The Orlando Magic got their chance to make good and close a game out late as they followed Elfrid Payton‘s triple-double to a win over the Chicago Bulls.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Bulls | 22 | 31 | 24 | 14 | 91 |
| Magic | 19 | 24 | 34 | 21 | 98 |
The Orlando Magic have sought the way to win for a while now. Coach Frank Vogel wants his team to learn how to make the plays it takes to win.
So when the way cleared up as Evan Fournier tried to dig out a third offensive rebound on a possession with two minutes to play, Elfrid Payton jumped on it. The Chicago Bulls had gone with the ball and Payton, seeing open court in front fo him all game it seemed, was the one who would make the play.
His layup with 76 seconds left gave the Magic a four-point lead and a 98-91 victory over the Bulls at Amway Center on Wednesday.
Payton finished with a triple double by the end of the third quarter recording a career high in rebounds and assists in the process. He was everywhere for the team, keeping them afloat in the third quarter after the Magic fell behind by 13 in the second quarter.
Orlando made the winning plays down the stretch, whether it was scratching out a rebound or getting a big shot. It was not pretty, and it did not have to be. Orlando made just 7 of 25 3-pointers and shot 41.6 percent for the game.
The Magic just made sure they slowly crawled their way back into the game, erasing the Bulls’ large lead by the end of the third quarter. This was their chance at redemption.
Orlando made just 8 of 26 shots in the fourth quarter, relying more on the team’s defense to hold off the Bulls. Chicago scored just 14 points in the final quarter on 5-for-23 shooting. And the Magic made all the plays they needed to win the game.
This was a sign of growth for the Magic. A sign they were learning lessons.
More importantly, they found a driver to creat eenergy and pull the Magic up with him. That was Elfrid Payton throughout the game. He delivered them a win.