The Orlando Magic were once again victims of playing another star-studded team and losing big, this time courtesy of the Clippers. The 116-90 win was the biggest for the Clippers this season, while the 26-point loss has been the biggest loss for the Magic. Despite this game being Leonard’s and George’s first game back after missing five days due to the Covid-19 protocols, both players looked in midseason form. George led the Clippers with 26 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists, while Leonard threw in 24 points, four rebounds, and three assists. As for the Magic, their leading scorer was Terrence Ross, who had 24 points and four rebounds off the bench. While Ross provided the Magic with a much-needed spark, Nikola Vucevic certainly didn’t. Vucevic notched a season-low ten points in the blowout loss. Orlando’s offense just simply fell apart as Vucevic did on Friday night.
Key Takeaways for the Magic
After starting the season off at 6-2, the Magic have now lost the next ten out of their last twelve games. It’s hard to wonder what’s been causing these struggles, but it may be that the Magic have been without star point guard Markelle Fultz after he tore his ACL in a game against the Cavaliers. Without Fultz, rookie point guard Cole Anthony has been forced into an expanded role, especially in the starting lineup. Anthony has done well at some times, but it’s obvious that Anthony isn’t ready to be the lead guard in Orlando anytime soon. Anthony had a pitiful six-point outing on Friday, along with shooting two-of-ten from the field and zero-of-five from the three-point line. We have to remember that Anthony is a rookie that went through the offseason without training camp or preseason, but Anthony’s performance has been a liability for the Magic.
Key Takeaways for the Clippers
The Clippers are starting to re-address to the NBA that they’re back as a contender, even after their slow start. In addition to Leonard’s and George’s performances, Los Angeles got something from their lineup the Magic didn’t have: scoring. All but one of the Clippers’ starting players had double-digits points, including ten points from Reggie Jackson, 13 points from Serge Ibaka, and 13 points from Marcus Morris Sr. off the bench. After a 26-26 first quarter, the Clippers would go on to outscore the Magic 66-45 in the next two quarters, and simply wrap the game up. The frustration was evident when Vucevic and Head Coach Steve Clifford were hit with technical fouls after arguing over a non-call. The Clippers seem to be hot right now, as the team is now 15-5 overall, including a 7-3 record on the road.
Moving Forward
Now at 8-12, the Magic will take a short bus ride down the I-4 corridor to Tampa, where they will play the Raptors in Toronto’s temporary home on Sunday Night. This will begin a two-game series between the two teams, as their second meeting will occur on Tuesday at the Magic’s Amway Center. As for the Clippers, they continue to march through their road trip, with a quick matchup against Julius Randle and the New York Knicks on Sunday before matching up with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.