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Magic vs. Warriors: Postgame Report

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John Denton
Jan. 22, 2017

ORLANDO – It doesn’t take an analytics expert to know that 3-pointers count more than two-point baskets – both in terms of points on the scoreboard and emotional swings – and when the high-octane, star-studded Golden State Warriors are drilling shots from beyond the arc foes usually have a difficult time keeping pace.

The Orlando Magic matched the Warriors every step of the first 24 minutes before Golden State awoke from its early-morning slumber and started pouring in 3-pointers from all corners of a jam-packed Amway Center.

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 29 points and seven 3-pointers in the third quarter alone as Golden State broke a close game open just after halftime and ran away with a 118-98 defeat of the Magic before a sellout crowd of 18,846.

Tied at 50 at the half, Golden State put on a breath-taking shooting display in the third quarter to suck the life out of the Amway Center and drain the drama from a close game. The Warriors (38-6) outscored the Magic (18-28) 42-24 in the third thanks to eight 3-pointers in the 12-minute stretch. It was Golden State’s 11th 40-point quarter of the season and it improved to 10-0 this season in games with such an explosive period.

``There’s just no margin for error,’’ Magic coach Frank Vogel said of Golden State’s explosiveness. ``The way you punch back is by making shots yourself and moving the basketball yourselves. They’re going to hit guarded shots and get you in scramble situations where their shooters are open. You’ve got to play both ways against these guys.’’

For the game, Golden State drilled 19 of 42 3-pointers – most of them coming from Curry (27 points, seven threes), Thompson (21 points, seven threes) and Durant (15 points, one three). The Warriors are now 20-0 when making at least 13 3-pointers in a game.

``That’s what they do; that’s why they are the best team in the NBA,’’ said Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who finished with 12 points. ``They have quarters like that all the time, they play the right way, they move the ball and they play for each other. When you play like that, it makes the game so easy.’’

For the game, Golden State outscored the Magic 57-21 from the 3-point line. In the third quarter alone, the Warriors made eight of 16 threes, while the Magic hit just two of nine tries for a 24-6 edge from the arc.

``Honestly, we relaxed,’’ said Magic forward Jeff Green, referring to the one-sided third quarter. ``They’re a good team and nothing to take away from what they did, but I think we just relaxed. They made plays and that’s why they are what they are and they get the advantage that they do. Their good players get it going and when they do, they’re a tough squad.’’

Said Curry, who made seven of 13 3-point tries and was a plus-32 during his 29 minutes on the floor: ``For us to bounce back from a terrible first quarter and a second quarter when we couldn’t score and do it in the third quarter it shows a lot about our mentality and focus. And it shows how much winning means to us.’’

The lopsided third quarter ruined a stellar performance from blossoming Magic guard Elfrid Payton, who finished with 23 points, 10 assists and four rebounds. It was hardly enough to slow down the Warriors in the third quarter.

``The third quarter was great,’’ Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ``For whatever reason we’ve had a bunch of really good third quarters in the last couple of weeks. It seems to be the time when we pick up our defense and it translates into some transition hoops and 3-pointers. That (third quarter) seems to be the key time for us these days.’’

Orlando hit 43.8 percent of its shots, but it was just seven of 28 from the 3-point range for the game. The point differential from the 3-point line was just too great to make up for a Magic team playing extremely short-handed because of injuries.

``If I knew (how to make up the 3-point differential), I’d tell you,’’ Green cracked. ``We’ve just got to continue to be aggressive. We can’t put our head down when they start to make shots. They’re a good team and they’re going to make a run and make shots, but if we continue to stay on track there are a lot of ways to match their threes. We don’t shoot threes and make them like they did. But we have to keep attacking and get to the free throw line to slow the game down. And, at the end of the day, we’ve got to find ways.’’

Bismack Biyombo (14 rebounds) and Green each scored 12 points, while forward Serge Ibaka chipped in 10 points. Prior to the game, Ibaka shared a friendly handshake with Durant – his teammate in Oklahoma City for the seven seasons prior to this one.

C.J. Watson, Orlando’s starting shooting guard the past two games because of a rash of injuries, had 12 points, but he missed four of his five 3-point shots. Forward Aaron Gordon, who played well defensively against Durant (five of 12 shooting), struggled on the offensive end by making just four of 14 shots with six misses from 3-point range. He finished with eight points and five assists.

``I want him to shoot the ones that are in the rhythm of the offense, but like I tell all of the guys, if you miss a couple the worst thing you want to hear is, `Keep shooting,’’’ Vogel said. ``It’s OK to pass up some open ones and put it on the deck to try and create off the bounce. I thought he did that a couple of times. But if the ball swings to you later in the clock, then you’ve got to shoot the basketball.’’

With the Magic focusing so much attention on Curry, Durant and Thompson, Golden State centers Zaza Pachulia (14 points and five rebounds) and JaVale McGee (13 points and four rebounds) did damage on the inside.

Kerr, who was playfully referred to as ``former Magic star’’ in the pregame intros by Amway Center PA Paul Porter, was admittedly worried prior to tip off about the early start time. The noon start was the equivalent of 9 a.m. for the California-based Warriors.

The early start time seemed to take a toll on Golden State’s sharpness early on as they kicked the ball away 12 times. The Magic made them pay for those mistakes, turning the dozen turnovers into 13 points in the first 24 minutes. The Warriors had just two turnovers in the nearly flawless third quarter and just seven in the second half.

Already without shooting guards Evan Fournier (bruised right heel) and Jodie Meeks (sprained thumb ligaments), Orlando lost reserve point guard D.J. Augustin early in the second quarter to a bad-luck injury. Augustin accidentally stepped onto the foot of Biyombo, causing his right ankle to grotesquely roll over. Clearly in a great deal of pain, Augustin limped off the floor and did not return to the game. X-rays on his ankle were negative.

``Next man up,’’ Vogel said. ``We’ve got Anthony Brown on a 10-day (contract) and if D.J. is out he’ll see some significant minutes. And we’ll continue to see C.J. and Mario (Hezonja) and C.J. will have to play (point guard) when Elfrid is out. But everybody is going to have to step up.’’

Orlando got to intermission tied at 50 following a back-and-forth, streak-filled first half.

The Magic led 22-17 early on before missing their final six shots of the first period to fuel an 11-0 Warriors run. Orlando steadied itself and ultimately responded with a 13-2 burst of their own. Two blocked shots by Biyombo led to layups for Mario Hezonja and Jeff Green and Biyombo’s dunk off a no-look touch pass from Payton put the Magic ahead 38-28. Seconds later, Green drilled a 3-pointer to give Orlando its biggest lead of the first half at 41-30.

Then, came Golden State’s haymaker of a third quarter to completely flip the game around. With the Magic up 55-50 early in the third, Golden State unleashed a 19-2 burst to break the game open. Two more threes from Thompson and Durant made it a 25-6 run that put the Warriors up 75-63 and seal Orlando’s fate.

``Very rarely will all three of those guys (Curry, Durant and Thompson) be cold, so if we can focus on defense that means we’re going to get out and run,’’ Kerr said. ``And when we run it’s hard to guard the 3-point line for the opponent. That’s why we try to focus defensively. With the firepower that we have with those guys usually at least one of them will get going. Tonight, it was Steph and Klay and I think they each had seven, but it’s set up by the defense in order to get us out and running.’’

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