

The Orlando Magic offense kicked it into high gear again. But the L.A. Clippers had the plays down the stretch to secure the win.

VS.

	1	2	3	4	T
Clippers	30	30	27	26	113
Magic	25	26	36	21	108

The Orlando Magic offensive juggernaut continued for a fourth straight game. Aaron Gordon posted a career high in points, Evan Fournier scored with relative ease and Jeff Green had another big game.

The ball was moving and the 3-pointers were falling. The Magic were keeping pace with one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league. And, after trailing for much of the game, Orlando got back in contact with a chance to win.

Defense remains the ultimate decider for the Magic. And defense was just not there for Orlando again.

Not at the moments it truly mattered and not for much of the game. And offense always has a tendency to betray. Defense travels after all.

The Clippers put an emphatic finish on their game, tearing apart the Magic defense time and time again. Chris Paul put the final hammer in isolating Bismack Biyombo off a pick and roll and lobbing it to DeAndre Jordan for an emphatic finish and a seven-point lead.

The Magic would cut the lead to three points, but ran out of time in the end as the Clippers defeated the Magic 113-108 at Amway Center on Wednesday.

“We just were grinding and giving everything we could to try to get a W,” coach Frank Vogel said. “Our guys played their hearts out, we just fell short.”

Orlando’s offense again was stellar, scoring points and making 3s in bunches. The Magic shot 47.2 percent from the floor and 14 for 33 (42.4 percent) from beyond the arc. Their offense was humming along smoothly.

The fourth quarter was a different matter. The Magic shot just 34.7 percent in the fourth quarter. Orlando gave up a 7-0 run to start the quarter after working to tie it by the end of the third. And the offense struggled to pick itself back up in the final quarter.

The Clippers’ stars did their job, making baskets down the stretch. The Magic could not quite get all the way past the Clippers.

Orlando played uphill the entire game. And had to rely on their strong players to carry the heavy offensive load.

The team got the shots it wanted and made the right plays, but could not finish or make the key shots they needed to get the win.

A-. Aaron Gordon had a matchup advantage throughout the night with the L.A. Clippers playing a smaller lineup featuring <a rel=. F. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON

Orlando Magic. BISMACK BIYOMBO. B-. It is hard to get a firm handle on the kind of game Bismack Biyombo had Wednesday night. He was active around the basket and challenged and changed shots as he always does. He was decent on the glass with 12 rebounds and finished with nine points.Yet, it still felt like an incomplete performance. Particularly on the defensive end.He struggled to help corral and redirect Chris Paul on the pick and roll throughout the fourth quarter, allowing Paul to get into the lane and do the things Chris Paul does. Paul finished with 10 assists, including a few killers in the fourth quarter as Orlando did not have the stops to stay in the game and pull out the win.. C

G/F. Orlando Magic. EVAN FOURNIER. B-. Evan Fournier had himself another big night as the Orlando Magic’s main offensive weapon and continued to put in big scoring totals. And with the ball in his hands more and more, he is also producing some stellar assist games. He is becoming a complete player.Fournier scored 24 points and shot 9-for-17 from the floor. He had eight assists too, including some dazzling passes. That is a big reason the Magic’s offense has re-awoken. The ball is moving significantly better. The team is moving the ball. Fournier’s improved passing has a lot to do with that.Still, Fournier came up short in several areas. Fans will likely note some poor shots and floaters he took late in the game — he had nine of the team’s 21 points in the fourth quarter and made four of seven shots. He had the primary defensive responsibility on Austin Rivers and lost him on numerous occasions. It was not all on him, but Rivers made seven 3-pointers in the game.

B. <a rel=. PG. Orlando Magic. ELFRID PAYTON

B. The L.A. Clippers certainly expect more from themselves as they pursue a championship. But it is still hard for them to find much to complain about. They played a fine game, giving up some push from the Orlando Magic in the third quarter but holding on and buckling down in the fourth quarter to win.Austin Rivers was beyond good hitting 7 of 10 3-pointers for 25 points. Blake Griffin added 23 points. DeAndre Jordan scored 22 points, fighting off the hack-a-Jordan strategy to make 12 of 18 free throws. Paul had 16 points and 10 assists.There were big contributions up and down the line from the Clippers. And, most importantly, L.A. was the more dominant team and controlled the tempo throughout. The Clippers knew they could outpace the Magic, even if their defense was a bit sloppy throughout.. 19-7. 3rd West. L.A. CLIPPERS