ORLANDO, Fla. Let utes presume for the second that the Orlando Magic retain Dwight Howard past the March 15 buy and sell deadline. Even together with Howard within the fold, the particular team need to help to make major advancements defensively as it to own virtually any taken during making a new deep inside playoffs.
Thursday night offered a agonizing situation throughout point.
After some strong quarters, this Magic wilted against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Unable to stop All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Magic relinquished an 11-point head while in the final one fourth and lost, 105-102, from Amway Center.
"Our fourth-quarter defensive appeared to be pathetic," trainer Stan Van Gundy mentioned after his Magic authorized your Thunder to email 67 percent from the final period . "I supply these consumer credit to get just what many people did, along with that they re tricky for you to stop. But that shouldn t be just about every possession."
Durant obtained 18 involving their game-high 38 things throughout the actual fourth. Westbrook enjoyed through a left-ankle sprain in the final to complete using 29 things and twelve assists. And the Thunder increased about his or her league-best record.
"That verts one of several best, if possibly not the particular best, bothersome duo while in the NBA," Magic strength ahead Ryan Anderson said. "They re tough. They re difficult in order to guard. They lso are potent into the glass and in addition they have foul calls."
The Magic still acquired an occasion during the finish immediately after Daequan Cook have missed some free-throw ones using 3.1 moments remaining. But Jason Richardson ersus desperation 3-point attempt from 27 paws seeing that moment terminated was remote the mark.
Howard have scored a team-high 33 points with 14-of-20 shooting in addition to accumulated nine rebounds.
It merely wasn big t adequate with the Magic (23-14).
"Our safety coming along that grow wasn t where by them required to be, and for the a problem end, most people didn capital t execute," Howard said. "But it was before the best training pertaining to us all to understand from."
The sport flipped beginning from the fourth, though Howard and also Richardson were being for the along with to help rest.
A dunk through Durant away from a pass out of James Harden for a fastbreak reduce Orlando utes result in 83-76 with 9:24 left over within regulation.
Van Gundy promptly called your timeout, along with decide to put Howard and also Richardson to come back in to the game.
But Oklahoma City (29-7) didn t make it possible for up.
Trailing 86-78, Westbrook wrecked a jumper over glass, and within the Magic s ensuing possession, Howard commitand a three-second violation. Durant built the particular Magic pay out by knifing through that lane with regard to some sort of layup in order to slice the Magic s produce 86-82.
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