By Josh Cohen
Feb. 12, 2018
Mario Hezonja
Hezonja caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 24 points during Orlando’s 23-3 run late in the game. The Magic dug out of an 18-point hole from earlier in the period before the Bulls reclaimed the lead on a steal and breakaway slam by Zach LaVine with 12 seconds left. Hezonja had a chance to put Orlando back on top in the final seconds but his deep 3-point try fell short. The versatile third-year forward also continues to show improvement on defense. He had four steals and three blocks.
Evan Fournier
Hezonja wasn’t the only one to shine in the fourth. Fournier drilled a pair of 3-pointers during Orlando’s late-game surge. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. It was the third straight game Fournier scored 20 points or more.
Khem Birch
After the Magic’s shootaround on Monday – about seven hours prior to tipoff against the Bulls – Head Coach Frank Vogel raved about Birch and complimented his relentless activity. As he’s done a lot of over the past several games, Birch made his coach and teammates proud, diving on the floor for loose balls and batting around missed shots, allowing his team several second-chance scoring opportunities. Birch ended up with eight rebounds.