Orlando Magic Grades: Portland Trail Blazers 99, Orlando Magic 94
By Ryan Doyle
With the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Orlando Magic have dropped three straight and five of the last seven. This is the first adversity of the season.
The Orlando Magic faced a barrage of 3-pointers as they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 99-94 at the Moda Center on Wednesday.
Orlando came into Portland desperate for a win following consecutive losses. After getting off to one of their best starts in recent memory, the Magic needed to head back to Central Florida on a positive note.
Unfortunately, the Tail Blazers backcourt had one of their best performances as the trio of CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard and Shabazz Napier combined for 69 points and 14-for-22 shooting from beyond the arc. Napier himself hit all five of his 3-pointers, breaking the Magic’s back through the fourth quarter.
With 3:07 left in the game, Elfrid Payton hit a 3-pointer to cut Portland’s lead to three. Orlando would play strong defense and get the ball back with a chance to tie.
Evan Fournier took a questionable 3-pointer that did not fall and Shabazz Napier responded with a Portland three. That would be all Portland needed to seal the game Orlando would head home with an 8-7 record following an 1-3 road trip.
Defensively, the Blazers took advantage of the Magic. Portland shot a phenomenal 51.9 percent from behind the arc, taking advantage of the team’s 10 offensive rebounds.
Rebounding has been a problem for the Magic this season as Nikola Vucevic and the rest of the Magic bigs struggled to keep the Blazers off the glass.
Orlando gained some ground late in the third quarter. Despite falling behind by 11 early, they shrunk the lead to four. Jonathon Simmons made a handful of effort plays that sparked life into the team.
Playing in his hometown, Terrence Ross had a solid night. He managed three steals within the first three minutes of the game and played strong defense all night. He was not involved much in the offense, but he hit a key 3-pointer and a thunderous dunk.
The Magic seemed like they were off to a strong start, taking a 14-point lead. But in the final five minutes of the first half, Orlando imploded.
Head coach Frank Vogel went to the starters late in the second quarter and it led to a 17-0 Blazers run to end the quarter. Multiple turnovers and poor defense allowed Portland to storm back into the game.
Down 51-47 heading into halftime, the Magic needed to find their groove again. The Blazers threw their punch, Orlando needed to get back up and respond.
Surprisingly, the bench played extremely well in the second quarter and even in the third quarter to keep Orlando within striking distance. Led by Jonathon Simmons and Marreese Speights, the Magic appeared to be heading into the half on a high note.
The energy was there for Orlando early on as the offense got off to a hot start. Aside from some contested threes from Lillard and McCollum, the Trail Blazers were held in check and trailed the Magic, 33-24 after one.
Orlando could not maintain that hot start. The Magic found themselves fighting to find their rhythm. And in a tight contest, Portland made the plays to secure the win.
AARON GORDON. C. <a href=. F. Orlando Magic
B. “Mo Buckets” had a phenomenal first half. He led the team in scoring and carried the bench offensively. The fan favorite scored 10 points through halftime and knocked down a pair of threes in the process. <a href=. F/C. Orlando Magic. MARREESE SPEIGHTS
As he continues to get his feet under him after being sidelined early in the season, <a href=. G. Orlando Magic. ELFRID PAYTON. C+
Aside from the occasional poor offensive possession, Jonathon Simmons had a terrific night. He was aggressive on offense and tried to penetrate the Portland defense on every chance he had. Simmons was second on the team in scoring with 16 points.<p>It is well documented, but much of what Simmons does will not show up on the stat sheet. When Orlando needed a big bucket, Simmons delivered Wednesday.</p><p>He was probably the best player in blue tonight.</p><p> </p>. F/G. Orlando Magic. JONATHON SIMMONS. B+
A-. The Portland Trail Blazers’ identity is well known. The key to their success is the strong backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Wednesday, they both played extremely well. Throw in 19 points from Shabazz Napier and there is a recipe for success.<div class=. 8-6. 5th Western Conference. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Although both teams managed 41 rebounds, Portland displayed its elite ability to grab boards. Timely second-chance points buried the Magic and began big runs. And the team’s defense, now third in the league in defensive rating, effectively slowed the game down and frustrated Orlando offensively.
After falling behind early, this was an impressive home victory for the Trail Blazers.
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A-
The Portland Trail Blazers’ identity is well known. The key to their success is the strong backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Wednesday, they both played extremely well. Throw in 19 points from Shabazz Napier and there is a recipe for success.
Although both teams managed 41 rebounds, Portland displayed its elite ability to grab boards. Timely second-chance points buried the Magic and began big runs. And the team’s defense, now third in the league in defensive rating, effectively slowed the game down and frustrated Orlando offensively.
After falling behind early, this was an impressive home victory for the Trail Blazers.