The Orlando Magic got some great offensive performances and good play from their young guys, but fell short yet again in Houston to the Houston Rockets.
The Orlando Magic found themselves in a close game once again. They made their stand and forced overtime when Evan Fournier drew a foul and sank two free throws.
The Magic’s much maligned defense — at least, on this night — stepped up throughout the fourth quarter, getting stops and turning them into fast break points. Orlando’s offense was able to keep pace with Houston throughout the night, never losing contact even as Houston took control of the game in the second quarter.
In the end, though, the Magic could not execute down the stretch offensively. Some poor shot selection and poor execution kept the Magic from getting their lead in the overtime period an keeping pace.
The Magic were in a rush throughout the final moments of the game and could not get their composure back. The execution was certainly lacking.
To that point, Orlando again stood toe to toe and did enough to win. Even late in the game, the defense was strong. Strong enough to make up for the Magic’s offensive shortcomings late.
Some missed free throws late also helped.