2018-19 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Evan Fournier

Best Game of 2019

Jan. 21 at Hawks: 29 points, 7 assists, 9/18 FGs, 3/6 3FGs

Whenever the Orlando Magic needed to fix any problems they had, the Atlanta Hawks always seemed to be the ones to fix those issues. Orlando outscored Atlanta by 20.2 points per game in their four meetings, winning by no less than 10 points in any of the four meetings.

Each game seemed to be one better performance than the last — even that 10-point win saw the Magic hold the potent Hawks to 91 points.

For Fournier, the Magic’s first meeting with the Hawks was exactly what he needed. A game that broke him momentarily from his funk while still maintaining the added playmaking that began to characterize his game.

It was also big that he got better as the game went along and as the Magic took control of the game.

Fournier struggled early in the game, especially with turnovers. He was falling into the same struggles that had made his season so difficult. He was trying a bit too hard.

Fournier let go of a lot of that as the game went on. He got hot and into one of those zones he has gotten into throughout his career. Fournier will just go on massive scoring binges. That was the threat that seemed to be missing from Fournier throughout the season. He just could not get hot.

Not for long stretches.

The game against the Hawks was one of the few times he was able to get hot and get things going in the right direction. It was one of the few games where Fournier had his rhythm working and looked like the Fournier the team had relied on.