The Orlando Magic found a way to bottle up James Harden and used another strong fourth-quarter push to get a big win on their home floor.
All the Orlando Magic needed to do was bide their time. Just like they did Saturday night.
Like in Saturday’s game against the Boston Celtics, there was always the chance the superstar could go off if the Orlando Magic lost their focus. Things always seemed on the edge. But when the time was right, the Magic could go on their run and maybe steal the game.
They just needed to avoid frustration and build confidence. That is not something this group has always done. And it is especially not easy with this opponent.
For the second straight night, Orlando found that will and resolve once again. Trailing by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter and facing down James Harden and the Houston Rockets, the Orlando Magic had plenty of opportunities to fold and give into that frustration.
Again, the Magic did not.
Terrence Ross got going from beyond the arc again and worked inside to get to the foul line. Nikola Vucevic established deep post position and found his touch. And the ball whipped around the perimeter with precision.
And it helped that Harden was missing shots at a historic rate, falling into the Magic’s defensive traps despite scoring 38 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Up by two points after working their way back in, Aaron Gordon drove the lane and got the defense to sink in. He dished it out to Evan Fournier who worked the ball around the perimeter again to Terrence Ross and then to D.J. Augustin.
D.J. Augustin gave a slight pump fake that got James Harden off his feet. He reset and drained the 3-pointer to give Orlando a five-point lead.
For once — or the second time in two nights against a Playoff-caliber team — the Magic flipped a lead into their favor and held on once again, defeating the Rockets 116-109 at Amway Center on Sunday.
Suddenly, Orlando went from 1-5 on a road trip and contemplating the fate of their season to winning back-to-back games against elite teams and somehow sitting a half game out of the final Playoff spot.
Things can change that quickly.
Orlando was not clean all game. Their defense struggled to keep Harden out of the lane for much of the game. When they forced him to settle for his outside shot, which he missed at an alarming rate — 1 for 17 from beyond the arc — Houston’s offense completely stagnated. And Orlando pounced in transition, figuring out how to beat Houston’s switching defense.
It was a weekend of solid victories for a team searching for confidence. The Magic may very well have found it.
The Orlando Magic are next in action Wednesday when they travel to Detroit to take on the Detroit Pistons. The two teams are tied for ninth in the East, one-half game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final Playoff spot.