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Orlando Magic Grades: Brooklyn Nets 126, Orlando Magic 121

By Philip Rossman-Reich

BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 20: D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic on October 20, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 20: D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic on October 20, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic struggled to keep the Brooklyn Nets in front of them and paid the price, especially as injuries piled up. The Nets outpaced the Magic.

126. 147. 121. 38. Final

Any time the Orlando Magic needed a basket, they turned to Nikola Vucevic. And they needed a lot of baskets to keep pace with the speedy Brooklyn Nets.

Any chance the Magic had for a respite, it seemed the Nets were coming right back at them. That is the basic design for Brooklyn.

Orlando kept fighting back. Nikola Vucevic was going to do everything he could to get the team back. He drained a 3-pointer, his sixth of the game to cut the deficit down. Evan Fournier followed with his own 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game.

The Nets kept the door open.

Orlando was not quite ready to walk through that door. Brooklyn just had too much offense. And the Magic could not conjure up one more 3-pointer.

D.J. Augustin, playing for an injured Elfrid Payton late in the game, dished it to Nikola Vucevic on the wing. Vucevic fumbled the ball and passed it to Evan Fournier in the corner.

Fournier did not have the heroics this time.

His 3-pointer was no good, giving the Nets a 126-121 win at the Barclays Center on Friday. Orlando could not contain the Brooklyn offense, already playing with a small margin for error with Aaron Gordon (ankle) out for the game and Elfrid Payton (hamstring) out for the second half.

The Magic struggled defensively in just about every way. They gave up 50.0 percent shooting, 60 points in the paint and 35 free throw attempts. Brooklyn was able to attack the paint and take advantage of the Magic’s late switches or attack the offensive glass. Magic players were constantly out of position.

And Orlando fouled . . . a lot.

The Magic sending the Nets to the free throw line made it difficult for the team to build momentum and difficult to get out in transition. Orlando playing out of the half court was certainly a struggle. The Magic really struggled to get much offense outside of Vucevic and Fournier.

With so many key players injured, the Magic needed players to step up. Particularly on defense. Orlando showed it can score and take advantage of the mistakes Brooklyn made. But the Magic could not get themselves completely over the hump.

The team was frustrated with itself more than what the Nets were doing. Orlando had an early eight-point lead thanks to its starting lineup. But the Magic could not reel the Nets back in and were chasing the breakneck pace the rest of the game.

A-. Nikola Vucevic still gets a fair amount of criticism for his play. The one thing he can always do is put up numbers. And sometimes he puts up humongous scoring games. Add a 3-point shot? And the ceiling seems higher for Vucevic.<p>Looking for a guy to play through and go to in tight situations is still an issue for the Orlando Magic. But Vucevic sure played that role down the stretch. He was the guy for the Magic all the way through, scoring a career-high 41 points on 17-for-22 shooting and 6-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Vucevic displayed the entire array of his offensive game, draining 3-pointers with ease when the Brooklyn Nets left him open and dominating in the post when he got that position.</p><p>Vucevic still has his flaws. There is no doubt about it. He still struggled a bit defending the pick and roll and being a deterrent as guards came into the lane. Even though he grabbed 12 rebounds, he got caught out of position as the Magic gave up a significant amount of second-chance points. It was the only blemish in an otherwise exciting development for Vucevic.</p>. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC

C-. <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN

B. Aside from Nikola Vucevic, the Orlando Magic found it very difficult to get consistent scoring. Or rather, they found it difficult to find a consistent place to turn to. Evan Fournier was that guy trying to help Nikola Vucevic throughout this game. But he could not keep the pace and as he faded, the Magic faded some too.<p>Fournier scored 15 of his 22 points in the first half. He also finished with nine rebounds and five assists. But he shot 8 for 21 from the floor and 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. It was an OK game.</p><p>When Fournier was hot, he was as strong as any player on the floor. And the Magic absolutely needed that. But there was still a lot left wanting. Fournier was not noticeably bad defensively — at least more than anyone else. And Orlando needed his shot-making late. That just was not there.</p>. SF. Orlando Magic. EVAN FOURNIER

C. With <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. MARIO HEZONJA

Next: Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Expectations and Excitement

The Magic will have to put this game behind them quickly. They head to Cleveland to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at 8 p.m. on FOX Sports Florida.