Orlando Magic Grades: Philadelphia 76ers 126, Orlando Magic 94
The Orlando Magic again got off to a slow start offensively and the Philadelphia 76ers took advantage to blow them out at home for a second straight time.
38. Final. 126. 93. 94
The Orlando Magic sprung to life almost suddenly. And when they did, it felt devastating.
Their collection of long arms, speed and athleticism locked in and shut down anything the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to do.
The famed triple block indeed happened with Mohamed Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Michael Carter-Williams chasing down Tobias Harris and erasing his shot. Jonathan Isaac also collected one more deposit from Joel Embiid.
It would end with Isaac throwing down a monstrous jam. The Magic would have more than a few of those as their transition game got going. Orlando’s offense suddenly came alive, erasing a 21-point deficit and their early game struggles to pull within nine points.
Orlando is and can be a dangerous team even with key players out.
The moment was short-lived though. The 76ers extinguished that little bit of spark that came in the third quarter. They reasserted their dominance quickly and eased to a 126-94 win at the Amway Center on Sunday.
Like Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic struggled to find their footing early with some key absences to the lineup. The Magic played without Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross in the game. The team reported none of the injuries is considered serious.
But that undoubtedly left the Magic shorthanded offensively. And again, the team got off to a slow start. They spotted the 76ers a big lead early on.
Orlando struggled to get its defense reeled in throughout the entire game. Mohamed Bamba picked up three fouls in the first quarter and the 76ers paraded to the line. They had 37 attempts for the entire game.
Fouling was a constant issue throughout the game. That was not a concern earlier in the preseason but became one in this game.
Everything starts with this team’s defense. The Magic had plenty of encouraging defensive moments but they never strung them together enough.
And some of it did not matter with another poor shooting night. The Magic shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and 8 for 32 from beyond the arc (25.0 percent). It is simply hard to win when the shots do not go down. No matter the quality of the looks the team is getting.
Orlando’s ability to go on sustained runs from the beginning of the preseason has seemingly dissipated. The team’s defense is generating brief spurts of offense as the team gets out in transition.
But Sunday, with the fouling, it was hard to get that kind of rhythm. And the Magic’s depth obviously took a hit.
There were a few saving graces in this game. The Magic had more positive moments in this loss than Friday’s loss. But the team is clearly trending the wrong direction with just one preseason game remaining.
B+. <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. MARKELLE FULTZ
Orlando Magic. JONATHAN ISAAC. B-. It took Jonathan Isaac a while to get going. He was always around the basket challenging shots and that created some of his highlights throughout the game. But that also created some of his problems. He too was in foul trouble early in the game and struggled to get his footing.<p>But there was that moment in the third quarter when the world seemed to belong to Isaac. He put the ball on the floor and drove his way to the basket for some serious jams. He was unafraid to get after the defense.</p><p>Isaac finished with nine points on 4-for-12 shooting. He missed all four of his 3-pointers. So there was still a lot left to be desired from Isaac. But he is gaining confidence and clearly has a comfort on the court. That is a step in his development. Even if this version of the Magic may have needed more from their budding young star.</p>. F
MOHAMED BAMBA. C+. Mohamed Bamba got another chance to start and showed just how far he still has to go to be a starting center in this league. The Orlando Magic are not going to turn the keys fully over to him quite yet, even though he looks more comfortable.<p>Joel Embiid had his with Mohamed Bamba early in the game, getting Bamba into early foul trouble and scoring much of his 15 points in the early going. That is where he got to the line most of all, finishing 8 for 9 from the line.</p><p>Bamba would find his footing eventually. He is still best offensively in transition and he was able to run through space really well. Bamba finished with 12 points and hit a couple of 3-pointers. There was still something to be desired on the interior. He finished with just three rebounds. Bamba is better but still learning and working.</p>. C. Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic. AL-FAROUQ AMINU. B. The Orlando Magic have been waiting to see <a href=. F
Next. Orlando Magic's success is far from guaranteed. dark
The Orlando Magic conclude their preseason schedule Thursday at home against the Miami Heat.