Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 118, Memphis Grizzlies 86
The Orlando Magic had their breakthrough offensive game, routing the Memphis Grizzlies with an impressive second-half performance.
211. 118. 38. Final. 86
It is amazing how easily things open up with just one shot or a string of shots.
For an Orlando Magic team that has struggled to see the ball go into the basket, it has been easy to become discouraged. Even a momentary mistake becomes amplified because the team simply cannot score consistently. So everyone gets tight and shots start to miss.
As much as makes can spread throughout a team, it has felt like misses also spread to the team. And the Magic have not quite gotten themselves right.
A strong start for the Orlando Magic staked an early lead against the Memphis Grizzlies, but the bench seemingly gave it all away. The team struggled to hit from the outside and Memphis started to pack the paint daring Orlando to beat the team from the outside.
In the third quarter — and after eight games — the Magic finally did.
Evan Fournier buried back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third quarter — part of his 10 points in the period — and the Magic suddenly found life. They zoomed ahead, never letting the Grizzlies back in it. There, Orlando’s suffocating defense could take completely over.
The Grizzlies were going nowhere. They were not coming back, the Magic would not let them. And Orlando finally built the offensive cushion they needed to coast to a 118-86 win at the Amway Center on Friday.
For one night, at least, the offensive problems were gone and the Magic played as the better team everyone promises they are or will be.
The Magic ended the night shooting 47.3 percent from the floor. Their 7-for-28 3-point shooting is hardly going to blow anyone away, it was still worse than 30 percent overall, but it was enough to create the space the Magic needed to attack.
And they attacked. Orlando turned its defense into easy offense. The Magic found cutting lanes and moved the ball pretty effectively to create easy baskets at the rim. Orlando continued a promising trend of getting to the foul line.
The ball still got stuck at times. And the Magic were not always taking great shots. But their starters especially kept the pace going and the Magic were able to keep control of the game throughout.
EVAN FOURNIER. A-. <a href=. G/F. Orlando Magic
JONATHAN ISAAC. A. From the first play of the game, <a href=. F. Orlando Magic
C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. A-. If anyone was waiting for <a href=
B+. <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN
D. The Memphis Grizzlies know they can put up a lot of points. And going against the Orlando Magic’s defense was going to be tough. But Memphis really got very little going on. Except for the spurt in the second quarter and when the benches were in, the Grizzlies struggled to do much of anything.<p>An eight-point fourth quarter really speaks for itself. They allowed a close game to turn into a rout very quickly. Memphis could not crack Orlando’s defense for very long. The Magic just dominated them.</p><p>This was by far Ja Morant’s worst game of his early rookie year (eight points, 3-for-13 shooting, seven assists, six turnovers). No one else really stepped up offensively. That is kind of how this Grizzlies team is going to play. The Grizzlies fought for three quarters. But they did not have the firepower against one of the worst offensive teams in the league so far.</p>. 2-6. 13th West. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Orlando Magic must trust ball movement to save their season. dark. Next
The Orlando Magic’s homestand continues Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.