Magic 102, Warriors 94
OAKLAND -- J.J. Redick scored 10 of his 22 points in a long-distance flurry early in the fourth quarter Monday night, propelling the Orlando Magic into a double-digit lead on its way to a 102-94 victory over the previously streaking Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
After the teams had played evenly through three quarters and exchanged three-point plays to begin the fourth, the Magic, coming off an emotional win the night before against Dwight Howard and the Lakers, got a 3-pointer from backup E'Twaun Moore and a driving hoop from Arron Afflalo to go up by five.
Orlando never trailed again, with Redick burying a long 2-pointer and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to push the advantage to 82-74.
After Stephen Curry and Glen Davis traded three-point plays and Nikola Vucevic and David Lee matched single free throws, Redick then hit again from beyond the arc and added two free throws on Orlando's next possession, extending the lead out to 91-80 with 5:06 to go.
The Warriors, looking to complete their first 4-0 homestand in 20 years, never got closer to eight after that, with Afflalo scoring three subsequent hoops to finish off a 24-point night.
Davis matched Afflalo for team-high honors with 24 points, while Vucevic contributed a difference-making 14-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Curry had 25 points and Lee 22 for the Warriors, who had won their previous five home games.
The first half featured an interesting duel of stylistically different power forwards, with the Lee getting slightly the better of the numbers even while Davis' Magic squad pulled into a 51-47 lead.
Lee, who began the night having recorded a double-double in three of his previous five games, worked the perimeter for a majority of his 14 first-half points. The success kept him away from the basket, however, and he had only two rebounds in almost 19 first-half minutes.
Davis, meanwhile, arguably spent too much time outside the key. In a 5-for-11 shooting half that produced 12 points, four of his five hoops came from the painted area, while five of his six misses were from the outside.
Trying to build upon a 23-point, 12-rebound performance Sunday against the Lakers, Davis also found time for five first-half rebounds.
The Magic's lead was directly attributable to the game's most efficient inside player, starting center Vucevic. He had 11 points and nine rebounds in the first half, dominating the Golden State tandem of Festus Ezeli (two points, no rebounds before the break) and Andris Biedrins (no points, one rebound prior to halftime).
Afflalo (12) and Warriors' Jarrett Jack (10) were other double-figure scorers in the first 24 minutes.
NOTES: The Magic was playing its second game in two nights on the West Coast, following a meeting with the Lakers on Sunday. Orlando also will visit Utah, Sacramento and Phoenix on the five-game trip, but it gets a day off before each of the next three games ... Coming off arguably his team's biggest win of the young season, a 113-103 stunner over Howard and the Lakers, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn admitted before Monday's game he was curious to see how his young team would respond. "The task is continuing to have a focus from one night to the next," he noted. ... Warriors coach Mark Jackson praised Vaughn and his team's 6-10 start. "He's done an outstanding job getting that team to compete," Jackson said. "They could have very easily said, 'Let's wait another year or two years,' but that's not when you start coaching. You start coaching now with laying a foundation." ... With a seven-game road trip next up on the schedule, Jackson analyzed before the game exactly where his team's mind-set was. "This is a huge game for us," he said, "because of the task that lies ahead." ... The Warriors entered the game 4-0 against Eastern Conference clubs and just two games into a stretch of nine in a row against teams from the other conference ... The Warriors will visit Detroit, Brooklyn, Washington, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta on their 11-day trip that tips off Wednesday and never leaves the Eastern time zone ... In case you're wondering: No, the long stretch away from home has nothing to do with a special event at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The building will be dark on nine of the 11 nights, with only a "Not So Silent Night" musical performance Friday and Saturday filling the basketball void.
