The Orlando Magic slowed down the Sacramento Kings some. But their offense could not keep up as mistakes down the stretch doomed them in the end.
The Orlando Magic somehow had scratched and clawed their way back into the game against the pace-happy, offensive-minded Sacramento Kings. The team was scratching and clawing, erasing shots behind Mohamed Bamba‘s gargantuan length and the gritty effort from Aaron Gordon.
For a team that was struggling to generate points, those fast-break opportunities mattered the most for this group. They were easy points in a game where nothing came easy.
But it would still come down to half-court execution. Every game does in the end. Fast-breaking basketball only gets a team so far. And the team would have to find shots somewhere on a night where open shots refused to fall.
Jonathon Simmons was looking for someone to inbound the ball, could not find anyone and flung the ball toward the backcourt. The Magic could not catch up and De’Aaron Fox stole the ball and raced in a for a foul, getting the points after Mohamed Bamba blocked the layup too late. That made it a five-point game.
Coming out of a timeout the next possession, Bamba was trying to execute a dribble handoff and turned it over. The Kings were back in control and the Magic were scrambling to find offense. That was not coming as the Kings pulled away to defeat the Magic 107-99 at Amway Center on Tuesday.
Orlando shot 39.6 percent from the floor and 11 of 43 from beyond the arc (25.6 percent), once again setting a franchise record for 3-point attempts in a game. The Magic again got good looks and simply could not get them to fall.
And as the offense struggled, the Kings took control, using a 26-16 third quarter to take the lead. Then using seven fourth-quarter turnovers, many in the final five minutes to cement the victory.
Orlando’s defense may have been more game and more active and energetic to get a win. But the offense simply could not create enough shots to give the team a chance.
The Orlando Magic are next in action Friday against the LA Clippers at the Amway Center.