Giannis, Bucks wear down lowly Magic in 110-103 win

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- With a lineup full of long, athletic players, the Milwaukee Bucks can make up for poor nights from the 3-point line by wearing down opponents in transition.

They ran away from Orlando on Wednesday night once they figured out how to slow down the lowly Magic.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, Khris Middleton added 22 and the Bucks turned up their defensive intensity after a porous first quarter for a 110-103 win on Wednesday night.

John Henson picked up his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who handed the Magic their sixth straight loss and 15th in their last 16.

"Our defense is our biggest thing right now so we can get out on transition," guard Eric Bledsoe said. "I thought we got a lot of easy buckets in transition - that's our game."

Antetokounmpo was a matchup problem all night around the rim. His play helped make up for the Bucks' poor night from beyond the arc, where they were 4 of 19 (21 percent).

The 6-foot-11 forward backed down Aaron Gordon in the post, then used a spin move to drive for a layup on a three-point play for a 66-57 lead with 7:55 left in the third.

After an empty Orlando possession, Antetokounmpo took a feed along the baseline from Bledsoe for an uncontested dunk. The Magic called timeout but it did not help.

"In the third quarter, the starting group did a really good job of taking control of the game," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said.

Leading by 20 to start the fourth quarter, Kidd was able to get some rest for Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe (15 points) with the Golden State Warriors visiting Milwaukee on Friday night.

Evan Fournier had 21 points to lead Orlando, which cut the deficit to single digits during the closing minutes with reserves on the floor.

Gordon had 11 points but was just 4 of 18 from the field in 30 minutes, including a stretch of 12 straight missed shots in the second and third quarters. He was averaging 24.8 points over his previous five games.

After shooting 50 percent in the first quarter, Orlando tailed off to 32 percent (15 of 46) in the second and third quarters combined.

"I think we're fighting. I think we're playing hard," coach Frank Vogel said. "We're just not a very good basketball team right now. We got to fight and execute."

TIP-INS

Magic: A stretch of losing has led to questions from some fans about whether Orlando should be tanking for a high draft pick. Vogel wants no part of that discussion. "That's not a word I digest. I'm trying to build a winning culture, winning habits. And that's my only focus," Vogel said before the game.

Bucks: F Jabari Parker is on target to return from a left knee injury the week before the All-Star break. Kidd said Parker was doing great and is about a month away from playing. ... Henson had an active night , including eight points and eight rebounds to help the Bucks take a seven-point halftime lead.

OUT OF THE PAINT

Middleton said the Bucks made a concerted effort to keep the Magic out of the lane after the first quarter, forcing them to take contested jumpers. Gordon didn't have his outside shot to make up for his lack of production inside.

"I mean, they've got a long defense," Gordon said. "They don't make it easy for you to score at the rim. My outside shot definitely was not falling tonight."

NO SHOT

The Magic also had a tough night from 3-point range, shooting 2 of 13 (15 percent) in the first half. They finished 8 of 29 (27 percent), including 4 of 8 by Marreese Speights (14 points).

QUOTABLE

"Energy-wise, it was a 10. Sharing the ball, getting stops ... I thought they did a great job." - Kidd.

UP NEXT

Magic: Wrap up a three-game trip with a visit to the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Bucks: Reach the midpoint of the season by hosting Golden State on Friday.

Mavericks beat Magic 114-99, stop 3-game slide

By SEAN SHAPIRO
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) -- Dennis Smith Jr. and Yogi Ferrell helped set the pace for the Dallas Mavericks in their 114-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

It started with rebounding.

The 6-foot Ferrell led the team with eight boards, the 6-3 Smith had seven and the Mavericks used that spark to get offense going the other way.

"Me and Yogi run (after rebounding)," Smith said. "We find each other on the break pretty well, and when we can get into the paint it opens up the floor for everybody."

Ferrell said it was a result of the rest of the team boxing out, and he just benefited by grabbing the ball.

"Those guys do the hard part. We do the easy part and get boards," Ferrell said. "When we do that it gets our break started a lot quicker."

It also led to a balanced scoring output for Dallas.

Dirk Nowitzki and Smith each scored 20 points as the Mavericks stopped a three-game slide. Wesley Matthews had 16 points for Dallas, which got its first win since Dec. 31 against Oklahoma City.

Harrison Barnes and Ferrell scored 15 apiece, while J.J. Barea had 12 assists and eight points.

"Yogi came in and really changed the game," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "His impact on the offensive and defensive ends - his energy was great. In the first half, he was the one guy who was really battling on the boards for us, the shortest guy out there."

Carlisle earned his 708th career win, moving past John MacLeod for 17th in NBA history. Next up is Gene Shue with 784.

Aaron Gordon scored 19 points for Orlando, which has lost five in a row. D.J. Augustin had 18 points, and Marreese Speights finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Magic have allowed at least 100 points in four of their last five games and have lost 14 of 15.

"They've just got to do better," coach Frank Vogel said. "We've got to figure that out."

The Magic led 48-43 at halftime, but Nowitzki and Smith helped the Mavericks rally with 15 points apiece in the second half.

With his team leading 66-64 and 4:04 remaining in the third quarter, Ferrell made a pull-up jumper and Barnes followed with another jump shot. The Mavs carried an 82-75 lead into the fourth.

"We didn't stick with the same energy that we had in the first half," Augustin said. "We didn't come out and execute like we were supposed to, like we did in the first half, and it kind of fell apart at the end."

The Magic pulled within four in the final period before the Mavericks closed the game with a 14-3 run over the final four minutes.

Dallas shot 51.8 percent from the floor. Orlando shot 45.6 percent and had 13 turnovers in a sloppy offensive performance.

OFF THE BENCH

Gordon didn't start after he violated team rules. Vogel didn't elaborate on what rule, but Gordon indicated it had to do with being late to a team function.

"Obviously, it hurts. I want to be on the floor as much as I can and starting," Gordon said. "I understand that time management is crucial. Being punctual is part of character. Having a high character leads into winning. It's the little things that matter, so I understand why they did it."

THE LOGO

Nowitzki went 7 for 7 from the free throw line and is tied with Jerry West for the sixth-most free throws in NBA history at 7,160. Michael Jordan ranks fifth with 7,327.

TIP-INS

Magic: F Wes Iwundu and C Kehm Birch were recalled from the G League.

Mavericks: Dallas has not lost a season series to Orlando since 1997-98. The final scheduled meeting between the teams is April 4 in Orlando.

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Mavericks: Visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Williams pours in 31 as Clippers dump Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Los Angeles Clippers have started winning the old fashioned way.

Reserve guard Lou Williams scored a game-high 31 points, leading a patchwork lineup that was filled with heart and hustle, sparking the Clippers to a 106-95 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

The Clippers (11-15), who lost starting guard Austin Rivers to a concussion in the first half, won their third consecutive game, despite playing without four of their top five leading scorers.

"We're just playing hard," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "We don't have the luxury of talent, where we can where we can out-talent the other teams. We're just going to go out and play harder than the other team."

Center DeAndre Jordan, who has stepped into a leadership role, dominated around the basket with 16 points, 20 rebounds and two blocked shots in 36 minutes.

Reserve Sam Dekker was the only other Clippers' player to reach double figures. He had 12 points and hit two of his four 3-point attempts. Five other Clippers scored between six and nine points.

"When you are loaded with talent, you can just rely on that talent to win, but we don't have that anymore," Williams said. "When you're talent goes down, everyone else has to step it up and win that way. That's what we're doing now. You outhustle your opponent."

Williams, who scored 35 points Saturday against the Wizards, made 11 of 22 shots Wednesday and added eight assists.

Jonathon Simmons led the Magic (11-18) with 20 points and eight assists. Center Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton scored 13 points. Mario Hezonja, in his second start of the season, managed 17 points and nine rebounds.

"We struggled," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "We have enough to score, but we need everyone to play at their best. Some guys had good nights, but some guys struggled. You can't do that and expect to get a W."

Rivers was especially pleased with Jordan, who managed at least 17 rebounds in five of his last six games.

"We need him to be great right now, and that's what he's been," Rivers said. "Not just with his defense but with everything. He is doing the things to help you win games."

The Clippers, already playing without Blake Griffin, Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari, lost Rivers just before halftime. Rivers, who scored nine points, left and never returned after being hit in the face with an elbow from Simmons.

Rivers, who was trying to stop Simmons from finishing a layup, was called for a foul. He stayed on the ground for two minutes after the play while teammates gathered around. He was helped to the locker room, where doctors determined his concussion symptoms. He will miss at least one or two games under the NBA's concussion protocol.

The Clippers reserves outscored their Magic counterparts, 62-25. The Clippers outrebounded the Magic 51-45.

After a poor first quarter, the Clippers went on a 14-0 run in the second and never relinquished the lead. The Magic never seriously challenged in the second half.

The Clippers led 74-68 going into the fourth period. They led by as many as 11 points in the third after a 3-pointer by C.J. Williams.

Los Angeles was ahead 45-40 at intermission, riding a 24-7 run that closed the second period. They scored 14 consecutive points during that surge.

Williams had 14 points in the first half, but made only 4 of 10 shots. Hezonja led the Magic with 12 first-half points. Orlando led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter, but struggled through the second, third and fourth periods.

NOTES: The Magic activated four players Wednesday from their G League team, a reflection of their injury woes. Leading scorer F Aaron Gordon remained in the NBA's concussion protocol. Orlando also was without its second leading scorer G/F Evan Fournier (sprained right ankle). ... The Clippers beat the Magic for the eighth consecutive time. ... Los Angeles G Lou Williams is averaging 18.6 points as a reserve this season, tops in the NBA. ... After the game, the Clippers left for Washington, where they play the second contest of a four-game road trip Friday night. The Magic, who lost for the 14th time in the past 16 games, are home Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Walker, Hornets stroll past Magic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On a night when Charlotte coach Steve Clifford called in sick, Kemba Walker turned out to be just what the doctor ordered for the Hornets.

Walker returned after missing the previous two games with a shoulder injury and scored 29 points as the Hornets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 104-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday.

Associate head coach Stephen Silas, who subbed as Clifford stayed home with an undisclosed illness, said that Walker's return was the key to the game.

"Kemba was obviously awesome," Silas said. "To have him back, he's our leader, and he made some great plays on both ends. We were really excited to have him out there leading us again. ... He wasn't going to let us lose tonight, and that was special. We missed it the last few games."

Walker was a perfect 14 of 14 from the free-throw line, part of a collective effort which saw the Hornets go to the line 40 times to Orlando's 14. The Hornets made 33, Orlando 12.

"It's very hard to get to the line that many times, especially if you're Kemba's size," Silas said. "But we stayed in the pick-and-roll, he got out in transition some and was able to run. Cliff always says if we can run in the fourth (quarter), that's good for us. Especially against a team that played yesterday. So (Walker) was able to get out and get in transition and get to the free-throw line."

The Hornets led 75-74 going into the fourth quarter but pulled away down the stretch. The key stretch may have come when the Hornets had what amounted to a six-point play.

With the Hornets leading 79-76, Frank Kaminsky dunked with 9:15 remaining. Orlando's Marreese Speights was called for a flagrant-1 foul against Cody Zeller after the dunk as the two battled for position, and Zeller hit two free throws. Then Jeremy Lamb hit two free throws on the ensuing possession for an 85-76 lead.

The Hornets (9-13) went on to lead by as many as 12 from there.

Kaminsky finished with 14 points. The Hornets also got 12 each from Lamb and Dwight Howard, who moved past Paul Silas into No. 19 on the NBA's career rebound list after grabbing nine boards on the night. Nicolas Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11 each, and Batum had 11 rebounds.

"We stuck with the game," Walker said. "Early on it was kind of sluggish and slow, then at the end of the second quarter we kinda picked it up and we moved the basketball and moved ourselves as well. We got great shots. Offensively, we played pretty well. Defensively, we played well as well.

"We have to continue to play great defense so we can play great offense. Whenever we win, it's because we're playing some great defense. Our defense leads to our offense."

The Magic (10-15) were led by Evan Fournier's 18 points. Jonathon Simmons scored 15, Aaron Gordon scored 14, D.J. Augustin 13, Elfrid Payton 11 and Nikola Vucevic 10. Orlando had 20 turnovers in addition to going to the line 26 fewer times than the Hornets.

"We turned the ball over too much," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "We let them get to the free-throw line too much. You can't do that on the road and expect to get a W. It's disappointing. You know we've got to take care of the ball. It cost us the win tonight."

Augustin said: "It's a tough loss. A game like that, we felt like we should have won, so to not get it done hurts. We can't turn the ball over, especially against a team like that who's got a lot of firepower. We can't turn the ball over. We've got to play better on offense and just stay together."

NOTES: The Hornets won the only previous game between the teams this season, 120-113 in Charlotte on Oct. 29. The teams will also meet in Orlando on Feb. 14 and April 6. ... The Hornets have now won nine straight over the Magic over the last three seasons. ... The Hornets were without G Julyan Stone (illness). ... The Magic were without F Jonathan Isaac (sprained right ankle) and F Terrence Ross (sprained right MCL). ... The Hornets had been idle since a 105-100 loss at Miami on Friday, while the Magic were doubling back from a 105-100 win at New York on Sunday. ... The Magic will return home to face Atlanta on Wednesday. ... The Hornets were starting a four-game homestand, all this week. They will host Golden State on Wednesday, Chicago on Friday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Oladipo, Bogdanovic lead Pacers over Magic 105-97

By DICK SCANLON
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — It might have been Victor Oladipo’s best all-around game at the arena where he played his first three NBA seasons.

Oladipo had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven steals to lead the Indiana Pacers to their fourth straight win, 105-97 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

The venue and the opponent had very little to do with it, according to the Pacers guard.

“Honestly, this year every night fuels me,” Oladipo said. “We’ve got to go out and compete in the NBA against the best of the best. That competitive juice, that competitive edge is already running through my veins.”

Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 40 points in the second half, 14 of them during a 16-3 third-quarter run that put the Pacers in command.

Oladipo’s seven steals were a season-high and he also had five assists.

“He’s taking that leader role,” teammate Lance Stephenson said. “He’s bringing it every night and being that guy that we need him to be.”

Bogdanovic scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, making five of six 3-pointers.

“He was red-hot for us,” said coach Nate McMillan. “Part of the reason we’ve gone to an eight-man rotation is to try to get him minutes at the four position.”

Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost their fifth straight.

The Magic finished with 22 turnovers and shot 33 percent in the second half to fall below .500 for the first time this season.

After a dunk by Aaron Gordon late in the first quarter, the Magic were down 23-22 despite making nine of their first 12 shots, including four of five 3-pointers. They never regained their shooting touch.

“Somewhere in the third quarter we lost our rhythm, started over-dribbling, got stagnant,” Vucevic said. “I don’t know why because it was working so well for us (in the first half). Then we started forcing stuff.”

Two straight Orlando turnovers helped Indiana take a six-point lead before the Magic closed the first half with 11 straight points for a 55-50 advantage.

Oladipo and Bogdanovic scored 22 points in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Bogdanovic gave Indiana its first double-digit lead with 4:11 left in the game.

A couple of 3-pointers by Evan Fournier and a 12-foot bank by Gordon pulled the Magic to within three in the final minute, but Oladipo set up Bogdanovic for a 3-pointer that put the Pacers up by six with 16.8 seconds left.

DOWNWARD TREND

The Magic’s five straight losses have been by an average of 16 points.

“We’re trying,” coach Frank Vogel said. “Nobody’s happy with how we’re playing, and we know we’ve got to dig ourselves a little bit out of a rut here.”

TIP-INS

Pacers: After making 11 of 23 attempts at Miami on Sunday, Indiana came into the game as the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team (.404). They made 8 of 20 Monday night.

Magic: Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac missed a fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle. ... The Magic outrebounded the Pacers 50-48 after coming into the game with the NBA’s worst rebounding percentage.

UP NEXT

Pacers: After a three-day break, the Pacers will play Toronto Friday night in the first of three straight home games.

Magic: Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota will open a four-game trip.

Speights’ 3-point outburst leads Magic past Pelicans, 115-99

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Marreese Speights held his follow-through as he watched his fifth 3-pointer in a six-minute span swish though. The 6-foot-10 forward then turned away with his lips pursed and three fingers extended on each of his hands, which he held down below his hips as he galloped triumphantly toward the other end.

Speights highlighted an 18-point performance by hitting five of his career-high six 3-pointers during a decisive 22-6 run, and the Orlando Magic soundly defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 115-99 on Monday night.

Speights’ second 3 of the game made it 87-83 in the final minute of the third quarter. He drained four more early in the fourth, after which Orlando led 106-89.

Magic coach Frank Vogel called it “a luxury” to have a front-court player like Speights who can score from the perimeter coming off the bench.

During his first six games with Orlando this season, Speights attempted nine 3s, hitting three. He was clearly more confident in his shot in New Orleans, attempting 10 3s, often without hesitation and from a foot or two behind the 3-point line a couple times.

“When you see a guy come in and make every shot, you feel like it’s your night,” Magic small forward Evan Fournier said of Speights’ effect on the game. “So we’re like, ‘OK, we’re not going to lose this game.’”

Speight’s previous career high for 3s in a game was four. He said he was apprehensive during the early years of his NBA career to shoot from beyond the 3-point line, but starting doing so more about halfway through his second of three seasons with Golden State.

“When I come into the game, I feel like I’m hot, and to be able to have open shots like that, you’ve got to knock them down,” Speights said. “My teammates did great finding me.”

And New Orleans did a poor job of contesting those shots, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

“You’ve got to get in the air space and that takes effort,” Gentry said. “He shot too many open shots, if you ask me.”

Nikola Vucevic, Jonathon Simmons and Fournier each scored 20 points for Orlando, which shot 50.6 percent (43 of 85) from the field and 47.1 percent (16 of 34) from 3-point range. Aaron Gordon added 17 points.

Anthony Davis had 39 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which was coming off a lopsided victory over Cleveland on Saturday, but was unable to threaten the Magic during the final seven minutes. DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and 12 assists for the Pelicans, and Jrue Holiday scored 11 points.

“They made us pay in the second half with all of the open 3s,” Davis said. “We did not correctly do the things we can control. We just need to come out with more energy on the defensive end.”

TIP-INS

Magic: Scored the first eight points of the game and led 33-24 after the first quarter, when Fournier hit three 3s and scored 11 of his points. ... Orlando came in averaging 117.2 points and has reached 113 in all seven of its games.

Pelicans: Cousins, who entered the night second in the NBA in turnovers with five per game, had two passes intercepted in the first 3:31 and finished with six turnovers. ... The Pelicans were aiming for their first winning record since the last day of the 2014-15 season, which also was the last time they made the playoffs.

RESILIENCE

Fournier said winning on the second night of back-to-back games is “the hardest thing to do in NBA basketball,” and that the Magic should be proud to have done it twice already this season.

The victory in New Orleans came a night after a loss in Charlotte.

“But we should have the same mindset all the time,” Fournier added. “That’s the way we should play for 82 games.”

UNFLATTERING NUMBERS

The Pelicans made only seven of their 28 3-point attempts, hitting only 3 of 18 from deep in the second half, when they scored just 35 points after leading 64-40 at halftime. They also turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 25 Magic points.

“It just wasn’t our night offensively, so we’ve got to do better the next game,” said Holiday, who had six turnovers. “We’ve got to be better taking care of the ball and I will personally get better.”

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit Memphis on Wednesday night for their third game in four nights.

Pelicans: Host Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Walker-Howard duo lifts Hornets past Magic, 120-113

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — General manager Rich Cho’s decision to pair Kemba Walker with Dwight Howard is off to a rousing start in Charlotte.

The Hornets’ All-Star point guard is meshing extremely well with an eight-time All-Star center looking to jumpstart his NBA career while playing for his third team in three seasons.

Walker had 34 points and 10 assists, Howard had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Hornets defeated Orlando 120-113 on Sunday night to snap the Magic’s three-game win streak.

On two occasions, Walker found Howard for an alley-oop dunk — and the pick-and-roll has opened more avenues for Walker to score.

Walker credits the duo’s early success to constant communication with Howard, saying they talk at length after every game and practice. Walker also said they text constantly during off days.

“We are trying to make sure we are on the same page,” Walker said. “I tell him I am going to be learning ways to get him the basketball and just be patient with me. And that is what he has been doing. And he’s opening up so many other aspects of my game. He attracts so much attention and gets other people open.”

The Hornets are 3-3 despite starting the season without injured Nic Batum, the team’s highest-paid player.

Howard likes that he and Walker are cut from the same competitive cloth.

“It’s good that both of the leaders on the team have that chemistry together — and it’s only building,” Howard said.

Orlando entered averaging 118 points per game — second-most in the NBA behind Golden State — and having scored at least 100 in all five games.

Charlotte was just better, though.

The Hornets led by as many as 16 in the second half, but Orlando cut the lead to 95-92 with nine minutes remaining.

That’s when Walker took over, knocking down a 3-pointer and scoring — plus a foul — on a drive past former teammate Bismack Biyombo. Walker then drove into the lane and dished to Marvin Williams for an easy score to push the lead back to nine. Williams finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Walker later scored off a drive and knocked down another 3 to quell another Magic rally.

“We just weren’t physical enough and we didn’t take him out of his rhythm,” Magic guard Terrence Ross said. “He kind of got to his sweet spots and that kind of hurt us and he got going once he got more comfortable.”

The Hornets outrebounded the Magic 59-40.

“The sense of urgency, I don’t think it was there for us this night,” Orlando’s Aaron Gordon said. “Just lackadaisical. We weren’t finding our man, we were letting them get too many second-chance points and that’ll kill you. We just weren’t doing the little stuff.”

Jonathan Simmons led the Magic with 27 points off the bench on 9-of-15 shooting. Evan Fournier added 23 points, while Ross and Gordon each had 17.

TIP-INS

Magic: It was a tough night for point guard D.J. Augustin, held scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting. ... Orlando shot 26.3 percent in the first half from 3-point range. ... Adreian Payne (hand) and Elfrid Payton (hamstring) did not play. ... Orlando shot 42.3 percent from the field.

Hornets: Walker also grabbed six rebounds and became the first Hornets player since Raymond Felton to have at least 30 points, 10 assists and five boards in a game.

IN LIKE A LAMB

Jeremy Lamb had 20 points, marking his sixth straight game with at least 15 while filling in for Batum. “I’m trying to be aggressive and do the things to help my team win,” Lamb said. “I’m playing off the guys and taking my shots.”

BALL MOVEMENT

Magic coach Frank Vogel wasn’t thrilled with his team’s ball movement.

“Our guys were trying,” Vogel said. “They tried to play really fast but you have to get open. Charlotte does a good job of making you work for everything and then you get in the paint and they’re swarming and sprinting out to the perimeter. And they’re a good defensive team.”

STICKING AROUND

After the game, the Hornets announced they exercised their fourth-year option on Frank Kaminsky, who did not play because of an illness.

NEED MORE

Despite the win, Hornets coach Steve Clifford was concerned about the lack of production he’s getting from his bench. “The starters can’t play 30-something minutes every night,” he said.

UP NEXT

Magic: At New Orleans on Monday night.

Hornets: At Memphis on Monday night.

Gordon, Fournier rally Magic to 125-121 win over Nets

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — On a team that’s at its best when consistently moving the ball, there are times Aaron Gordon seems to be working counter his Orlando Magic teammates.

But Gordon’s habit of taking quick shots and playing isolation basketball came up big for the Magic during their 125-121 comeback win over Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Gordon scored a career-high 41 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining.

“I just shot confidently, it was a quick shot,” said Gordon, who also finished with a game-high 14 rebounds. “It felt good coming off my hands.”

Gordon was 5 for 5 from 3-point range and converted 14 of 18 from the field in 37 minutes.

There were times when Gordon’s penchant for rushing shots worked against the Magic, especially as they fell behind by as many as 12 points in third quarter. But Gordon remained aggressive all night and defended his actions on the floor after the game.

“I definitely shot the ball well,” he said. “Regardless of the statistics, regardless of the numbers that I shot, I’m going to continue to shoot my shot. I feel that I’m open and that I’m in rhythm, whatever happens after that it’s out of my control. I’m going to take what I know I can do.”

Gordon had missed the Magic’s previous two games, a close loss to Brooklyn and a blowout win over Cleveland on Saturday, with an ankle injury. In both games the team benefited from good ball movement and shot selection.

They shot 51 percent and had 30 assists in last week’s five-point loss to the Nets, then had 28 more assists in the victory at Cleveland.

But against the Nets on Tuesday night, Orlando (3-1) finished with just 20 assists on 41 baskets.

“I’m glad we got a ‘W’ but there is a lesson in this game,” said Evan Fournier, who finished with 28 points. “We got away from moving the ball and we can’t have that. We’re not the type of team that can play (isolation) ball or pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll. Our strength is body movement and ball movement. We basically waited three quarters to do it.”

But when the Magic got back to the style of play that suits them best they were able to bounce back in the fourth quarter against a Nets team that had taken a commanding lead by scoring on fast breaks and in transitions off Orlando misses.

It looked as though the Nets (2-2) would have their second win of the season over the Magic when DeMarre Carroll snatched a rebound out of Nikola Vucevic’s hands and took the ball up for the go-ahead layup with 48 seconds remaining.

But Gordon answered with his 3-pointer followed by two free throws by Fournier for the four-point win. The Nets missed three consecutive 3-point shots in the waning moments to end the game.

D’Angelo Russell finished with 29 points for the Nets.

“Disappointed. We had our opportunities,” Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Obviously, we had a lot of open looks. It’s a make-or-miss league.”

TIP-INS

Nets: Russell made his first four 3-pointers in the opening five minutes of the opening quarter. Russell finished the first half with 15 points after cooling off the remainder of the half. ... The Nets outscored Orlando 9-4 on second-chance points and 12-6 on fast-break points during the first two quarters.

Magic: Point guard Elfrid Payton missed his second straight game with a hamstring strain. Coach Frank Vogel said he is unsure when Payton will be ready to go. ... Vucevic, who had been the Magic’s most consistent player in their first three games, got off to a slow start. He was 3 for 10 from the field and 0 for 3 from 3-point range to finish the first half with just six points. Vucevic ended the night with 12 points, which included a 0-for-5 showing from 3-point range and just 6 of 17 from the floor.

QUOTABLE

“I think we’re two teams struggling to push up in this league and struggling to make strides. There is a lot of energy there and a lot of want from our guys to kind of improve themselves from last year.” — Atkinson, on the improvement of both Brooklyn and Orlando.

UP NEXT

Nets: Host Cleveland on Wednesday night.

Magic: Hosts San Antonio on Friday night.

Magic sign F Iwundu

The Orlando Magic have signed second-round draft pick Wesley Iwundu, the team announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-7 Iwundu, who was the 33rd overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, averaged 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Kansas State last season.

He was selected to the All-Big 12 third team by the coaches in both his junior and senior seasons.

Elfrid Payton has 22 points, Magic beat Nets 115-107

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Orlando Magic might finally have found something to build their future around.

Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon, the team's first-round picks in the 2014 draft, lead the Magic to a 115-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

Payton had 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, and Gordon added 21 points, six rebounds and two monster dunks off alley-oop passes from Payton.

"It's been a tough year for us in the win-loss column, but those two guys (Payton and Gordon) have really developed, especially in the second half of this season," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "They've been getting a little bit better, a little more confident and that's been a fun thing to be a part of."

Jodie Meeks contributed 20 points to help Orlando end a five-game losing skid.

Jeremy Lin led Brooklyn with 32 points, and Caris LeVert added 20.

Payton had eight assists during the third quarter when Orlando outscored Brooklyn 36-21 to break open a game that was tied at 50 at halftime. Half the assists went to Meeks, who scored 13 straight points in the middle of the period when Orlando seized control of the game.

But it was the Magic point guard's pass to Gordon at the end of a fast break that brought the house down. Payton looked like he was heading for a layup, but instead banked it hard off the backboard and the trailing Gordon grabbed it above the rim and slammed it home to polish off a 24-5 Magic run.

"That's the first time I've ever done that in a game," Payton said of his pass. "Aaron and I have talked about it before, but we finally got a chance tonight. The chemistry between us is growing and I'm looking forward to working on it more this summer."

The Nets had a season-high three-game winning streak, but didn't have the legs to run with Orlando in the third quarter. Brooklyn did start the fourth period with a 12-2 run that closed the gap to 88-83 with eight minutes left in the game, but never got closer.

"I don't think we did the things defensively that were necessary to keep us in the game," Nets' coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They outplayed us individually and collectively. Credit to them, they did a good job."

"They came out with more energy than us in the third quarter," said Nets' center Robin Lopez, who had a very quiet night with 10 points and five rebounds. "I felt like I was just flat out poor tonight. That was rough. We definitely took a step back tonight."

TIP INS

Nets: SG Sean Kilpatrick sat out the game with a hamstring injury. ... The Nets bench is averaging a league-best 49.7 points a game since March 1. They had 39 points against Orlando. ... The last time the Nets won four straight was in March 2015.

Magic: Scoring leader Evan Fournier was out with a slight hand injury. Payton is the only Magic player to play in every game this season. ... Former Magic player and recent Hall of Fame selection Tracy McGrady sat courtside.

UP NEXT

Nets: Home against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Brooklyn has lost four straight at home against the Bulls.

Magic: Home against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Orlando is 0-3 against Frank Vogel's old team this season.

Cavaliers host Magic, set sights on first place

Stats, LLC

CLEVELAND -- It's been a slow and arduous process, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to round into championship form for the playoffs.

Cleveland has won its last two games, including a 135-130 thriller over the Indiana Pacers in double overtime on Sunday. Should the Cavs beat the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, they will again tie the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.

And guess who Cleveland plays Wednesday? That would be the Celtics. In Boston.

"I was glad we were able to pick up the win," James said after slogging through 52 minutes and recording a triple-double with 41 points against the Pacers. "We need any one."

James was matched with Indiana's Paul George, who scored 43 points. As the Cavs try to address the defensive issues that have plagued them throughout the second half of this season, James guarding the opponent's best scorer is becoming more of a norm.

Not that he or his teammates had particular success guarding George on Sunday, especially in the two overtimes. George scored 19 points in the extra sessions, including the first 16 before James scored a point. George also scored the Pacers' first 13 points in double overtime.

"We've got to get on a roll and win some games and in the playoffs he's going to have to guard the best players at that position," head coach Tyronn Lue said of James. "He wanted to take the challenge."

J.R. Smith, whose season has been marred by injury and inconsistency, may be catching fire at the right time. He's made 14 of 25 3-pointers over his last three games, including six in Sunday's win. Smith is also averaging four rebounds and 1.3 steals during that stretch.

"He's working every day, trying to get in shape, get his legs, shooting the ball every day," Lue said. "He's putting in the work, and when you put the work in you get results, so he's getting in better shape."

The Celtics won't play again until they host the Cavaliers. Cleveland, meanwhile, has to deal with a Magic club that is struggling, to be sure, but one that gave the Celtics all they could handle in a 117-116 loss on March 31. Elfrid Payton missed a layup at the buzzer that could've beaten Boston.

Orlando has lost four straight and five of the last six after a 121-111 loss at Brooklyn Saturday.

As an aside, the Cavs have defeated the Magic 16 consecutive times, which is the longest winning streak against a single opponent in team history and is tied for the longest active winning streak for one team against another.

"It's very frustrating, and the most frustrating part about it is we can't pinpoint (what's wrong)," Magic forward Aaron Gordon said. "Well, I can't specifically pinpoint it, nor is it my job to pinpoint it, so I'm just going to come out play the next game like I love to play the game of basketball, as I do."

Cleveland had four players on the court for at least 42 minutes against the Pacers. The Cavaliers are 0-6 on nights when James doesn't play, and don't have the luxury of resting stars if they want to steal back the No. 1 seed from Boston.

"Um, we play Tuesday? I'll be ready Tuesday. I'll be ready to go Tuesday," James said.

The Magic signed Patricio Garino and Marcus Georges-Hunt out of the D-League on Monday and waived C.J. Wilcox, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Lopez leads Nets over Magic, 121-111

By MICHAEL SCOTTO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets dominated inside the paint and off the bench to beat the Orlando Magic.

Brook Lopez scored 30 points and Trevor Booker had a season-high 23 in a reserve role to lead the Nets to a 121-111 victory on Saturday.

"That must have been Booker's best game of the year, probably," Jeremy Lin said. "He was incredible with the energy."

Sean Kilpatrick added 15 points for the Nets, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Booker and Kilpatrick helped Brooklyn's bench outscore Orlando's 72-16.

Brooklyn also had a season-high 72 points in the paint.

"Brook is really hard to guard down there," Lin said. "We keep trying to find ways to exploit the defense with his size and his touch. I think he's finding a great balance inside and outside. I felt like he really made his presence known tonight."

Elfrid Payton had 20 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for his fifth triple-double of the season for Orlando, which has lost four straight games. Nikola Vucevic had 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon finished with 22 points and 15 boards.

"I think we were just a little step slow today," Payton said. "They were really driving the paint. Just hard drive after hard drive and kick out until they got something they liked."

Brooklyn opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 100-89 lead and never looked back.

"I think Brooklyn's bench came in and took over the game during that stretch to start the fourth quarter to build a big lead," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "I credit their bench."

Orlando rallied from a seven-point deficit at halftime to tie the score at 89 heading into the fourth quarter. Vucevic scored 12 points in the third.

Brooklyn took a 60-53 lead into halftime. Lopez led Brooklyn with 18 points while Gordon and Vucevic led Orlando with 13 points apiece at the half.

Orlando opened the game with a 15-5 run before Brooklyn rallied to tie the score at 33 apiece after the first quarter.

TIP-INS

Magic: Vogel has been impressed with Terrence Ross since arriving from Toronto in a midseason trade. "He's exceeded our expectations," Vogel said. "We knew he was a good scorer off the bench. We're using him as a starter and with heavy minutes. He's a dynamic offensive player with his 3-point shooting and you can put the ball in his hands and he makes good decisions. He can attack long closeouts and get to the rim too with athleticism. He's multidimensional offensively and one of our better perimeter defenders as well." . Jeff Green (sore lower back) was out.

Nets: Brooklyn doesn't plan on resting veteran players. "We're not going to rest," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "I've been saying how important I think it is for us to finish this season strong and I do think seeing more of Jeremy together with the group is helpful. Our mentality is to have positive momentum heading into this important offseason." ... Quincy Acy (sore left ankle) and Joe Harris (sprained left shoulder) were out.

BENCH BUNCH

Brooklyn's bench came in averaging 45.5 points, second in the league to the Lakers' 48.0. The 72 points Saturday was the Nets' third-highest total this season. They had 81 points on March 23 at Phoenix and 73 on Jan. 20 at New Orleans.

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit Cleveland on Tuesday, which will conclude a three-game road trip.

Nets: Host Atlanta on Sunday. Brooklyn then hits the road four of the final five games of the regular season.

Westbrook scores 57 in Thunder's 114-106 OT win over Magic

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) With as prolific a scorer as Russell Westbrook is, the Oklahoma City Thunder never feel as though any deficit is too much to overcome.

Oklahoma City stormed back from a double-digit deficit behind another eye-popping performance by Westbrook to upend Orlando 114-106 in overtime Wednesday night. Westbrook scored 36 of his 57 points - the most in a triple-double in NBA history - after halftime and had 13 rebounds and 11 assists to help the Thunder clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

It was the largest comeback win in Oklahoma City history.

On Monday night, Westbrook had a 13-point outburst in the final three minutes to rally the Thunder past Dallas.

"I always say this about him, he never believes he is out of it or we're out of it," said Thunder coach Billy Donovan, whose team improved to 43-31. "And he plays with an incredible competitive spirit. He plays with an unbelievable spirt. He always has a huge heart, he's always a huge competitor and he finds ways to make things happen.

"Overall, it's incredible what he is doing."

Westbrook, just as he was two nights earlier, was the catalyst late in the fourth quarter and into the overtime period as he took every big shot and Orlando had no defensive answer. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, which included the 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game into overtime with his 50th point of the night.

He scored seven of his team's 12 points in overtime as OKC pulled away from the Magic. He has 38 triple-doubles this season.

"I'm very thankful to the man above for allowing me to play the game I love," Westbrook, who finished one point shy of tying his career high. "And my teammates make it easy for me and give me a lot of opportunities to make plays like this."

Westbrook's performance was so impressive and dominating that chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" began to dominate Amway Center by late in the fourth quarter.

"Words really can't describe it," OKC guard Victor Oladipo said of Westbrook's performance this season. "It's just an honor to be able to play alongside him. It's amazing to watch him and it's good for me to watch, too."

Enes Kanter added 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Thunder, and Oladipo had 13 points while returning to Orlando for the first time since being traded by the Magic last June.

Evan Fournier finished with 24 points and Terrence Ross added 23 for the Magic, who were eliminated from the playoffs before tipoff.

"This is really a tough one," said Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who missed some clutch free throws at the end of regulation and the start of overtime. "We had so many opportunities to close out the game and didn't. We went to me a lot and I didn't deliver. I missed a couple of go-to shots in the fourth and some free throws. "

TIP-INS

Thunder: Entered Wednesday night in sixth place in the Western Conference standings, but just 2 1/2 games out of the coveted fourth-place spot. The top four teams are guaranteed home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. ... Through the first 73 games of the season, Westbrook averaged 31.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10.4 assists, which is second in NBA history to Oscar Robertson through the first 70 games of a season. ... Westbrook had nine points, four rebounds and two assists in the first quarter, but he also had five turnovers.

Magic: Orlando was eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs after Detroit lost to Miami on Tuesday night. The Magic have now missed the postseason five straight seasons. ... Team founder Jimmy Hewitt was inducted into Orlando Magic Hall of Fame before Wednesday night's game. ... Forward Jeff Green missed his fourth straight game due to back spasms. He is listed as day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Begin a three-game homestand on Friday against San Antonio. The Spurs and Thunder have split in their two previous games this season.

Magic: Start a three-game road trip at Boston on Friday. The Celtics have defeated Orlando by 30 points in each of the first two meetings this season.

Magic prepare for visit from Westbrook, Thunder

Stats, LLC

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlando Magic know from several run-ins with Russell Westbrook the past few years that he is a handful.

The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard was in Orlando in October 2015, he forced overtime with a half-court shot and had 48 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a double-overtime victory.

In the November 2016 meeting between the Thunder and Magic in Oklahoma City, Westbrook finished with 41 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists, but the Magic won by two.

This season without Kevin Durant at his side, Westbrook is putting up massive numbers. It is difficult to stop him. And that will be the focus for the Magic as the teams meet Wednesday at the Amway Center.

"He's going to make plays," Magic point guard Elfrid Payton said after the Magic's practice Tuesday. "That team is going to make wild plays. But you got to keep fighting and keep fighting to the end and you will have a chance to win."

The Magic are coming off a 131-112 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Cory Joseph had a season-high 13 assists and DeMar DeRozan went off for 36 points. Orlando's defense struggled to corral and contain both players off the dribble, allowing them to get to their spots and set up teammates.

That is the exact kind of attack Westbrook is known for. He will put pressure on the Magic's defense in just about every way. And he will certainly take up most of the scouting report when the teams meet.

Even then, it may not be enough to stop this tour de force.

Westbrook keeps opposing coaches up at night as they prepare to play the Thunder. This season has only unleashed him even more.

Without Durant, Westbrook has been on an individual statistical assault in a way that has not been seen since Oscar Robertson.

Westbrook is set to break the record for most triple-doubles in a season. He is at 37; the record is 41. He will likely become the first player to average a triple-double since Robertson's 1962 season.

What sets Westbrook apart is not just his physical and athletic talents but his will. The Dallas Mavericks saw that Monday night.

Oklahoma City erased a 13-point deficit with 3 1/2 minutes to play, winning 92-91 on a Westbrook drive and bank shot with a few seconds to play.

That possession was set up by Westbrook crowding and harassing J.J. Barea and tipping an inbounds pass off Barea.

Westbrook is everywhere. And when he gets things going, there is no way to defend it.

"When the ball was being taken out of bounds, it gave him a head of steam," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He can get a full run and you're kind of backing up because at that point you're worried about him getting to the rim. But then he obviously creates that space with his speed, and then he can stop when he gets to 15 feet -- that's about as good a shot as you're going to get."

The Thunder sit one game behind the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference standings. The seventh-place Memphis Grizzlies are 2 1/2 games behind Oklahoma City.

DeRozan scores 36, Raptors top Magic 131-112 for 6th in row

By DANIEL GIRARD
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) DeMar DeRozan started his new work week the way he finished the old one, and the result was a sixth straight victory for the Toronto Raptors.

DeRozan, selected Eastern Conference player of the week earlier in the day, scored 36 points as the Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 131-112 on Monday night.

"We can't get comfortable just because we won a few games," said DeRozan, who had consecutive 40-point games among his three outings last week. "Even tonight, we could have done a lot better. We gave up too many points.

"We've still got to stay focused on the defensive end and let that win us games and not so much rely on scoring 130 points."

Cory Joseph had his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 assists for the Raptors (45-29). Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points and nine rebounds.

Elfrid Payton had 22 points and nine assists for Orlando (27-47). Evan Fournier added 20 points, and Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

It was the first game between the teams since the Raptors traded Terrence Ross to the Magic for Serge Ibaka in February. Ross finished with 17 points, while Ibaka had 16 points and seven rebounds.

"It was fun, besides the loss," Ross said of his return to Toronto, which included a video tribute on the scoreboard. "It was good seeing everybody appreciate what I did over the years.

"I didn't think people would respond the way they did ,so it made me feel like I was back at home."

The Raptors took a 99-89 lead into the fourth quarter.

DeRozan's basket gave Toronto a 19-point lead with 8:15 to go in the period but the Magic, winners of seven games this season after falling behind by double digits, fought back.

Bismack Biyombo made a pair of free throws to cut the Toronto lead to five with 12 seconds to go in the quarter.

But after DeRozan hit a jumper, Delon Wright stole the inbounds pass and sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Toronto its double-digit lead back going into the fourth.

"That's a momentum killer," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "But credit the Raptors, they played a terrific basketball game."

Toronto shot a season-best 59 percent from the field, including 10 for 15 from beyond the arc.

The Magic shot a solid 49 percent but were just 4 of 20 on 3s.

"It was brother-in-law basketball," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We'll take the win but we can't be happy with our defensive performance, trading baskets like that."

After four ties and seven lead changes in the game's first 15 minutes, the Raptors took charge over the final nine minutes of the second quarter to take a 73-57 lead into halftime.

DeRozan was 7 for 10 from the field in the first quarter and Toronto shot 63 percent.

"They made tough shots - fall-aways, fade-aways," Orlando's Aaron Gordon said. "They were moving the ball very well and they executed."

TIP-INS

Magic: Ross received a standing ovation after a tribute commemorating his 4 1/2 seasons in Toronto was played on the scoreboard during the first timeout. ... Orlando has hit a 3 in 812 consecutive games, the fifth-longest active streak in the NBA. ... The Magic had a 66-58 edge in the paint. ... Orlando dropped to 2-18 this season when its opponent shoots better than 50 percent from the field. ... Payton has scored in double figures in each of the last seven games.

Raptors: DeRozan's conference player of the week award was his fourth of the season. He averaged a league-best 33.3 points in three games last week. ... Valanciunas pulled down his 3,000th rebound in the second quarter, second to Chris Bosh (4,776) on Toronto's career list. ... The 73 points were the most the Raptors have scored in the first half this season. ... Toronto fell one point short of the franchise mark for a non-overtime game, set earlier this season against Brooklyn. ... Joseph also grabbed six rebounds.

HE SAID IT

"The guys were knocking down shots. Anyone I was passing to was hitting." - Joseph on his 13 assists.

UP NEXT

Magic: Orlando returns home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The Magic won the only previous meeting this season, 119-117 on the road in November.

Raptors: Toronto hosts Charlotte on Wednesday. Toronto is 2-1 in the season series, including a 90-85 victory in February as the Raptors outscored the Hornets 32-10 in the fourth quarter.

Payton's triple-double helps Magic rout Pistons 115-87

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The late-season shift to a smaller and quicker lineup has seemed to benefit all of the remaining Orlando Magic players, especially Elfrid Payton.

The third-year player has been on an impressive run since Frank Vogel made the change to small ball just before All-Star break, and his latest impressive performance further damaged Detroit's playoff hopes.

Payton continued his impressive run Friday night with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists - his fourth triple-double in the last 10 games and seventh of his career - in helping the Magic rout the slumping Pistons 115-87.

"He was scoring the ball on one-on-one plays in the paint, trusting the pass and he is doing a good job of creating and obviously the rebounding is about hustle," Vogel said. "He was terrific tonight and he is on a good run right now, a good rhythm the last three, four or five weeks or so."

Payton says the shift in style of play, which was triggered when the Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for guard Terrence Ross, has been good for the entire team and should the Magic well going into next season.

"I think it benefits everyone in the locker room and it's starting to show," Payton said.

The Magic turned in what was easily their best and most dominant performance of the season as they moved the ball well and consistently made the extra pass for the best shot. Ross led all scorers with 18 points on the strength of 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. But all five starters scored in double figures on a night when the team shot nearly 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range while finishing 36 assists on 47 field goals for the night.

"This was our best win of the year, our most complete game," said Vogel, whose team has won three of its last four. "It's important that these young guys learn to play the right way and that we find some chemistry within our group here going into next year. How we finish is important."

As an impressive of a win as it was for the Magic, it was an even more deflating loss for the Pistons. Detroit is fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff berth and entered the night just one game out of eighth place.

But the Piston played without much of a sense of urgency as the trailed throughout the game and fell behind by as many as 33 points. Tobias Harris was the lone starter to score double figures as Detroit lost its third straight game and sixth of its last seven.

"I don't know," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said when asked if his team has given up. "You'd have to ask them."

TIP-INS

Pistons: Ish Smith started ahead of Jackson at point guard for the second straight game. ... Marcus Morris was 1 for 7 from the field and had just four points in the first half. ...Detroit shot just 28.6 percent from the field in the first quarter.

Magic: Jeff Green missed his second straight game due to back spasms. ... When the Magic took a 90-60 lead on Mario Hezonja's two free throws with 1:46 left in the third quarter, they surpassed their biggest lead of an opponent this season, which was 29.

BOTTOMING OUT

For a team that is trying to make playoff run, the last three losses are particularly trouble to the Pistons. They've lost three in a row to three teams on the outside of the top eight seeds in the East, including Chicago and last-place Brooklyn.

"These last three games we played the bottom half of the league, games where we don't have to play that many guys and be able to compete," said Marcus Morris. "But we are playing everybody and getting the (crap) beat out of us."

UP NEXT

Pistons: Detroit takes on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Magic: Orlando hits the road to take on the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on Monday.

Hornets rally in the fourth quarter for 109-102 win

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Charlotte Hornets aren't sure they have enough time to climb into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but the feeling is whatever chance they have is giving them purpose down the stretch.

The Hornets certainly looked the part of a team on a mission Wednesday night as they fought back from an early fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Orlando 109-102 for their third straight victory. Charlotte also swept the four-game season series with the Magic.

"It just gives us a chance, it gives us a reason to keep fighting," said Charlotte guard Kemba Walker, who finished with 22 points and seven assists. "A lot of teams are not in the same position as us."

The Hornets (32-39) entered the night in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings but just three games out of eighth place. It will be difficult to make up that much ground with just 11 regular season games to go.

"I think when you get to these 15 or 16 games they know what we are playing for," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said.

Charlotte played like a team fighting for a playoff berth as it came back from a 10-point deficit with torrid run that began late in third and continued into the fourth as it took over the lead. The Hornets' bench played a huge role in the comeback with Frank Kaminsky coming in to score 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

During a key 5-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter Kaminsky scored 11 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, to help the Hornets outscore Orlando 20-10 to rally and take a nine-point lead with 2:14 remaining in the game.

"I just kept shooting the same shots I was getting the whole game and they went in," said Kaminsky, who was 6 of 13 from the field and 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point arc.

"That was difference."

In addition to Kaminsky, the Hornets also got major points on the bench from Marco Belinelli, who finished with 20 points after a big first half in which he hit three of four 3-point attempts. Charlotte's bench outscored the Magic's 46-32.

"They held it down for us, even in the second half they brought the game right back and tied it up," Walker said of the bench. "We were able to go into the game and finish it off."

It was another frustrating night for the Magic, who seemed to run out of energy in the fourth quarter when they were outscored 32-20 after ending the third quarter with a five-point lead.

"I do think we played well," said Orlando coach Frank Vogel, whose team's slim playoff chances continue to fade as the Magic fell to 26-46. "It's the best game we played against these guys, but you've got to make plays down the stretch."

TIP-INS

Hornets: Kaminsky came into Wednesday night's game averaging 16 points in the previous three games since returning from a shoulder injury. ... Walker has pushed his career-high average to 22.7 per game this season, which ranks him No. 2 in Hornets history in per game average.

Magic: After Wednesday night's 14 points and 12 rebounds, Nikola Vucevic has recorded a team-high 32 double-doubles and has 190 in his career. ... Reserve power forward Jeff Green did not suit up Wednesday night due back spasms.

RESERVE UNIT

Charlotte's bench has had its problems this season but with Kaminsky back healthy after missing five games with a shoulder injury, that has changed the last few games.

Against the Magic, it was the reserves led by Belinelli that cut the 10-point deficit in half in the second quarter. Then in the fourth, Kaminsky led the comeback that ultimately led to the win.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Charlotte returns home to take on the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. The Cavs are 3-0 against the Hornets this season.

Magic: Orlando finishes a three-game home stand against Detroit on Friday night. The Magic and Pistons are 1-1 on the season.

Magic storm back to beat 76ers 112-109 in OT

By TERRANCE HARRIS
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Magic coach Frank Vogel had a simple message for his players at halftime, and he wrote it in bold letters on the locker room white board:

ENERGY - Orlando found it after the break.

The invigorated Magic rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit, then outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 in overtime Monday night.

Orlando won consecutive games for the first time since late December. It was coming off a three-game West Coast swing.

"It did a lot," point guard Elfrid Payton said Vogel's halftime emphasis on energy. "Obviously, we knew we were sluggish. Playing against a team like that that just plays hard, we have to match that. I think we were able to do a good job of that."

The Magic, which had fallen behind by 16 points in the first two quarters, bounced back when their hustle level went up a notch in the third quarter and continued to elevate in the fourth and overtime periods. Players like Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Bismack Biyombo and Payton all came out with improved energy in the second half.

Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but it was the play of Ross, Fournier, Biyombo and Payton after halftime that seemed to make a difference against a Philadelphia team that had just nine available players.

Ross had all 11 of his points after halftime, including a jumper to put Orlando up 106-104 with 34.7 seconds remaining in overtime - he was just 3 for 14 from the field when he took the shot. The Magic made six straight free throws from there to hold off Philadelphia.

"He is a confident guy and he knows we have the utmost confidence in him. If he is open, we want him to shoot that shot, we know he can make that," Payton said of Ross. "It's tough to go out when you are shooting 3 for 14 and shoot that shot with the same confidence as you shot that first one. He did, and that's a big shot for us."

The Sixers, meanwhile, feel like they let one slip away on a night they were severely undermanned but got a dominant performance from their third-string center Richaun Holmes, who was pressed into duty with Jahlil Okafor out. Holmes tied a career high in points with 24 and established a career best in rebounds with 14. Philadelphia also got 24 points and 13 rebounds from Robert Covington after defeating Boston on Sunday.

"We ended up with a beaten down group," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "We played yesterday, but I think it really does show the character of the team and how we've been trying to play almost the entire year."

TIP-INS

76ers: Okafor missed the game with right knee soreness, and veteran Gerald Henderson was given the night off to rest because it was a back-to-back game. ... With Okafor and Henderson out, the 76ers were down to eight healthy players, but second-year swingman Justin Anderson flew out to Orlando on Monday morning to join the team. Anderson missed Sunday's game and was listed as doubtful for Monday with the flu.

Magic: Meeks was on the floor for the first time since dislocating his thumb on Jan. 18. Meeks, acquired in a trade with Detroit last summer, had missed 26 straight games and has missed a total of 45 games this season after sitting out the first 19 games after undergoing foot surgery after the trade. ... Payton had a rough start, scoring two points, committing two turnovers and committing three fouls in the first 6:50 of the game. He didn't play the rest of the first half.

UP NEXT

76ers: Philadelphia continues its five-game trip in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The Thunder are 14-1 against the 76ers since moving to Oklahoma City.

Magic: Orlando will host Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Hornets have won six straight over the Magic.

Kings beat Magic 120-115 to snap eight-game losing streak

By JEFFREY WEIDEL
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) After squandering several big leads in the past week, the Sacramento Kings were pleased to finally play well down the stretch.

Darren Collison had 19 points and 13 assists, reserve Anthony Tolliver also scored 19 points and the Kings beat the Orlando Magic 120-115 on Monday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Last week, Sacramento led by 28 points before a second-half collapse led to a loss in San Antonio. Two nights later the Kings led by 15 points heading into the fourth quarter before falling to Washington in overtime.

"It was great to get a win in the fashion we got it tonight by closing out the game," said Garrett Temple, one of seven players in double figures.

Tolliver scored five straight points in the closing minutes and had eight in the fourth to help the Kings improve to 2-8 since trading DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break. The eight-game losing streak was the longest for the Kings since the 2014-15 season.

"He got some good looks tonight and started to feel it," Kings coach Dave Joerger said of Tolliver. "We tell him his green light is very green. We want him taking shots."

The Kings had one of their best games from beyond the arc, going 16 of 30. The Kings made four 3-pointers late in the third quarter, outscoring the Magic 35-26 in the period to take a 93-84 lead into the fourth.

"We talked about how they had been shooting 3s well since the (All-Star) break," said Elfrid Payton, who had 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season. "We got out of our rhythm in the third quarter and they made some 3s to build the lead."

Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Magic, who dropped their third straight game. Evan Fournier made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and Aaron Gordon had 17.

The Magic have been in a major tailspin since owning a 15-18 record on Dec. 26. They have dropped 26 of 36 since and own the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

"We're giving up the 3-point line right now. The last three games we've allowed a high number of 3s going up," Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. "We have to get that under control and tonight transition defense was really hurting us."

Willie Cauley-Stein had 18 points for the Kings and rookie Buddy Hield had 17.

The Kings were in the playoff hunt before trading Cousins. Now postseason hopes are a distant memory with Sacramento 5 1/2 games in back of eighth-place Denver.

Cauley-Stein had a dunk to break a tie and Tolliver followed with another one, but Gordon responded with a 3-pointer to pull the Magic to 113-112. Tolliver's 3-pointer gave the Kings a four-point cushion with 43 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Magic: The NBA's worst 3-point shooting team was 3 of 14 in the first half, but finished 13 of 34 ... Orlando is 12-22 on the road.

Kings: Veterans Kosta Koufos and Ty Lawson had "planned rest" nights and Tyreke Evans missed the game with a sore left ankle. ... Collison and McLemore each had four-point plays in the second half.

CLUTCH COLLISON

A veteran point guard, Collison has had to adjust since the departure of Cousins. Accustomed to having the All-Star post player as the focus of the offense, the Kings now lack a major scoring threat. Sacramento has only had three 20-plus scoring games since Cousins departed.

The 13 assists were a season high for Collison, who made a pair of 3s and hit all seven free-throw attempts.

"I thought Darren Collison played a heck of a floor game. Not just scoring, but setting up Willie on some rim runs and finding guys on the open 3s," Joerger said.

UP NEXT

Magic: Get a few days' rest before playing at Golden State on Thursday.

Kings: Start three-game road trip Wednesday against Phoenix.

Walker scores 23, Hornets blow out Magic 121-81

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Things haven't gone exactly as Marvin Williams and the Charlotte Hornets planned this season.

But the veteran forward said he's optimistic the Hornets can still make a playoff run despite a midseason funk. They got headed in the right direction Friday night with a dominating 121-81 win over the Orlando Magic.

"We're in a playoff battle right now," Williams said. "We're in a fight and we're on the outside looking in but everybody's still staying alive. We're still staying upbeat and working as hard as we can."

Charlotte (29-36) entered the night three games behind the Chicago Bulls for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and in need of some momentum heading down the stretch.

Williams helped provide it.

Kemba Walker scored 23 points and Williams chipped in with 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Williams provided the highlight of the night with a monster jam over Bismack Biyombo on a three-point play that was replayed on the scoreboard several times, drawing louder roars each time.

Williams said Biyombo had asked him before the game to come participate in some of his offseason basketball development camps in his native Africa after the season. When asked what he said to Biyombo after posterizing him, Williams laughed and said, "I was asking him if I was still invited."

"Marvin's on a roll," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "He's played really, really well. He's done everything. He's scored, he's rebounded and his defense is always good."

Nic Batum added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Walker, who earned NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier this week, was 9 of 13 from the field and knocked down five of his first seven 3-point attempts in only 24 minutes of action.

This one was never close as Charlotte posted its first wire-to-wire win since April 13, 2016.

"They came out red hot and even when we had good coverages they were knocking down 3s," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "They were red hot and we were ice cold. Sometimes the game goes that way but you have to show some competitive spirit when you get down and we didn't have any of that tonight."

TIP-INS:

Magic: Aaron Gordon had 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting for the Magic, who have lost three of their last four. ... Elfrid Payton was coming off back-to-back triple-doubles, but didn't come close to adding to that total against the Hornets. He finished with eight points, 12 assists and two rebounds.

Hornets: Improved to 18-13 at home. ... Have won six straight against the Magic. ... Are 18-2 overall and 12-0 at home when holding opponents fewer than 100 points. ... Walker now has a career-high 187 3-pointers this season.

BIG BENCH PRODUCTION

The Hornets led by as many as 20 in the first half behind strong play off the bench from Marco Belinelli and Brian Roberts, who combined for 33 points. Charlotte stretched the lead to 27 in the third quarter and shot 60 percent for the game.

Christian Wood had 14 points and Jeremy Lamb 10 off the bench.

"Last year our bench was our absolute strength. This year it hasn't been," Clifford said. "It's as simple as that."

WHERE'S ROSS?

Terrence Ross was held scoreless in nearly 28 minutes of action, missing all five shot attempts from the floor. "Terrence will be fine," Vogel said. "He had a tough night. We have to make sure we can get him the ball in better spots. That's what I can do."

UP NEXT

Magic: Orlando's schedule only gets tougher as they host the Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Hornets: Charlotte also has a back-to-back, hosting the Pelicans on Saturday night.