Magic stumble against 76ers but clinch playoff spot with Wizards' loss
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic had the Philadelphia 76ers right where they wanted them.
But when the shots didn’t fall, the Magic watched the fourth-quarter dominance they’ve shown this season slip away.
Orlando’s fourth-quarter offensive struggles opened the door enough for Philadelphia, and the 76ers took advantage as they rallied to beat the Magic, 108-101, on Friday night at ESPN Wide World of Sports’ HP Field House.
Evan Fournier finished with 22 points to lead the Magic (32-38), who have lost three straight. Nikola Vucevic finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds while D.J. Augustin had 16 points, James Ennis had 14 and Markelle Fultz had 13 for Orlando.
The loss prevented the Magic from clinching their second straight playoff berth, but they later clinched when the Wizards lost to the Pelicans, 118-107.
Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid each scored 23 points for the 76ers while Al Horford tallied 21. Reserve guard Alec Burks delivered 22 points and hit key 3-pointers for the 76ers. Harris had 15 rebounds and Embiid had 13.
The Magic have been nearly unbeatable when going into the fourth quarter with the lead. Orlando came into the game 26-2 when leading or tied after three quarters.
That didn’t faze the 76ers (42-27), who scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to quickly erase a two-point deficit. From there, Philadelphia never gave up the lead as it beat Orlando for the first time this season.
Orlando got a layup by Fournier and put-back dunk by Khem Birch to pull within 88-86. But the offense sputtered after that and Philadelphia took advantage to create some separation.
The Magic had the ball down 103-96 with 40.4 seconds to play but were whistled for a five-second call on an inbounds play.
The 76ers responded with two free throws by Horford before the Magic closed within six on a 3-pointer by Vucevic.
The Magic produced good looks for the most part but couldn’t get shots to fall, particularly from behind the arc. Orlando finished 8 of 32 from the 3-point line (25.0%)
The Magic played without starting forward Aaron Gordon and reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams.
Gordon’s absence perhaps contributed to Philadelphia’s success on the offensive boards. The 76ers finished with 21 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points. Philadelphia outscored Orlando by eight points in that category.
The 76ers recorded eight offensive rebounds and turned them into 10 points in the first quarter — the biggest reason the Magic couldn’t gain any traction.
On one sequence, the Magic turned the ball over, then didn’t stop the ballhandler, Furkan Korkmanz, in transition. He missed the layup attempt but Harris grabbed the rebound and scored.
That prompted a timeout from Magic coach Steve Clifford. From there, the Magic shored up their rebounding and the results produced a 12-3 run that gave them a 50-46 lead with 1:11 left in the half.
Like the previous two games (losses to the Pacers and Raptors), the Magic didn’t shoot the ball well early. Unlike the previous two games, the Magic didn’t let the 76ers peel off to a big lead.
Orlando trailed by as many as seven late in the first quarter before gaining ground. Ennis sparked a 9-0 run over a 2-minute, 9-second stretch late in the second quarter as the Magic went up 47-43. They led 50-48 at halftime.
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