By John Denton Jan. 6, 2014
LOS ANGELES – First, there was insult for the Orlando Magic in the form of a horrific start and a frustrating, head-scratching 35-point deficit. Then, came the injury with standout center Nikola Vucevic crashing hard to the floor head-first and suffering a scary concussion.
Finally, there was a glimmer of hope for a Magic squad looking for anything to cling to on an otherwise forgettable night against a Los Angeles Clippers playing with something to prove.
A disheartening 101-81 loss to the high-octane Clippers got away from the Magic early on Monday night, and things only grew worse in the third quarter when Vucevic had his legs knocked out from under him and he banged his head to leave him glassy-eyed and woozy.
For three quarters, this one was as lopsided and forgettable as college football’s BCS National Championship was close and enthralling on the other side of Los Angeles in nearby Pasadena. The Magic (10-24) were so wrecked by the Clippers (24-12) that many of the players were left searching for answers after the game.
``You knew they were going to come out and play hard and could feel the intensity. It was like, `Whoa!’ when they jumped out and it felt like they made every shot,’’ said Magic power forward Glen ``Big Baby’’ Davis. ``…We’ve got to understand if we want to compete at a high level that’s how we have to compete every day.
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