The Orlando Magic lost to the Houston Rockets 113-108 on Thursday night at the Kia Center. After the Magic held a 19-point lead late in the third quarter, the Rockets stormed back to sweep the season series.
“I thought we beat ourselves,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said. “I thought that we had a few turnovers and lapses on the defensive line. They were able to gain some momentum.”
Rockets forward and future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Durant had a season-high 40 points, while Bane led the Magic with 30. Second-year guard Reed Sheppard also had 20 points off the bench for Houston.
“[Durant’s] one of the most efficient scorers basically ever now,” Bane said. “I’ve been around people who play with him and said he was a tireless worker and it shows.”
In his return from a back strain, Jalen Suggs had a team-low -11 +/-, with three points to four turnovers.
“[Suggs is] trying to come back from being away for a while,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “So [he is] just trying to find that rhythm, trying to find himself within the game.”
Game flow
First quarter
Houston opened the game shooting 6/9 from the field, while Orlando only went 3/13 in the first six minutes. Wendell Carter Jr. had two of the Magic’s makes during the span, while Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with six points.
After trailing by five, the Magic went on a 21-9 run to close the quarter. Bane led the charge with nine points on three 3-point makes, giving Orlando a seven-point lead after one.
“I think that all the work that I’ve been putting in is showing up,” Bane said. “My teammates believe in me, my coach believes in me. The work has been put in and I was going out there and playing free every night.”
Second quarter
Rockets center Alperen Sengun started the second quarter off hot, scoring six points in three minutes to get his team to within three. However, the Magic would respond with an 11-2 run capped off by a Jevon Carter three.
Out of a timeout, Durant would score six-straight points for the Rockets while holding the Magic to only one field goal in four minutes. Despite the run, Orlando would hold a 53-43 lead going into the half.
“I think early on we had a ton of [favorable] matchups,” Mosley said. “[We were] going after them a little bit.”
Third quarter
The teams would trade baskets coming out of halftime, with Rockets guard Amen Thompson quickly collecting four points, a steal and an assist. Carter Jr. then scored six-straight points for the Magic, sparking a 13-4 run, giving Orlando a 19-point lead.
Over the next three and a half minutes, the Rockets went on a 21-0 run to reclaim the lead. The run saw 11 points from Sheppard and eight points from Durant.
“[Sheppard] deserved it,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Had a huge impact and part in bringing us back.”
Orlando would go on a 4-0 run to take the lead back, but a Josh Okogie three gave Houston an 81-80 advantage going into the fourth. The Magic’s 19-point blown lead is their second largest on the season, only trailing their 21-point blown lead in Toronto.
“They turned up the heat,” Mosley said. “You give them a ton of credit, they picked us up. We turned it over a ton of times. I think three straight possessions turning them over. They got out on the break, call a timeout, they come back out, we miss a couple assignments. They were able to get the three in the game. And then they broke it open. We turned the ball over, and they were able to find the three ball.”
Fourth quarter
In the first four minutes of the final quarter, the game saw three lead changes and two ties. The newly-acquired Carter had eight points in the span. In his six games playing with the team, Carter has had three games with 14+ points.
“[Carter] has brough a ton to our locker room,” Mosley said. “He picks up full court. He’s about winning on winning terms and that’s what he wants to do. Doesn’t care how it gets done, he just wants the job done. Not afraid to take the big shot and not afraid to make the right pass.”
The Magic would hold a five-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter after Bane made a running layup, but a 7-2 run by Durant tied the game with five minutes to go. Sengun then went on a 4-0 run to give the Rockets the lead.
Anthony Black missed a fadeaway shot, leading to a Sheppard three. Sheppard then hit another three, giving Houston a seven-point lead with 23 seconds left.
The Magic made back-to-back threes to bring the game to within one score, but Durant made all four free throw attempts to ice the game. Durant’s 14-point fourth quarter made him surpass 32,000 career points, becoming only the sixth player to reach that mark in NBA history.
“It feels incredible,” Durant said. “Always love being mentioned with the grats of all-time and set a standard I try to reach every day. I am just grateful for everyone who has invested in my career, in me as a person. I am representing them every time I step out on the floor, so this is major to me.”
Orlando has now lost 10 games when leading by 10+ points at any point on the season.
“I feel like once we get leads, we get a little selfish,” Carter said. “I feel like once we get the leads, we just gotta keep attacking what’s working, instead of worrying about if we’re having a good night, bad night, let me get my stats. [We] just [need to] stick together.”
Next up
The Magic will look to bounce back when they face the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. In games coming off of a loss this season, Orlando is 18-8 in the next contest.
“We’re going to respond for sure,” Bane said. “I think we’ve done that all season long. There was that stretch we went on where we were winning a game, losing a game, winning a game, losing a game. I don’t think responding is something that this team has struggled with.”
Tip-off against the Pistons is set for 6 p.m. on March 1.