December 13, 2016
The Orlando Magic had one of the worst offenses in the entire league all season. From the very beginning of the year, the Magic sunk to the bottom, often ranking last or 29th in the league in offensive rating.
The times when the offense did explode, it was notable. And it was not an opportunity to waste. Especially early in the season.
Entering the Dec. 13 matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, the Magic had scored 100-plus points in just seven of the first 25 games, with just one back-to-back 100-point performance. Orlando accomplished both feats against the Hawks.
The suddenness and depth of the team’s offensive surge in this 131-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks makes it noteworthy.
Orlando shot 58.6 percent and dished out 36 assists. It was perhaps the Magic’s finest offensive performance. So many players had humongous games.
Serge Ibaka scored 29 points and Evan Fournier scored 23 points. But it was the bench contributions that made a huge difference.
Elfrid Payton finished with 26 points and 14 assists off the bench. Jodie Meeks added 20 points in one of his first games back from an offseason injury. And Jeff Green had one of his better games with 16 points.
The offense did the job even as the defense continued to act like a sieve. But the team stepped up in the end, making a pretty big mark for a team still trying to keep its head above water.
"The most memorable play for the Magic, the game-clinching one, came when the Magic turned the ball over and faced a 2-on-1 fast break. As the Hawks prepared to lay the ball in, Bismack Biyombo blocked it against the glass at the last moment while trailing the play. Orlando pushed it the other way and got Serge Ibaka a short floater. It gave the Magic a 12-point lead with about three minutes to go and put the game out of reach. It was about the only defensive highlight the Magic had."
The Magic were still figuring out if they could play both offense and defense. And the bet still was their defense would be a bigger deciding factor in their season.
This was a game where the Magic were still trying to figure out their defensive slippage. And they still believed they could change it. Until then, Orlando was trying to do its best to win in the meantime.
Orlando gutted this game out in one of the most entertaining offensive games. Albeit one that hid a major problem.