Orlando Magic Grades: Indiana Pacers 120, Orlando Magic 109

Nikola Vucevic was one of the lone bright spots for the Orlando Magic. He was the only player on the Magic who put together a complete effort all game.

Posting a stat-line of 24 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, Vucevic did most of his damage on offense shooting from the perimeter — knocking down 2 3-pointers and multiple midrange jumpers. The Magic have turned the Vucevic “pick-and-pop” into their offensive staple, certainly when all else is failing. He got himself going especially in the second half, giving the Magic a small chance to come back.

On the defensive side, Nikola Vucevic held his own guarding Myles Turner, who is always a tough cover. Turner had little luck scoring inside, but did plenty of damage from the perimeter. It will be important to see how Vucevic continues to fair defending the pick-and-roll, considering a first-round match-up with the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks is on the horizon.

Gordon put up a good stat line with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He was aggressive and looked to get to the basket, willing to make T.J. Warren work on the low post. Gordon seemed determined to carry the Magic offensively and will them back into the game. If it were not for Gordon’s energy in the first half, the score may have been even more lopsided. When he wasn’t serving as the fulcrum of the offensive, he was bailing on the team by creating a shot.

Gordon’s defense on TJ Warren was spotty at times, especially during the first quarter. Once the playoffs begin, Gordon will likely have a tough cover every night so improvement is needed here.

Ross finished the game with 20 points, while sinking three 3-pointers. He was also 9 for 9 from the free-throw line in total. This is the type of player he is and this type of scoring off the bench will be imperative for the Magic moving forward.

Although the Magic are looking for a more complete performance out of Ross, this second half should be a foundation to build on. As we’ve seen so far in the bubble, once a shooter gets going it can continue game after game.

Fultz’s stats left much to be desired (10 points, three rebounds and three assists), but the main takeaway here is that his jump shot continues to look better and better. He was 100-percent from the 3-point line, sinking two open jumpers. He has to continue to be aggressive and confident in his shot.

But the biggest complaint here, and one that needs to be addressed by the Magic coaching staff, is Fultz’s inability to stop dribble penetration. Indiana Pacers backup guard T.J. McConnell was able to do whatever he wanted on offense. This is not to put all of the blame on Fultz as the Magic help defense was not great. But as the point of attack on defense, you can not continue to let the opponents guard drive all the way to the paint on every play. Fultz has the athletic ability and body to be a great defender. It will just need to come with time.

This all starts with TJ Warren, who ended the game with 32 points on 13-for-17 shooting, 4 for 5 from three. Warren has been far and away from the biggest breakout star so far in the seeding games, averaging 39.6 ppg in three games.

As a team, the Pacers finished shooting 54.8 percent from the field as the “law of averages” worked against them, but that is still impressive. The most notable things the Pacers do, and have done all season, is space the floor and swing the ball. They are leading the NBA in mid-range scoring and it seems like their coaching staff has encouraged players to take a step back and launch more threes. They were lethal and efficient and the Magic never threatened them.