ORLANDO – Only twice last decade did two Orlando Magic players make five or more 3-pointers in the same game.
Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson each knocked down five triples in Orlando’s game at Utah on April 21, 2012. Jonathon Simmons drilled seven threes and D.J. Augustin hit six of them in a Magic home game against Milwaukee on March 14, 2018.
Twenty days into this brand new decade and already it’s happened for the Magic. Evan Fournier sank six 3-pointers and Terrence Ross drained five of them on Monday in Orlando’s blowout win in Charlotte.
It was only the 12th time in Magic history at least two players drilled five or more from downtown in the same game. One time three Orlando players each made five shots from beyond the arc. That occurred on Nov. 1, 2009 at Toronto when Anderson, J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson did it.
The Magic outscored the Hornets on Monday by 34 when Fournier, who poured in 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting overall and 6-of-8 from 3-point distance, was on the floor. Ross, who tallied 19 points, had the Magic’s second best plus/minus, as Orlando outscored Charlotte by 20 when the 28-year-old was on the court.
Having to play a road game on the East Coast after flying over from the West didn’t impair the Magic on the offensive end, especially from long range. Orlando shot 14-of-28 from the outside. Nikola Vucevic, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, made two threes and Gary Clark, who signed a 10-day contract with the Magic last week, connected on one of them.