Orlando Magic Grades: Milwaukee Bucks 111, Orlando Magic 96

The Orlando Magic struggled to shoot and dug themselves a hole too deep to climb out of. The Milwaukee Bucks returned to even the series.

Final. 96. 38. 111. 89

The Orlando Magic were in constant scramble mode after a poor shooting first quarter. It was a historically bad shooting first quarter actually. It put the team in a hole. But they were going to fight and they were going to stay in the game against the Milwaukee Bucks, knowing full well their desperation to even the series.

There was a small window and a breath of fresh air midway through the fourth quarter. The Magic never let the Bucks completely blow them away as they might have in the regular season. The lead ballooned to as much as 23 in the second half.

Orlando was fighting, scratching and clawing. Falling on its face in some cases, letting the lead get back up again. But always coming back.

This was the last chance.

Climbing aboard Nikola Vucevic‘s broad and confident shoulders despite the team’s anemic offensive night, they came back. The lead was down to nine as Nikola Vucevic did something rare for him, throwing down a one-handed putback jam.

Magic fans know that when Vucevic puts on a dunking highlight, he is having a special night. He was indeed having another special night.

But that is not enough. Not when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the other end. Not when the Magic were not particularly sharp on either end throughout the night. Only little pockets of brilliance shone through.

Antetokounmpo answered Vucevic’s dunk with an emphatic jam of his own, blowing past the wall the Magic set up to slow him down. Then he got in the paint again and fed it out to Brook Lopez for three. Those five points ended any hopes the Magic had of a comeback in a 111-96 Game 2 defeat.

Antetokounmpo had his friends coming with him to the finish line. Vucevic did not. Orlando’s offense never really did come around.

The Magic shot 3 for 24 (12.5-percent) in the first quarter and 1 for 11 from deep. That was a hole that proved too deep to dig out of. Especially because the Bucks were finally able to crack the Magic’s defense.

Milwaukee got the usual 28 points and 20 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo. But it was the 3-point shooting from Pat Connaughton (a Gary Clark-like 15 points on 5-for-8 3-point shooting) and Kyle Korver (nine points with two 3-pointers) and the contribution from Brook Lopez after a poor Game 1 that turned this game on its head.

If not for the Magic’s ability to get to the foul line in the second quarter, this might have turned into a 30-point blowout.

Orlando did just enough to give itself hope. In a way, that is a sign of growth from last year. The team never quit and played to the very end.

But that fight is not going to be enough. That is not real progress. Only winning is progress.

The Magic were stifled defensively, unable to break through the tighter defense the Bucks put on. But the issue was more Orlando’s discipline. The team drove into the paint recklessly and failed to play with pace and energy through its offense.

Orlando was as off-balance as the team’s wayward shots. The Magic were unable to right their ship long enough to get back in the game, letting their poor offense seep into and destroy their defense.

The Magic knew Game 2 would require more. Game 3 certainly will.

A-. A year ago at this time (in the season, not the calendar), we were asking what was going on with Nikola Vucevic and trying desperately to figure out how to get him more involved in the offense and in better spots. This year, we are asking everyone else to help him. No one has flipped his narrative quicker and more forcefully than Vucevic.Vucevic scored another 32 points to go with 10 rebounds in another solid and important effort. He became just the fifth player in Magic history to record back-to-back 30-point Playoff games. He is among the elite in Magic history with this playoff performance. And in this game, he completely carried the team as it struggled to find offense.Vucevic scored 16 of his 32 points in the third quarter, almost single-handedly bringing the team back into the game. Orlando had dreams of winning because of Vucevic. And his defense has been good too. He is doing a good job protecting the lane like he did most of last year. The Magic’s defense has been on point slowing Giannis Antetokounmpo down. And when they do that, Vucevic has been there to clean up the mess.. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC

C. The Orlando Magic won Game 1 despite poor shooting games from <a href=. G/F. Orlando Magic. TERRENCE ROSS

EVAN FOURNIER. C. Evan Fournier has struggled since the season restarted. But the Orlando Magic still have trust in him. They still need to go through these difficulties to get to the player he was earlier in the season. And Fournier made that trust pay off with three humongous 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. He played a smart Game 1, adding five assists very quietly, and keeping the ball moving.This game was a bit more of a struggle for him. He scored 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting with just 1-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. He was shooting a bit off-balance a lot too and settling for the quick 3-pointer. That is what the Milwaukee Bucks did in Game 1 that dug them in a hole.Fournier has to be aggressive and look for his shot. But he needs to be smart and keep the ball moving. Ball movement and player movement will be key to make that happen. The Magic just have to be patient enough to attack it. Orlando is hoping that both Fournier and Ross find their rhythm sooner than later after a week away from the team dealing with their absences.. G/F. Orlando Magic

PG. Orlando Magic. MARKELLE FULTZ. C. The Orlando Magic are seemingly in a point guard debate still. <a href=

B. The Milwaukee Bucks came out with the energy everyone expected from a team down 1-0 in the series and a heavy favorite. They played with more physicality, breaking up some of the Magic’s initial dribble handoff looks and congesting the paint. The Bucks scrambled better to mid-range shooters and were more willing to switch on Vucevic to keep him from getting open early.<div class=. Series Tied 1-1. Game 3: Saturday. MILWAUKEE BUCKS

They made their adjustment. But the big key for them was the contributions they got from the bench. A group that was virtually non-existent in Game 1 stepped up in a big way. The Bucks were able to hit from the outside, making 15 of 41 3-pointers. And those threes, especially in the second quarter, gave the Bucks their lead.

Still, Milwaukee probably is not completely happy with the way it played. Its offense got stuck in the mud on several occasions. And while Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to get free on more occasions in this game, he was still largely held in check — as much as 28 points and 20 rebounds can. His seven turnovers stand out. And the Bucks let the Magic hang around, so long as they make shots.

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B

The Milwaukee Bucks came out with the energy everyone expected from a team down 1-0 in the series and a heavy favorite. They played with more physicality, breaking up some of the Magic’s initial dribble handoff looks and congesting the paint. The Bucks scrambled better to mid-range shooters and were more willing to switch on Vucevic to keep him from getting open early.