By Josh Cohen
Jan. 1, 2018
Aaron Gordon
Gordon started hot, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the first quarter, and he gave the Magic a temporary two-point lead when he buried a step-back fadeaway baseline jumper with just over four minutes remaining. His college teammate, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, did a good job on him defensively in the second half.
Bismack Biyombo
Since jumping into the starting lineup in place of the injured Nikola Vucevic, Biyombo has played with tremendous hustle and determination. He, particularly, did an outstanding job during Monday’s loss on the boards, as nine of his 17 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Biyombo also scored 13 points and blocked three shots.
Elfrid Payton
Though the Magic were unable to hold off the Nets down the stretch, Payton came up clutch in the late stages. He drilled a 3-pointer and hit a floater in the final five minutes before connecting on a game-tying driving AND-1 layup with 47 seconds left. Payton finished with 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds.