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Orlando Magic Grades: Toronto Raptors 112, Orlando Magic 101

By Philip Rossman-Reich

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 8 - Toronto Raptors forward CJ Miles (0) tries to get past Orlando Magic guard Rodney Purvis (15) in the 2nd half as the Toronto Raptors host the Orlando Magic in Air Canada Centre, Toronto, April 8. The Raptors won 112-101. April 8, 2018. Bernard Weil/Toronto Star (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 8 - Toronto Raptors forward CJ Miles (0) tries to get past Orlando Magic guard Rodney Purvis (15) in the 2nd half as the Toronto Raptors host the Orlando Magic in Air Canada Centre, Toronto, April 8. The Raptors won 112-101. April 8, 2018. Bernard Weil/Toronto Star (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic were chasing the Toronto Raptors from behind the 3-point line all night. The Raptors never truly let them catch up in an easy win.

Mario Hezonja was not going to let the score get in the way of his effort. He was going to play to the final buzzer.

Vegas probably wishes he did not. His late 3-pointer helped the Orlando Magic get a push against the Toronto Raptors. That was about the only positive thing anyone could say about anything related to the score in Orlando’s 112-101 loss to Toronto at Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

The Raptors jumped the Magic fairly early with a three-point barrage. Orlando fought back, getting enough of a reprieve and enough of a scoring burst from Aaron Gordon to cut the lead to four. And then they saw the Raptors’ bench pull the lead back out, making 3-pointers the Magic were not able to get out and defend.

Toronto hit 17 of 40 3-pointers in the game. Orlando made just 7 of 23. That difference was far too great to make up. Even if coach Frank Vogel believed his team played an overall fine game, the Magic did not have enough to contest those 3-pointers. Toronto was always able to slowly pull away.

The Magic were not going to go back to their main starters in the fourth quarter. Not in this game or with how the season has played out. They let the young guys fight to cut the lead to a more respectable final margin.

This is how the end of the season goes, though. Better teams are able to go through the motions and defeat teams with other goals in mind. It was not that the Magic did not play hard or play well in every phase. It was more that the team struggled to make the second and third efforts a good team has to make to win.

And who could blame them? There is not much to play for if you are the Magic right now. So the little spurts of effort are when the team reveals what it can do. The generic meandering through the game is what this team was really about.

<a href=. F/C. Orlando Magic. KHEM BIRCH. B+

B. <a href=. PF. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON

B+. One guy who is clearly putting in a ton of effort even as the season has lost its meaning is <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. MARIO HEZONJA

B-. <a href=. G/F. Orlando Magic. TERRENCE ROSS

TORONTO RAPTORS. A. The Toronto Raptors did what the best team in the Eastern Conference is supposed to do against one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. It was a yeoman’s effort and they just showed up, hit shots and took their win. There really was not much to it — even without <a rel=. 58-22. 1st East

Next: Finding a role for Bismack Biyombo remains difficult

The Orlando Magic play their final road game of the season Monday as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks.