Orlando Magic’s top 10 games of the season
By Alex Horvath
#3: vs. Washington Wizards (Oct. 28)
This game may seem a bit high in the rankings to some, however the reasoning for this being number is that this game was a breath of fresh air to fans.
The first game of the season, with new head coach Scott Skiles, we were all anxious to see what type of team we would see for the season. This game served as a good indication of that, both good and bad.
The good? The game showed the Magic’s defensive potential. Aaron Gordon put himself on the NBA map with some highlights, and Mario Hezonja flashed his potential in his debut game, as his confidence was off the roof off the bench.
The bad? The Magic showed their inability to close games, which remained true for the rest of the season, and their lackluster perimeter defense due to clogging up the middle to hide Nikola Vucevic’s defensive limitations as John Wall attacked him for the game-winner.
#2: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Nov. 18)
This was clearly the second most-entertaining game of the season for the Orlando Magic.
The up and comers from the West faced off against the up and comers from the East. Loads of young talent on display in this game with Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns suiting up for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Magic had Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Nikola Vucevic, Mario Hezonja and Victor Oladipo (DNP because of a concussion).
Evan Fournier showed why he is worth a lot this summer with this game, making an almost impossible 3-point shot, followed by a game-winning 3-point shot. Fournier put himself on the NBA map in this game, with no one knowing who he was outside of the Magic fan base, which also left some misfortunate souls to realize they made a mistake in Googling “Fournier” without the “Evan”
#1: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Oct. 30)
Arguably one of the most entertaining NBA games of the season.
Only two games in, the Magic forced the Thunder’s hand in a double-overtime shootout. Although the Magic gave up a big lead, it should not be too discouraging with a team poised enough to not let that rattle them.
The Magic were up three with 15 seconds to go, and Kevin Durant does what Durant does best. He nailed a three to tie up the game.
Kevin Durant, meet Victor Oladipo.
Oladipo hit a three with seconds to spare, almost guaranteeing the Magic a win.
Enter Russell Westbrook, hitting a half court heave to force overtime.
In overtime, buckets were being traded back and forth, and it seemed as if the Thunder were going to walk away with the win. Then Oladipo comes back with a three of his own to force a second overtime.
Then the second overtime began, and there are too many words to describe what happens in double too, so just sit back and enjoy.
Next: Orlando Magic following Oklahoma City Thunder blueprint
What do you think were the best Orlando Magic games of the season? Were there any games you would’ve liked to see on this list?