Field Level Media
Mar 24, 2018
Aaron Gordon enjoyed a solid all-around game with 29 points, 11 rebounds, a career-best eight assists and three steals to lead the Orlando Magic to a 105-99 victory over the visiting Suns on Saturday night at Amway Center.
Nikola Vucevic recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, which won for just the fourth time in the past 19 games. D.J. Augustin had 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Mario Hezonja registered 14 points, eight rebounds and matched his season high of four steals and Shelvin Mack scored 12 points.
Josh Jackson scored 18 points and Alex Len added 15 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, which has lost 11 straight games and 26 of its last 28.
Elfrid Payton had 14 points, eight assists and three steals in his first game against the Magic since being traded to the Suns in early February. Payton spent the first 3 1/2 seasons of his career with Orlando.
Tyler Ulis scored 14 points, Troy Daniels added 12 and Marquese Chriss had 10 for Phoenix.
The Suns were without shooting guard Devin Booker (hand) for the fourth straight game and small forward TJ Warren (knee) for the third consecutive contest.
Phoenix scored four points to open the fourth quarter to take a 78-77 lead before the Magic answered with eight straight points to take a seven-point advantage. The Suns were within 88-87 after Payton's three-point play with 6:57 remaining, but Orlando created some distance and took a 99-92 lead with 3:03 remaining when Gordon drained a 3-pointer.
The Suns pulled within 103-99 on Len's tip-in with 22.9 seconds left, but Vucevic made two free throws with 16.7 seconds remaining as the Magic closed it out.
Orlando scored 39 third-quarter points -- one more than it scored in the whole first half -- while taking a 77-74 lead into the final quarter.
The Magic opened the second half with a 10-3 push to trim their eight-point halftime deficit to 49-48. Later in the quarter, Mack drained two 3-pointers during a 14-1 surge as Orlando opened up a 71-62 advantage with 2:48 left in the stanza.
Len had 13 first-half points as the Suns held a 46-38 lead at the break.
--Field Level Media