The Orlando Magic clicked as they got the 102-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday with Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo impressing.
Slowly, but surely, a Magic roster loaded with so many new faces that they nearly needed nametags in training camp, is developing the kind of chemistry and cohesion that can help it cull its full potential over a long season.
That was noticeably apparent on both ends of the floor on Thursday as the Magic executed with precision offensively and dug in defensively to win their first home game of the season.
Riding the hot shooting of Evan Fournier, the defence of Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo and the energy off the bench provided by Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin, the Magic grabbed control in the second quarter and never lost it in their defeat of the Sacramento Kings.
“The chemistry is coming along and I thought tonight was our best showing with how we can play and we were a little more consistent,’’ said center Nikola Vucevic, who had two of the biggest plays of the night after Sacramento had pulled to within two points of the Magic with 4:48 to play. “When we’re moving the ball and making unselfish plays for one another, that’s how we have to play.’’
Orlando (2-3) opened the season with frustrating losses to Miami, Detroit and Cleveland, but they have since responded with defeats of Philadelphia and Sacramento (2-4). On Thursday, Orlando shot an efficient 45.2 percent from the field, drilled 10 3-pointers and outworked the Kings on the boards to the tune of a 23-13 advantage in second-chance points.
Slow starters all season, the Magic have trailed by at least eight points in every game, and that was the case again on Thursday. However, they grabbed the game by the throat in a pulsating 33-21 second quarter. From there, the Magic led by as much as 13 and never blinked down the stretch even though all-star center DeMarcus Cousins (33 points and seven rebounds) threw repeated haymakers at them.
Fournier, one of six returning players from last season after re-signing with Orlando in July, made 10 of 15 shots and three of seven 3-pointers for a team-best 29 points.
Newcomers Ibaka (17 points) and Biyombo (four points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots) fought inside all night against Cousins. Because he was suspended for the home-opener and the Magic’s last three games have been on the road, Biyombo played his first regular-season game at the Amway Center on Thursday, and he loved every second of it.
“As small of a play as you can imagine, when the second group comes on it can change the crowd and the whole intensity of the game,’’ Biyombo said of the noise the 17.026 fans made during Orlando’s game-turning, 33-21 burst in the second quarter. “We’re in this to win and we’ll do whatever it takes to win the game.’’
Orlando got huge lifts off the bench from Augustin, Biyombo and Green – busts that allowed it to outscore the Kings 33-21 in the second quarter.
During one momentum-turning stretch, Augustin had step-back 3-pointers sandwiched around a Green dunk that was set up by Biyombo stuffing an Omri Casspi dunk attempt. That burst got the Magic tied and five more 3-pointers (Green 2, Ibaka 1, Gordon 1 and Fournier 1) allowed them to surge into a lead they would not surrender the rest of the night.
Cousins scored 10 of Sacramento’s first 14 points in the early going, but the Magic quickly got Biyombo into the game for defensive purposes. Cousins pumped in 14 first-quarter points, but in the second he was held scoreless, committed an offensive foul and turned the ball over twice.
“It’s a long season, we’ve all got to learn, we’ve all got to grow and we’ve all got to improve,’’ Biyombo said. “Still, it feels good to get my first (home) win and I look forward to a lot more. With the way that we played (on Thursday) we have to bring that against Washington (on Saturday) and keep it going.’’
By John Denton
First appeared on NBA.com Global
