ATLANTA – It’s debatable whether momentum actually exists in the NBA, where the teams only occasionally play on consecutive nights. However, it’s quite clear now that the suddenly surging Orlando Magic have found something special at just the right time of the season.
Two nights after pulling off one of their most stirring victories of the season in Brooklyn, the Magic got massive offensive and defensive contributions from Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, second-year center Mo Bamba and even newcomer James Ennis III in a 130-120 defeat of the high-scoring Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.
``These last two games have been definitely good stuff with the way that we reacted, responded and picked up the intensity,’’ said Fournier, who was also happy to have gotten a pair of signed Nike shoes from retiring legend Vince Carter following the game.
Orlando (26-32) won for a fourth time in five games to pull within a half-game of the Brooklyn Nets for the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed. The Magic also improved to 21-7 this season against teams with losing records and they are 21-2 when they are either tied or leading after three periods.
``We feel good and I feel like we’re playing together, the ball is moving, and the purpose of play is there,’’ said Gordon, the hero of Monday’s win in Brooklyn, who scored 21 of his 25 in Wednesday’s second half. ``We knew we were a good defensive team, but we were just waiting for our offense to come. And now here it is.’’
Fournier scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to help Orlando stave off Atlanta (17-43), which cut a 13-point deficit to 111-107 late in the fourth period.
``It’s definitely a good win, for sure, because every guy who stepped up tonight played well,’’ said Fournier, who made five of seven shots, including a 3-pointer with three free throws, in the final quarter. ``James (Ennis III) had a really good third quarter and Mo (Bamba) had a really good first half. We just played good team ball, period, and that’s how we’ve got to play.’’
Bamba, Orlando’s second-year center, tied a career-high with 15 points – all of them coming in the first half when he filled in for a foul-plagued Nikola Vucevic. He drilled three 3-point shots in the first half alone to spark an offense that started slowly. The 7-footer chipped in 10 rebounds for the third double-double of his career and he also swatted four shots.
``I’m just trying to do everything that I can to gain some extra minutes. Some of it is out of my control, but I was ready for the call and just went out there and played,’’ said Bamba, whose biggest block of the night came when he stuffed Atlanta’s John Collins at the rim. ``(Blocking shots) are big. It’s just about gaining that camaraderie with my teammates that they know I will be back there protecting the rim for them.’’
Ennis III, acquired in a deal with Philadelphia prior to the NBA trade deadline, scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds for an Orlando team that shot 49 percent overall and drilled 14 3-pointers. In addition to converting a nifty left-handed layup in transition after Fournier found him streaking ahead of the pack, Ennis III drilled a corner three with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter to boost Orlando’s lead back to 114-107 after the Hawks had clawed to within four.
``I’m just glad they found me,’’ Ennis III said of the shot that came off a drive-and-kick feed from Fournier. ``On my off days and my on days, I just work on my 3-pointer. I’m just glad they found me, and I was able to knock it down.’’
Gordon, who has played his best basketball of the season over the past 11 games, made his first five shots of the second half and seven of 10 over the game’s final 24 minutes. The Magic improved to 15-8 in games when Gordon scores at least 15 points and 6-2 in games in which he makes at least three 3-pointers.
``He was great at both ends of the floor,’’ Magic coach Steve Clifford said of Gordon. ``We started the game with good intent, but we lacked offensive energy and they were up into us. Then, when we broke the lineup, those (bench) guys came in the line (Terrence Ross, Mo Bamba and Michael Carter-Williams) kept us in the game. In the second half, the starters were good and (Gordon) played a great all-around game.’’
Vucevic added 17 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, while Ross scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and drilled three 3-pointers.
Atlanta all-star guard Trae Young scored 37 points, but he was held to just 11 after halftime on two-of-14 shooting in the second half. Collins chipped in 26 points, but he had his shot stuffed twice in the fourth quarter by Vucevic and Gordon.
``Well, he was exhausted from having (26 points) in the first (half), that’s what happened,’’ joked Clifford, referring to Young, who was guarded by Markelle Fultz (eight points and eight assists), Carter-Williams (two points and two rebounds before fouling out) and D.J. Augustin (nine points and three assists) at various times in the game. ``We tried to double-team him in the first half, and it wasn’t effective. And in the second half it might have kept him off balance a little bit.’’
The Magic were playing for the first time since they wiped out a 19-point deficit in the third quarter and beat the Nets 115-113 in Brooklyn on Monday. The 19-point rally proved to be the Magic’s biggest come-from-behind victory of the season.
Southeast Division rivals Orlando and Atlanta were playing for the fourth and final time of the season. The Hawks won the first two meetings – once with Young scoring almost at will, and once with him out of the lineup injured. The Magic won 135-126 at the Amway Center on Feb. 10 when they scored 40 fourth-quarter points and 79 second-half points – both season highs.
Wednesday’s game was the last time that Orlando will face Carter, who grew up in Daytona Beach rooting for and attending Magic games. Carter, the first player in NBA history to play in parts of four different decades, will retire in April following his 22nd NBA season. Carter had two points in four minutes.
``Obviously, he’s a great talent and when you have your own nickname in this league (``Half Man/Half Amazing’’) obviously that’s something,’’ Clifford said. We had him in Orlando (2009-10 season and part of (2010-11) when I was an assistant, and at the end. It’s always about the people. He’s got great character, he’s very smart, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great representative of the organization and the league. And if you went around and talked to people, that’s what they would all say – and you don’t get that a lot in our league.’’
The Magic will be back in action on Friday at the Amway Center when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota is the only team in the NBA that Orlando has yet to face this season. The Magic will play the Timberwolves in Minnesota on March 6.
Tied at the half, Orlando built its lead to as large as 13 points in the third period after Gordon came alive to spark the offense. Held to just four points in the first half, Gordon made his first five shots of the second half and ended up scoring 14 third-quarter points. That run helped the Magic take a 103-95 edge into the fourth period – a good sign considering that they were 20-2 coming into Wednesday when either leading or tied after three periods.
Gordon’s second-half surge was reminiscent of Monday when he drilled all seven of his shots after halftime, including a step-back three for what proved to be the game’s winning points. On Wednesday, he followed up a 3-pointer midway through the third period with a follow-up layup that gave the Magic a 13-point advantage.
Orlando was tied with Atlanta at the half thanks, in large part, to the active and aggressive play of Bamba, who entered the game late in the first quarter after Vucevic picked up a second foul.
Bamba made three of his first four 3-point shots, drilled four free throws and tied his career high with 15 points in the first half. His 27-foot 3-point shot, off a feed from Fultz, gave the Magic their biggest lead of the first half at 48-40.
The 7-foot center added to that feat by grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots in the first half. Seconds after swatting away a Jeff Teague layup attempt, Bamba spectacularly stuffed a dunk attempt by Collins. That led to a Fournier 3-pointer on the other end that gave Orlando an early 39-35 lead.
Clifford said the Magic are playing their best basketball of the season because it has finally found a way to get solid contributions from both its starters and its reserves.
``That’s what it’s got to be. That’s what the NBA is – you’ve got to have everybody playing well and our guys know that,’’ Clifford said. ``We’ve had a couple of good games now, and that’s how it’s got to be.
``That’s why (the reserves) are here,’’ Clifford continued. ``(Washington Wizards coach) Scott Brooks had the great quote the other night, `The NBA should be this – if you play well, you get to play more and when you don’t, don’t look for minutes.’ That’s the way the best players look at it and that’s the way we should look at it.’’
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