Nikola Vucevic continues to show the league why he is All-Star worthy with a huge win against the Los Angeles Lakers to bring the Orlando Magic to 10-10.
Los Angeles Lakers
104
Orlando Magic
108The Orlando Magic defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-104 to record the franchise’s second ever season sweep against the Lakers on Sunday at the Staples Center.
The Magic were up by as much as 15 points at the end of the third quarter. But they squandered the lead late as LeBron James completed two free throws to tie the game with just more than two minutes left.
The Lakers were scoreless after LeBron James’ foul shots though as Terrence Ross‘ lay-up put the game away with 30 seconds to spare shortly after.
Los Angeles (11-8) is now 7-2 in there last 9 games with both losses coming at Orlando’s hands. The Magic now gets back to .500 (10-10).
The Orlando Magic lost an ugly one to the Denver Nuggets on Friday 112-87, and it seemed LeBron and company would come back to provide another disheartening loss. It felt that way too with the Lakers opening up as much as a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Orlando’s lethargic start looked similar to much of that Denver game with Los Angeles parading through the lane and the foul line.
But Orlando stayed resilient. Nikola Vucevic even mentioned postgame in an interview with FOX Sports Florida’s Dante Marchitelli they had a good practice yesterday, which certainly seemed needed after Friday’s debacle. They bounced back, outscoring the Lakers 35-19 in the third quarter to take firm control of the game.
They hung on from there, executing well on defense to close out after the Lakers tied it.
It is refreshing to see them close out a tough matchup like the Lakers on the road.
His 13.3 points per game and 40.2 percent 3-point percentage this season are on track to be career highs. And he remains one of the Magic’s most consistent options offensively off the bench, if not the only thing keeping that group afloat.
Sunday, he put up 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. He shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc and really just made winning the game a possibility.
If this could happen more often, that would be great. Mohamed Bamba recorded five points and four rebounds with a steal and a block in 12 minutes. He also let a pretty unnecessary defensive rebound go (which could be chalked up to team miscommunication). Bamba seems timid in the post sometimes. No doubt he is still adjusting to the NBA and grappling with fouls, but there usually are a few plays every game where some aggressive moves off-the-ball may help. He has size, he just has to get more comfortable with his footwork and decisions.
Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon had pretty solid games though they both had foul trouble fairly early, each recording five personal fouls in the game. Aaron Gordon notched 17 points, four rebounds and a steal. Isaac grabbed six points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
He has had a shaky season, but its good to see the hustle in a game that almost got away from Orlando. Coincidentally, his last game of this caliber was against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month with 12 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
Simmons still had a few forays to the basket that were a little too wild. But the team needed him to force some things and it was definitely a much different focus for him than in previous outings.
Okay, so maybe he is not greater than the King, but putting together 31 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and three blocks is just monstrous regardless. Vucevic, along with the rest of the Magic, started slow as Kyle Kuzma and JaVale McGee dominated down low. But an offensive burst in the second quarter put Orlando up at the end of the half.
Vucevic was at the heart of everything for the Magic once again. He measured the Lakers’ post defenders effectively and hit his jumpers with his normal efficiency. He then stepped up his game defensively, helping seal off the paint and challenge shots while doing a good job on the glass. Vucevic is making these big games seem normal. That may not make him LeBron James, but it might make him an All-Star.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still experimenting with some of their lineups and trying to find the right mix of players. There is LeBron James whom everything runs through. He scored 24 points to go with seven assists. The Lakers took advantage of their length and versatility at each position to bully the Orlando Magic early.
But Los Angeles was sloppy after a strong first quarter. James himself had six turnovers and the Lakers had 18 total turnovers. Despite Orlando’s poor first half shooting, Los Angeles was unable to gain much distance. The Lakers had every advantage but could not take it.
That is something this young team is still learning how to do. When Orlando got rolling, Los Angeles struggled to meet the challenge. And the Lakers squandered the chance for a win against a grittier Magic team.
The Orlando Magic take on the Golden State Warriors on Monday at Oracle Arena.
