The Orlando Magic played a stellar offensive game, but could not overcome frustrations with the officiating and poor pick-and-roll defense in overtime.
The Orlando Magic were scrambling trying to erase another late deficit. The team had dug itself a seven-point hole against the streaking Denver Nuggets and were fighting once again to get back in the game.
In regulation, Orlando had erased a five-point deficit with a little less than two minutes to play when Terrence Ross somehow got free for a wide-open 3-pointer with six seconds to play. He paused for a moment and said he had the time to take his time for the jumper that sent it to overtime.
But the team was scrambling and frustrated as their offense suddenly went cold. The team was pressing trying to keep up in overtime and frustration was beginning to boil over.
Evan Fournier was ejected after picking up his sixth foul trying to front Nikola Jokic. A massive free throw disparity — 37 to eight in the Nuggets’ favor — beginning to send the Magic into some hysterics.
But it galvanized them and helped them climb within three late in the game.
Fans saw on the replay what happened next. The refs did not.
Jamal Murray took the inbounds pass and on replay appeared to step out of bounds twice trying to get around a screen with Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic chasing. The whistle stayed silent then and Nikola Vucevic reached in with 24 seconds left. That foul sent Murray to the line as a cascade of boos rained in on the officiating.
Evan Fournier had already expressed his displeasure with the evening’s officiating on his way out of the game. The Magic were only getting angrier as things went on. Now trailing by five, the Magic just did not have the time of the composure to reel the Nuggets back in one time.
The poor officiating down the stretch and the Magic’s poor reaction to it eventually did everyone in. The Magic fell to the Nuggets 124-118 in overtime at Amway Center, leaving the game a bit testy and frustrated, knowing they let one slip away yet again.
Orlando hit 20 3-pointers in the game, taking 49 in the game in total. But the team made just one of nine shots in overtime, often settling for contested jumpers or rushed 3-pointers. The Magic seemed to be in a hurry throughout overtime and their execution was lacking.
Coach Steve Clifford more rightly deflected all questions about the officiating to the team’s poor pick-and-roll defense. But even his frustration was clear.
Orlando gave up 54.9 percent shooting themselves. And while it felt like the Magic’s defense was not given any benefit of the doubt defensively, the Nuggets still drew a lot of fouls and shooting fouls against them.
Still, Orlando should feel like once again it did enough to win the game against an elite Western Conference team. And once again the team left it on the board.
That might be the most frustrating thing of all.
The Orlando Magic return to the Amway Center on Friday to take on the Indiana Pacers.