Big Nights from Harden and Durant Propel Nets to 123-90 Win Over the Magic

Despite coming off a major 107-100 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday, the Orlando Magic were unable to win consecutive games for the first time this season, suffering a 90-123 loss to the surging Brooklyn Nets. To no one’s surprise, Brooklyn’s superstars Kevin Durant and James Harden led the way. Durant finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and two assists in just 29 minutes, while Harden produced his league-leading third triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Orlando struggled to match the offensive production that Brooklyn had, thus leading to the 33-point loss. The Magic will also continue to monitor Wendell Carter Jr’s status, as he left the game with a left eye contusion during the third quarter. Carter Jr. had nine points and five rebounds in his 18 minutes before leaving.

Key Takeaways for the Magic

As a team, Orlando struggled heavily shooting the ball, going 38.0% from the field and 12.1% from three-point range. Orlando’s offense just ran out of gas, as they scored under 100 points for the seventh game this season. Fresh off his season-high 33-point game against Utah, Cole Anthony also struggled to get going on the offensive end. Anthony notched just ten points and two assists in 31 minutes, while going 4-12 from the field and 0-5 from three-point range. Mo Bamba had a quiet game during his breakout season, notching 14 points and nine rebounds. Even rookie standout Franz Wagner had his share of problems, as he recorded just ten points and seven rebounds on 4-11 shooting from the field. Despite a quiet offensive performance by the Magic, sixth man Terrence Ross led the team in scoring with 17 points.

Key Takeaways for the Nets

While many will quickly credit Durant and Harden for the offensive success, they did get important help from the bench and their veteran teammates. Veteran journeyman LaMarcus Aldridge had an impressive 21 points and eight rebounds in his 22 minutes, while three-point specialist Joe Harris knocked down three threes en route to his nine points. Even DeAndre Bembry provided 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the field. Also, Brooklyn’s first-round draft picks Day’Ron Sharpe and Cameron Thomas had positive contributions, as Sharpe recorded four points and five rebounds while Thomas had two points and one rebound. To keep it simple, Brooklyn’s offense just had a dominant showing, as seven of their ten players had eight or more points.

What’s Next for Brooklyn and Orlando?

Sitting at 3-9, the Magic will look to get back into the winning column on Saturday when the Washington Wizards come to Orlando. As for the Nets, they’ll travel to New Orleans and face the struggling 1-10 Pelicans on Friday night.