The Orlando Magic were defeated by the Raptors 123-108 on Tuesday night. For the Magic, it was Fred VanVleet who bested them with a career and franchise high 54 points. The Magic declined to 8-14 and the Raptors improved to 9-12.
Overview
It was a rough game for the Magic, losing by 15 and allowing VanVleet to score 54 points. One bright spot though was Chuma Okeke, who had his best game as a pro, with 10 points on 4/5 shooting, including 2/2 on three pointers. Also, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier each had 21 points a piece. For the Raptors, Kyle Lowry had a triple double (14 Points, 10 Rebounds and 10 Assists) in the win. Norman Powell also added 23 points for the Raptors.
Vucevic Had Big Double Double for the Magic
Nikola Vucevic had a big night despite the loss, posting 21 points and 18 rebounds. The 7-footer is averaging 22.5 PPG and 11.2 RPG in 22 games on 47.7% shooting. He is 4th among centers in PPG, behind Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Christian Wood. Vucevic is also 7th in the league in RPG among centers. He is having a big year, and he is the main reason the Magic aren’t in the cellar of the Eastern Conference.
No Aaron Gordon for the Magic
Orlando played their first game since highflying forward Aaron Gordon was injured and declared out for 4-6 weeks. The 25 year old is averaging 13.8 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 19 games. Gordon hasn’t lived up to all of his hype but he’s still an impactful player. He’s one of the Magic’s best players and his absence will definitely hurt the Magic’s playoff chances.
Fred VanVleet’s Big Night
In a night where Orlando was outmatched, it was Fred VanVleet getting the job done for the Raptors. The former UDFA dropped 54 points, a franchise high, topping DeMar DeRozan’s mark. VanVleet’s 54 points were also the most points in a game by an undrafted player, breaking a record held by Moses Malone. VanVleet received a huge 4 year, $85M extension this offseason. This year he’s averaging 20.4 points and 6.2 assists. Orlando couldn’t slow him down, which ultimately led to the Raptors win.