Field Level Media
Feb 28, 2019
Aaron Gordon led Orlando with 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Magic moved into a tie for first place in the Southeastern Division with a 103-96 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at home.
Terrence Ross added 16 points off the bench, and Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Orlando has won seven of its last nine games and tied the Charlotte Hornets for the division lead.
Steph Curry had 33 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Golden State. DeMarcus Cousins and Klay Thompson each scored 21. Kevin Durant took the night off, missing his first game of the season.
The Warriors have lost back-to-back games for the first time since December and have lost four of their last six.
Orlando trailed 94-92 until Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 1:41 left to give the Magic their first lead of the fourth quarter. D.J. Augustin followed that up with a layup, Ross padded the lead with a couple free throws and the Warriors missed several open shots down the stretch. Orlando outscored Golden State 14-2 in the last three minutes of the game.
The Warriors led by 13 early in the fourth quarter, but Ross hit three 3-pointers during a 17-4 Magic run that tied the game at 89 with 4:21 left in the game.
Draymond Green gave the Warriors their first lead of the night when he finished a fast-break layup with 6:09 left in the third. That was part of a 18-3 run that put Golden State ahead 76-66.
Orlando led the entire first half, and Gordon's jumper at the buzzer gave the Magic a 59-51 halftime lead.
Orlando grabbed the lead with a 6-0 spurt to start the game and led by as much as 11 points. Golden State shot just 39.2 percent through the first two quarters. Curry scored the last 15 points of the first quarter for the Warriors and had 19 at the half.
Each team was coming off a disappointing outing. The Warriors fell to the Miami Heat when Dwyane Wade hit a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer. Orlando blew a 16-point lead to the New York Knicks.
Golden State finishes up its four-game road trip in Philadelphia, and Orlando kicks off a three-game road trip at Indiana -- both on Saturday night.
--Field Level Media