Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 130, New Orleans Pelicans 119
The Orlando Magic had their best offensive performance of the season, outpacing the New Orleans Pelicans as they welcomed back Nikola Vucevic.
38. 119. 69. Final. 130
The Orlando Magic want to run. They want to take their chances in transition when they come up. But playing fast is not their forte. They are not a team that is going to take chances to create turnovers. They want to control the pace and set up their defense, their greatest strength.
The New Orleans Pelicans are the opposite. They are all energy, trying to race to the other end of the court and catch the defense sleeping. They are constant motion and hope they can catch defenses unaware.
A horse race is not a game the Magic can win most often. They need their controlled tempo.
Against a team that is not quite as efficient or sound defensively, they have the horses to win. They did so against the Washington Wizards (twice) and Phoenix Suns already this season.
The open court is still where the Magic are at their best. They may not enjoy controlled chaos, but they can still find success. There may not be a more dangerous offensive option for the Magic than Markelle Fultz. Just ask Jrue Holiday.
He had the audacity to try to go for a steal and got Markelle Fultz delivering a quick behind-the-back dribble to get past him before he hammered home a one-handed jam to end the first half. The Magic offense kept it moving and kept it going in the second half, taking as much as a 25-point lead in the second half for a 130-119 win at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Magic hit their season-high total and hit 17 3-pointers. They scored 41 points in the third quarter alone.
The ball whipped around the perimeter throughout the second half and found the open man. The Magic had an incredible balance to their game with eight of the nine players who played scoring in double figures — Aaron Gordon the lone outlier.
Orlando will rarely get 54 points off the bench. But the team had offensive consistency throughout the game. The Pelicans were not able to get stops.
The Magic’s defense needed some time to come around. The team struggled with pick and rolls and with the pace early on. The Pelicans were always able to hit 3-pointers and worked that 25-point deficit down.
The Magic built their lead because their defense shaped into form. The slowed the Pelicans long enough and forced 17 turnovers.
That is what got players like Markelle Fultz or D.J. Augustin the ball in the open floor. And that is what got the ball moving to the open man. The Magic met little resistance and sent the Pelicans to their 12th straight loss.
It was a much-needed win for the Magic. With a much-needed return.
B+. That return came from <a href=. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC
A. <a href=. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN
When <a href=. F. Orlando Magic. JONATHAN ISAAC. B+
B-. When Markelle Fultz has a runway and a little bit of rhythm, he is an extremely dangerous player. He can finish with explosiveness at the rim and is crafty with the basketball. Fultz can get to the rim and dish out the ball with ease. If he is finishing around the basket and able to get into the heart of the defense — much less, get out in transition — he is close to unstoppable.<p>Fultz had that all going throughout the game on his way to 10 points and seven assists. He helped set the tone early on in the game with his drives. The Magic had their rhythm and pace working. And even when things sped up, Fultz looked very much at home.</p><p>That is not to say things are all perfect. Fultz has played like a rookie this year and that was evident plenty throughout the game. He had three turnovers. And Fultz struggled to contain players in pick and roll. His defense is opportunistic but not quite disciplined yet. Those are young player’s mistakes. And the good far outweighs the bad.</p>. PG. Orlando Magic. MARKELLE FULTZ
6-21. 14th West. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS. C. The New Orleans Pelicans certainly had the energy of a team trying to avoid a franchise-record 12th straight loss. They play hard and know who they are. They let go from the 3-point line often and want to push the pace to beat their opponents down the floor. They have good gravity and good shooters. This is a dangerous team.<p>The Pelicans had that all on display throughout the game. New Orleans shot plenty and made plenty. The pressure was always on Orlando to match. But the Magic were able to match. The Pelicans provided little resistance defensively. And when they went through a difficult time scoring against the Magic’s defense, the Pelicans’ opportunity to win went with it.</p><p>Jrue Holiday (29 points), <a href=
Orlando Magic fans are starting to make waves. dark. Next
The Orlando Magic are now 12-14 and continue their road trip Tuesday in Utah against the Utah Jazz.