The Orlando Magic went with their young players to finish off the New York Knicks, using a huge effort from Mario Hezonja to pull away and win on the road.
Mario Hezonja was feeling it. He had hit a 3-pointer to give the Orlando Magic a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
And what was coach Frank Vogel going to do? Pull him? Not a chance. Not with Aaron Gordon and the rest of the starters seemingly done for the night and the game against the New York Knicks taking on a decidedly preseason feel. Both teams would rather finish with their young players.
Hezonja drained a 3-pointer to answer to give the Magic a 13-point lead. He raced to the other end of the court and rotated over to get in front of Kyle O’Quinn. With an expletive-laden statement to O’Quinn to get his shot out of there, he swatted it and started a fast break.
Hezonja was score 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, draining shots with confidence and pacing the Magic to a blowout 97-73 victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. There was a fair amount of energy and chest-thumping as the Magic’s second unit closed the game to deliver a win.
Orlando kept starters Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon on the bench for most of the second half, letting young players like Jamel Artis, Khem Birch, Rodney Purvis and Mario Hezonja finish the game. It was a risky move for winning, but a good one for development. And the young players delivered. Really on both ends.
Neither the Magic nor the Knicks seemed particularly interested in throwing their veterans out there for too long. They did not seem particularly interested in strong execution either.
Orlando shot 42.0 percent from the floor. Gordon had an off night, shooting just 3 for 15 from the floor, missing all eight of his 3-pointers. The Magic winning despite that was encouraging and surprising.
New York seemed unable to generate much offense, even when the team got open shots and outside of O’Quinn’s second-chance points. The Knicks scored just 28 points in the second half — only 12 in the fourth quarter — and shot 34.9 percent from the floor. They hit on just 4 of 27 3-pointers.
It was not a pretty game for the Knicks by any stretch. But that is what happens when there are two teams playing fringe NBA players. The game was ragged at moments. But Orlando kept its energy up throughout the game. Effort was never a question.
And when the Magic have that, they have a chance to win. At least against a team like the Knicks, equally trying to lose and devoid of talent.
Next: Orlando magic offense slowed without Evan Fournier
The Orlando Magic return home to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at the Amway Center.