Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 130, Los Angeles Lakers 117
The Orlando Magic’s offense came alive in the second half and tore apart the Los Angeles Lakers to reach .500 once again and guarantee a winning homestand.
It was seemingly becoming too easy for the Orlando Magic in the third quarter. D.J. Augustin would get the ball at the top of the key and set up a pick and roll and stare down a lane opening up and parting for him to get to the basket.
The adjustment never came. The lane stayed wide open and it became D.J. Augustin’s constant playground.
Augustin scored nine points of his 22 points in the third quarter, dishing out three assists. Many of those helped set up Nikola Vucevic. he scored 16 of his season-high 36 points in the quarter as he feasted on the smaller defenders the Los Angeles Lakers kept switching onto him.
That was the cap to a run that started in the second quarter thanks to the Magic’s defense. And it was the cap to a 130-117 victory at the Amway Center, helping the Magic return to .500 at 8-8 on the early season.
Orlando found the spark on the defensive end in the second quarter and never seemed to relent.
Jonathan Isaac, still playing on a minutes restriction in his second game back after a sprained ankle, made sure his presence was felt throughout. He had four of his career-high five blocks in the second quarter, twice sending LeBron James shots back to sender.
That helped get the Magic going in transition and helped get the team’s energy back up. That was all needed for the team. The Lakers put a lot of pressure on teams with their pace and James’ overall brilliance. Orlando had to withstand plenty of that action in this game.
But James was not able to do it alone. He was largely limited and sat most of the fourth quarter with the Magic comfortably ahead. Only a small lineup with the Lakers’ reserve players could cut into the lead. But nowhere near enough to make the team truly sweat. Not with James on the bench at least.
Orlando could once again count on a full team effort to help deliver them a win.
A+. D.J. Augustin unfairly took a lot of heat for simply being the last point guard standing on the roster. Instead of feeding into that narrative, Augustin has simply gone out and put together solid basketball. Efficient and purposeful with his probing drives, crisp and accurate with his passes and deadly with his shooting. He does not turn the ball over and does not make mistakes.<p>Then he went out and just torched the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense. He scored nine of his 22 points in the third quarter, helping charge the Orlando Magic’s run to take complete control of the game. The Magic blew out the Lakers with Augustin crisscrossing through the lane and finding shooters along the perimeter. He dished out seven assists.</p><p>Augustin’s third quarter was just a clinic in offensive basketball. The Lakers were powerless to keep him out of the lane and he made them pay over and over again.</p>. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN
C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. A+. If D.J. Augustin was the catalyst for the Orlando Magic’s offensive burst in the third quarter. <a href=
A-. <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. JONATHAN ISAAC
B. <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON
C. The Los Angeles Lakers started their three-game East Coast road trip on a four-game win streak. The team was racing out on the break and getting monster games from LeBron James to help spark the team over .500 and help them find a groove and an identity. The team seemed to have things rolling early on in this game too.<p>Then it all kind of stopped. The Lakers were not able to recapture their energy and flow on either end after James exited in the first quarter and they were playing catchup the rest of the way. Their defense just opened up and allowed the Magic to drive through the lane with impunity. Orlando was far more effective in transition too.</p><p>If it were not for a late rally from the Lakers’ deep bench players like <a rel=. 8-7. 9th West. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Next. Jonathan Isaac cannot afford a sophomore slump. dark
The Orlando Magic return home Sunday to face the New York Knicks in a rare home-home back-to-back.