The Philadelphia 76ers (6-38) earned their first win within their own conference on Wednesday, defeating the Orlando Magic (20-21) 96-87.
With the win, the Sixers are now 5-8 since trading for point guard Ish Smith. The deal, which sent two second-round picks to New Orleans in exchange for the former Sixer, brought in a veteran point guard to help organize Philadelphia's ailing offense. In 13 games with the Sixers, Smith has boasted impressive averages of 16.8 points, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Smith's presence in Philadelphia has helped spark a much-needed turnaround for the once 1-30 team.
For the second straight game, rookie Jahlil Okafor led Philadelphia in scoring with 20 points. Okafor took a team-high 17 shots, asserting himself as an offensive presence. The Duke alum also grabbed a steal and recorded a block on the defensive end. Fellow big man Nerlens Noel, however, exited the game after just 19 minutes of play with what was reported as a headache and blurred vision. He did not return to action.
The Magic faltered on both ends of the ball on Wednesday, hitting just 39.3 percent of their field goal attempts while allowing Philadelphia to make 48.6 percent and 47.4 percent from beyond the three-point line. Recently-returned sophomore Elfrid Payton led the team in points, assists, and minutes, notching a 21-point, 10-assist double-double in 41 minutes of play. This was a refreshing effort for Payton, who had struggled in his previous two contests after returning from injury. Unfortunately for Orlando, just two other players scored in double-digits, and Payton accounted for over half of the team's assists.
Orlando's next matchup will be against the Hornets on Friday. Philadelphia will have three days of rest before playing host to Boston on Saturday night.
