His Orlando Magic not just beaten but downright embarrassed on Friday in Boston, head coach Frank Vogel went on the offensive by challenging the pride, competitiveness and heart of his team over the next 48 hours.
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Vogel stressed that he was ``obsessed’’ with turning a disappointing season around, and he implored his Magic to feel the same way and play with a sense of urgency or else.
Orlando reversed the game – and potentially its sour season – with a nearly flawless 21-2 burst just before the half and then held firm in the second half by getting contributions throughout the roster for a stirring 114-113 defeat of the Toronto Raptors.
Just two days after losing 128-98 in Boston – a game that they trailed by as much as 40 points – the Magic (19-30) dominated play over the final 30 minutes of game time. The Magic used the momentum-turning 21-2 burst over the final 6:20 of the first half and then they never surrendered their lead in the second half despite several charges from the Raptors (29-19).
The 180-degree about-face was fitting for a Magic team that has experienced a series of exhilarating highs and baffling lows all season. Orlando has won in San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Washington, Atlanta and Detroit, but it has also lost by at least 30 points four times. Now, a Magic team that was uncompetitive and quick to cave in on Friday in Boston showed the toughness and execution on Sunday of one expected to battle for a playoff position this season.
As has been the case all season, nothing came easy for the Magic. Up 103-89 with 5:38 to play, the Magic allowed the Raptors to claw within 105-101 with 2:20 to play. But the Magic came up with a series of big plays in a row as Jeff Green hit a jumper, Nikola Vucevic swatted a Kyle Lowry layup and Green followed with a 3-pointer to build the lead back up to nine.
Vucevic led the Magic in a variety of ways with 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks and he sank the game-sealing free throws with 3.6 seconds left. Reserve point guard D.J. Augustin, who was in his second game back after suffering an ankle injury, drilled seven of 10 shots and three of five 3-point shots for 21 points. Green scored 16 points and hit two three-pointers.
Lowry finished with 33 points, eight assists and six threes, but he was outplayed for the most part by Elfrid Payton, who gave the Magic 11 points and 10 assists. Veteran guard C.J. Watson scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter and calmly drilled two free throws with 11.2 seconds to play, while forward Serge Ibaka chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan, who was in his first game back following time off with an ankle injury, scored 22 points. Still, Toronto couldn’t keep pace with a Magic offense that drilled 10 3-pointers.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Vogel disclosed some of what he had to say to his Magic during a fiery film session on Saturday and a physical practice later in the day. He also talked about how winning teams with heart respond to adversity.
``Part of being a winner is a competitive response,’’ Vogel said. ``We have to figure out what it takes to win. We haven’t had enough competitive response throughout our whole season – both in games and responding to poor performances. So that’s what I have challenged our team to do.’’
Orlando came into Sunday having lost 14 of the last 15 games to the Raptors – the lone win being a victory at the Amway Center early last season. Also, the Magic had failed to win on their last seven trips north of the Canadian border – a losing streak in Toronto that dates to March 26, 2012. Both of those streaks are now over thanks to some stellar execution and gritty toughness all throughout Sunday’s second half.
The Magic and Raptors were playing for the first time since Dec. 18 when Toronto broke open a close game in the second half and rolled to a 109-79 win at the Amway Center.
Orlando will be back in action on Monday night when it faces the Timberwolves in Minnesota. It’s the final game of the three-game road trip and the Magic will be back at the Amway Center on Wednesday to host the Indiana Pacers.
Sunday’s game served as a homecoming of sorts for Magic center Bismack Biyombo, who was a driving force last season as the Raptors reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Biyombo played the best basketball of his life last spring, earning him a four-year contract with the Magic. His entry into the game late in the first quarter was greeted with a warm ovation from Raptors fans who still regularly thank him for his play on social media.
Up nine at the half following the game-turning final stretch of the second quarter, Orlando wobbled a bit in third, but never lost the lead and took an 82-78 edge into the fourth. That lead would grow to 83-78 when DeRozan was whistled for a technical foul at the end of the period, giving Watson another free throw.
Watson, who started again in place of injured guard Evan Fournier (heel bruise), had eight points in the third quarter alone. He had a cutting layup for a 3-point play after Toronto had pulled within four and he drilled a running jumper late in the period to steady the offense.
Things didn’t start especially well for the Magic – something that could have caused them to careen downward in games past. However, they stuck with it and wiped out a 49-39 deficit with a jaw-dropping 21-2 run to end the first half. That burst – one where they shared the ball flawlessly on offensively and scrambled to contest shots on the defensive end – allowed them to take a 60-51 edge into the locker room at halftime.
The Magic flipped the game around with some stellar play on both ends of the floor. Over the final 6:20 of the first half, the Magic made seven of nine shots and hit all four of their free throws. Defensively, they forced three turnovers and limited the Raptors to seven straight misses from the floor.
Vucevic and Payton not only played well in the first half, but they played well off one another. Vucevic was nearly flawless with his eight of 11 shooting and three-of-three accuracy on 3-point shots for 19 first-half points. He also had six rebounds and two assists – the passes leading to a 3-pointer for Aaron Gordon and a layup for Payton.
Payton, who was challenged by Vogel to play with more of an edge, was nearly as effective with eight points, six assists and two rebounds in the game’s first 24 minutes. Three of those assists came during the 21-2 run and he and Vucevic accounted for 12 points and five assists in the later stages of the opening half.
