Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 112, Philadelphia 76ers 109
The Orlando Magic needed to rally from 17 points down to topple the Philadelphia 76ers in a spirited and energetic second half for back to back wins.
Terrence Ross needed a bucket. The Magic’s new acquisition had missed shot after shot throughout the game. His misses were of every variety — short, in and out and even wide. He could not get one to go down despite good look and rhythm shots throughout.
Frank Vogel was going to go to him. The Philadelphia 76ers’ aggressive defense was sitting on Evan Fournier after several turnovers down the stretch. The Magic needed to go to their new acquisition for some support.
Running through two screens along the baseline Ross curled open near the 3-point line and took that familiar stroke without any defender nearby. His shot nestled inside the basket for a 106-104 lead with about 35 seconds left. It gave the Magic the lead for good.
They got the last few stops they needed down the stretch. And, despite shooting 4 for 15 from the floor, Ross was the hero in a 112-109 overtime victory over the 76ers at Amway Center on Monday.
He was one of many heros for a team that had to dig in desperately to come back and score back to back wins for the first time since Dec. 26.
The Magic were slow and sluggish coming out of the locker room and fell behind by as much as 17 points in the second quarter. Philadelphia, playing with just nine active players, took control of the game, attacking the paint at will. It did not seem the Magic would have the energy to fight back.
Orlando found the plays to dig out loose balls and get blocked shots to storm back. Whether it was Bismack Biyombo meeting a player at the rim or Elfrid Payton climbing from the weak side, the Magic were suddenly the aggressors in the game.
The crowd finally got behind the team as the comeback became real in the fourth quarter. The Magic made the winning plays they needed to. At least, largely. Philadelphia came back with big shots of its own to tie the game after Orlando looked like it might pull away late in the fourth quarter.
There are still lessons to learn. And the 76ers, depleted as they are, are not a team to write home about.
Still, a win is a win. And to get this win, the Magic had to do a lot of really good things that should translate to the kind of culture the team wants to build the rest of this season.
Orlando Magic. ELFRID PAYTON. B+. Elfrid Payton was the heart and soul for the Orlando Magic throughout the game. His three fouls in the first quarter certainly were a big part of the team falling off and falling somewhat apart in the second quarter. The Magic needed Payton’s attacking to keep the offense going and build the energy they needed.<p>Payton finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Those numbers do not encapsulate the plays he made down the stretch. He dug out rebounds in traffic and made sure the Magic got possessions. He cut off penetration and tracked back to the 3-point line. He got steals and blocks and generally harassed Philadelphia all night.</p><p>Payton had his struggles for sure. He turned the ball over four times and he was terrible defensively early in the game. His fouls were not all smart and to lose him for the majority of the first half hurt the team a lot as they fell behind. But overall, it was a good performance for Payton and the Magic.</p>. PG
B. <strong><a rel=. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC
A-. The Orlando Magic signed Bismack Biyombo to make the kind of plays and bring the kind of energy he brought Monday night. The game turned a lot on Biyombo’s presence defensively early in the fourth quarter and the plays he made around the basket.<p>It is easy to say the game turned on Biyombo’s rejection of Richaun Holmes at the basket. He met Holmes at the top of this jump and turned away the dunk attempt, sending the ball out of bounds and giving a finger wag for good measure. This was his paint now and the Magic were off and running to make their comeback.</p><p>Biyombo finished with seven points and six rebounds for the game. A meager stat line, but one with a ton of impact on this game.</p>. C. Orlando Magic. BISMACK BIYOMBO
Orlando Magic. EVAN FOURNIER. C+. Evan Fournier continues to score, at least we can say that. He had 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting and 6-for-10 shooting from teh foul line. A solid stat line in all. But it does not tell the full story with Fournier.<p>Fournier had the ball in his hands a lot late in the game and struggled to create. That has been the case for much of the season. This is not a role he is well suited for, but one he has to take on for the Magic. Orlando kept turning to him again and again, only to see him force his way wildly into the paint and commit a turnover or a forced shot.</p><p>Fournier finished with four turnovers in the game. That was more indicative of some of his struggles on the evening. For sure, Fournier made a few of these tough looks and got to the line. So he still did some positive things. But the Magic needed more efficiency to avoid overtime.</p>. G/F
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS. B+. No Brett Brown team is ever accused of not playing hard. that much is true. And even with <strong><a rel=. 26-44. 13th East