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By John DentonApril 11, 2016
ORLANDO – Quite often, progress during rebuilding phases can be measured not in leaps and bounds, but instead in baby steps. While the Orlando Magic didn’t make enough progress this season to get back in the playoff hunt, they did turn the Amway Center into a place where they consistently played some of their basketball.
Some of the best moments of the Magic season came in Orlando, whether it was the early-season defeat of the Raptors, the buzzer-beating wins against the Hawks and Lakers, the two thumpings put on Boston or last week’s stirring finish against the rival Heat.
On Monday, the Magic closed out the home portion of the regular-season schedule with a 107-98 whipping of the Milwaukee Bucks in which they never trailed, shot the ball well all night and led by as much as 20 points.
The victory allowed Orlando (35-46) to lock up a 10-win improvement over last season, which is tied for the fifth-best improvement in the NBA this season. Also, it allowed the Magic to push their home record to 23-18 – another 10-win improvement over the 13-28 mark posted in a disappointing 2014-15 season.
While Magic coach Scott Skiles was happy about the team’s progress at the Amway Center, he said Orlando still has some growing to do to make its home court a feared venue for foes.
“One of our goals was to be a better home team and make this a difficult environment to play in,” Skiles said before the game. “We were OK for a little while, but that’s not enough, obviously, if you want to be a postseason team or a home-court-advantage type of team. You need to get up around 30, but we just weren’t able to do it.”
Mario Hezonja, the prized No. 5 pick in last June’s NBA Draft, played well throughout and had 19 points, seven assists and six steals. Both his seven assists and the six steals were career highs in the NBA. The 6-foot-8 guard made seven of 11 shots and had two of the biggest shots of the night, drilling two 3-pointers after the Bucks had made charges late in the fourth quarter.
Ersan Ilyasova, who has mostly struggled since arriving from Detroit in a February 16 trade with the Detroit Pistons, made 10 of 13 shots and scored a team-high 22 points. Dewayne Dedmon got the start in place of injured center Nikola Vucevic and contributed 17 points and eight rebounds.
Evan Fournier, Orlando’s best player the second half of the season, scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists, but it was his defense on blossoming Milwaukee guard Giannis Antetokounmpo to 11 points.
Point guard Elfrid Payton continued his improved play over the season’s final two months and had 11 points and 11 assists for a Magic team that shot 48.8 percent and had 28 assists.
After Milwaukee (33-48) got within 92-88 and 94-90 midway through the fourth, Payton and Hezonja came through with big plays. Payton’s 10th assist set up a Jason Smith jump shot. Then, seconds later, Hezonja drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the Magic back ahead 97-90.
After the Bucks got back to within 100-96, Hezonja was there to rescue the Magic with his shooting once again. Orlando swung the ball all the way around the perimeter where it found the rookie guard, who didn’t hesitate in drilling the 23-foot shot from the right wing with 2:24 to play.
Milwaukee, out of the playoffs after jumping from 15 to 41 wins last season, got 23 points from center Greg Monroe. Jabari Parker scored 17, while Kris Middleton added 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Orlando was without three starters on Monday night as Vucevic (right leg contusion), Victor Oladipo (concussion) and Aaron Gordon (concussion) missed the game. Oladipo, who was hit with an accidental elbow in the Magic’s defeat of Miami on Friday, addressed the Amway Center crowd before the game, telling the fans: “Thank ya’ll for being Pure Magic. Love you and appreciate it.”
The Magic will close the regular season on Wednesday in Charlotte against the Hornets. Charlotte, which has already locked up a playoff slot, holds a 2-1 advantage in the season series.
The Magic’s stellar shooting and crisp ball movement carried over from the first half into the third period, allowing them to take an 85-73 lead into the fourth period. Facing his former team, Ilyasova made all four of his shots – including two 3-pointers – and scored 10 points in the third period.
Orlando’s balanced scoring and Fournier’s defense on Antetokounmpo (eight points through three quarters) kept the Magic comfortably ahead throughout the third period.
Orlando had plenty of pep in its step and attacked the Bucks all throughout a first half in which it took a 58-44 lead into intermission. The Magic shot a stellar 56.8 percent and used 17 assists to set up their 25 field goals in the first 24 minutes.
In the starting lineup again to replace Vucevic, Dedmon got the Magic off to a fast start with his speed down the floor and his explosive leaping ability at the rim. He made his first five shots, had 12 points in the first quarter and was within four points of his career high (18 points) by halftime.
Many of the open looks for Dedmon (14 points) and Ersan Ilyasova (12 points) were set up by the vision and passing of Payton and Hezonja. Payton handed out seven first-half assists, while Hezonja left an imprint on the game in a variety of ways. He had a great sequence in the second period when he flashed to the rim for a layup and then stole the dribble for a dunk on the other end. In nearly 19 minutes on the floor in the first half, Hezonja had eight points, five assists and three steals.
