Williams was 84.

He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping the franchise win a title in 1983.

A few years later, Williams was involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989.

“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. “His accomplishments will always be remembered. Armed with his ever-present optimism and unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways. From bringing the Magic to Orlando, to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always ahead of the curve.”

Williams was general manager in Orlando until being promoted to senior vice president in 1996.

“There is no Orlando Magic without Pat Williams,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was held in such high regard in the basketball community and was a friend to me and so many generations of league executives. Pat was never at a loss for a kind and supportive word and always brought great enthusiasm, energy and optimism to everything he did throughout his more than 50 years in the NBA.”

Williams never stopped pushing for more in Orlando, either. He spoke often about why he wanted the city to get a Major League Soccer franchise — it eventually did — and as recently as last year was trying to build momentum to get a Major League Baseball franchise for the city.

Baseball was Williams’ first sporting love; he played at Wake Forest. He signed to play in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization in 1962, eventually became a front-office worker and was picked as the Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1967.

“He loved a challenge, and when he moved our family to Orlando to start the Magic, he was full of excitement and energy that he displayed every day,” Williams’ family said in a statement. “We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about. Those who attended the games, saw him at church, or spent time with him in a social setting know that he never met a stranger and was always quick with an encouraging word. He was a giver, a teacher, the ultimate cheerleader, and he was a lifelong learner.”

Williams was at one time dubbed the “king of the lottery,” given the success he and the Magic had when he showed up to represent the club at the league’s annual event to determine who gets the No. 1 pick. Lottery luck fell his way three times, bringing Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and Dwight Howard to Orlando.

“Most teams have a trophy case full of trophies,” Williams once told The Associated Press. “We have a case filled with pingpong balls.”

His cases were filled with far more than those. Williams wrote more than 100 books and ran 58 marathons, including the Boston Marathon 13 times. Diagnosed in February 2011 with multiple myeloma, Williams became an avid fundraiser for cancer research and sat on several boards for cancer groups throughout the country, including the Board of Directors for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

He also was a motivational speaker, often addressing groups on leadership, teamwork and the mental challenge that comes after being diagnosed with cancer, among other topics.

Williams was born in Philadelphia and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. He was honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, the Magic’s Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class in 2014, and the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.

“The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was created to honor colleagues like Pat Williams who has demonstrated his enthusiasm for the game of basketball throughout his life,” Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said in 2012, when Williams received the honor. “Pat not only made a major impact in his leadership to cultivate the Chicago Bulls organization and bring a championship to the Philadelphia 76ers, but he invested an incredible effort to bring a successful franchise to Central Florida.”

Williams is survived by his wife Ruth and 19 children, 14 of whom they adopted from foreign countries.

“Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando,” DeVos and Martins said. “He shined a light on what those who called Orlando home already knew — that Central Florida was a fabulous place to live, work and play. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and he will certainly be missed, but never forgotten.”

Memorial arrangements were still pending as of Wednesday night, the Magic said.
—

The post Magic co-founder Pat Williams, who helped bring team to Orlando, dies at 84 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

The Magic didn’t win three in a row at any point last season. Orlando’s last three-game winning streak was in February 2021.

“You put three games in a row — I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We’re asking our guys to defend at a high level, which they did. We’re asking them to move the basketball, which they did, and to stay poised down the stretch which they’ve done.”

Wagner was encouraged by what he saw.

“I think we’re figuring stuff out, especially these last couple games,” Wagner said. “People are beginning to adjust to how we play and throw different stuff at us, so we’ve got to keep working.”

Gary Trent Jr. led the Raptors with 24 points. Fred Van Vleet added 20 and Pascal Siakam 19.

It was Toronto’s second loss in three nights to the Magic, a team they had defeated in 10 of the preceding 11 meetings.

“It was a little bit of a gut punch,” Van Vleet said. “It just wasn’t our night tonight, which is why you have to take care of business on Friday night. We had some critical breakdowns to give them threes at the wrong parts of the game, especially late in the fourth quarter.”

Mo Bamba and Cole Anthony came off the bench and made major contributions for the Magic. Bamba had 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while Anthony, playing 29 minutes while starting point guard Markelle Fultz sat in foul trouble, finished with 14 points and six assists.

The Magic went more than 4 1/2 minutes without scoring in the first quarter and didn’t make a 3-point shot until Terrence Ross hit at 6:19 of the second quarter. Bamba followed quickly with two more on a 10-0 run that gave Orlando a 41-29 lead.

“Shots were not falling early, but I loved our ability to stay the course and stay in the fight,” Mosley said. “I think that’s a great sign of growth for a young team in a situation like this.”

The Magic led by 14 midway through the third quarter when a flagrant foul on Fultz — his fifth personal foul — helped the Raptors score four quick points. Trent scored eight straight Toronto points and the Raptors cut their deficit to four before the end of the period.

But they got no closer, and when Wagner made three straight 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter, Orlando led 95-79.

“One time was in a late-clock situation; somebody gambled for a steal and I got a three. Two other times I was just open and I was feeling like I was in a rhythm,” Wagner said. “The coaches are telling me to shoot when I’m open and I’ve worked a lot on it.”

TIP-INS

Raptors: F O.G. Anunoby missed his first game of the season after straining his left hip early in Friday night’s game. … The Raptors lost two replay challenges in a span of 13 seconds in the second quarter, but another replay give them three points after an initial call that Van Vleet had launched a shot after the 24-second clock had expired.

Magic: After missing their first seven 3-points attempts, the Magic shot 14 for 24. . . . Ross was the only player still on the active roster who participated in the Magic’s last three-game winning streak 22 months (and 151 games) ago. … After being outrebounded 43-29 in a loss at Toronto on Dec. 3, the Magic had an 85-60 edge in the two games here, led by Bamba’s 22.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Play at home against Sacramento on Wednesday night.

Magic: Play at home against Atlanta on Wednesday night.

—

The post Wagner, Banchero lead Magic past Raptors for 3rd win in row appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Embiid had 35 points and 16 rebounds and the 76ers kept rallying, finally beating Orlando 116-114 in overtime Sunday night.

Down by 17 points in the first half and trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter, the Sixers were behind 113-109 with 1:25 left in OT. Orlando has the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 18-51.

“This was a big win for us. I know people are like: ‘Oh, it’s the Orlando Magic.’ But they just beat the Timberwolves the other night and the Timberwolves came back and beat the Miami Heat,” said Georges Niang, who hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help send the game into overtime. “That should tell you something about the NBA.”

James Harden hit one of two free throws with 6.7 seconds left in overtime to give Philadelphia a two-point lead. Cole Anthony missed a 3-pointer at the horn for Orlando.

Anthony’s three 3-pointers had put the Magic ahead in the final minutes.

“(The final shot) could have gone in and we’d be in a different mood,” Anthony said. “This is a game that easily could have fallen in our favor.”

Harden finished with 26 points and Tobias Harris added 25 and nine rebounds for the 76ers.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead Orlando, which fell just short of a second upset in three days.

“We’re giving ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter,” Carter said. “We’re going to be in this position a lot, and we’re going to win some and lose some. It’s good experience.”

Embiid, who also had seven assists, set up Tyrese Maxey for a 3-pointer just before the fourth-quarter buzzer, but Maxey missed. Embiid missed two foul shots with 1:39 left after making his first 15 free throws of the game.

The Magic led 57-40 late in the first half, in which the 76ers shot 33%.

“I would like to get off to a good start, but it’s almost like we’ve got to get punched in the mouth before we turn on our defensive intensity,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. “That stretch of defense in the third quarter was phenomenal, but we have to start the game that way.”

A 10-footer by Niang and free throws by Harden and Embiid helped reduce Orlando’s lead to 12 at halftime.

The Magic went without a field goal for nearly seven minutes of the third quarter. But Markelle Fultz capped a Magic bench rally with a couple of assists and a 3-pointer of his own for a 10-point lead with 10:03 left.

Harden responded with four free throws and Niang hit two 3-pointers to get the 76ers back in it. Embiid made a 3-pointer to put Philadelphia up 101-98, its first lead since the first quarter.

TIP-INS

76ers: Niang had 16 points in 36 minutes off the bench. . . . The 76ers held Orlando without a field goal for the final 3:50 of regulation. . . . F Danny Green missed a third straight game with a finger laceration.

Magic: The Magic have lost eight straight to Philadelphia, including all four meetings this season. . . .. Fultz, playing in his sixth game of the season, had eight points and 11 assists in 19 minutes. . . . After missing their first four attempts, the Magic shot a healthy 42 percent (18 for 43) from 3-point range. . . . Mo Bamba, who had 27 points and 12 rebounds Friday night in the win over Minnesota, did not score in the first half.. But

UP NEXT

76ers: Play at home against Denver on Monday night.

Magic: Play at home against Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

—

Embiid’s 35 points, 16 points lead 76ers over Magic in OT

The post Embiid’s 35 points, 16 points lead 76ers over Magic in OT appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Washington snapped a two-game skid and beat Orlando for a second time this season. The Wizards trailed 71-67 after three quarters but improved to 6-18 when behind entering the fourth. Washington outscored the Magic 29-15 during a seven-minute stretch in the final period to regain control.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 10 of his 14 points and hit both of his 3-pointers in the second half for Washington. His 3-pointer with 2:33 left gave the Wizards a 98-92 lead, its biggest since the opening minutes of the game.

Kuzma had 13 rebounds by halftime and became the first Wizard with 20 rebounds since Russell Westbrook did it last season. Twenty of his boards came off the defensive end.

Beal made just 7 of 22 shots and came up short of 25 points for the first time in nine games.

He hit just 1 of 2 free throws with 6.8 seconds left to keep Orlando in it. Gary Harris had his 3-point attempt blocked by Beal in the closing seconds, and Chuma Okeke couldn’t convert at the horn.

Orlando lost its season-worst ninth straight game and fell for a seventh consecutive time at home. The Magic dropped to 2-15 at home and haven’t won in Orlando since Dec. 1. The Magic are 1-9 this season against division foes.

Terrence Ross scored 32 points for Orlando, which was playing for a second straight night after losing in Detroit on Saturday. Ross had Orlando’s final 16 points of the third quarter and the first four of the fourth period to tie Tracy McGrady for the franchise record for consecutive points with 20. McGrady accomplished the feat in 2003.

Franz Wagner, the NBA’s top-scoring rookie this season, finished with 16 points. Cole Anthony made just 4 of 17 shots and finished with just 12 points, eight shy of his season average. The Magic shot only 39.6% from the floor.

Rui returns

Rui Hachimura, who has been out for months with an eye condition and a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, made his season debut. Hachimura, the ninth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, was diagnosed with bilateral epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) earlier this season.

Hachimura had six points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.

Tip-ins

Wizards: Kuzma broke his previous career high of 17 rebounds, which he accomplished on Oct. 30 against Boston. … Montrezl Harrell cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols but the team decided to keep him in Washington. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said he expects Harrell to be ready to play on Tuesday. … Davis Bertans returned after missing the previous game with a left foot sprain. … Anthony Gill missed his fourth straight game while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Magic: PF Wendell Carter Jr. missed his second straight game with a sore left hamstring. … Orlando is 1-8 on the second night of back-to-backs.

Up next

Wizards: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Magic: Play at Washington on Wednesday.

—

Kuzma’s 22 boards lift Wizards over Magic 102-100

The post Kuzma’s 22 boards lift Wizards over Magic 102-100 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

The 76ers, who notched their NBA-best 14th road victory of the season, tied a season high with a fifth straight win overall. They also defeated Orlando for a second time this season and a 10th straight time since 2016.

“We’re rolling and this is a good feeling for our team and our group,” said Harris, who bounced back a game after angrily egging on fans that booed him in Philadelphia on Monday. “Our group is meshing together, we’re having fun out there and it’s about the team.”

Seth Curry added 20 points, a season-high 12 assists and seven rebounds, while Furkan Korkmaz scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half. Embiid, who scored at least 30 points for a fifth straight game, cupped his hands to his ears as fans repeatedly chanted, “MVP! MVP!”

“Since I got to the league, in Orlando, for some reason, every single time we come here it’s basically a home game for us and our fans show out,” Embiid said.

Philadelphia wasted no time grabbing control in the fourth quarter. The 76ers forced the Magic into five turnovers and used a 14-5 run to open the fourth quarter. The 76ers improved to 5-14 when trailing after three quarters.

With Philadelphia leading 109-104 with 2:09 to play, Embiid was called for a flagrant foul on a hard hit to Wendell Carter Jr. However, the Magic center missed two free throws, Embiid blocked Cole Anthony’s layup and the Sixers iced the game on two jumpers by Curry.

“I told our guys before the game, with this (Orlando) team, if you look at their record and play like that, you’re going to lose,” said coach Doc Rivers, who was back on the bench after a two-game absence while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. “We just hung in there.”

Orlando lost its seventh straight, its third such losing streak of the season. The Magic dropped to 2-14 at home after committing 19 turnovers, leading to 28 Philadelphia points.

Anthony, who played for the first time since Dec. 23 because of a sprained right ankle, hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to put Orlando up five. However, he landed on Mo Bamba’s heel and sprained his left ankle. He initially screamed out in pain and needed help getting off the floor.

Anthony scored 14 of his 26 points in the first half. Bamba finished with 19 points and eight rebounds.

“This is one of the things that’s just not easy,” Anthony said of the Magic’s losing ways. “But I love this game and I love this city. … I’m ecstatic to be here and we have an opportunity to build something here.”

The Doc is in

Rivers found out late Tuesday he had tested negative for the COVID-19 virus, and he flew into Orlando on Wednesday to rejoin the team. Rivers said members of the NBA’s coaching fraternity have tried to check up on one another and share tips.

“A lot of frustration (among coaches),” Rivers said. “There were a few guys who were actually feeling poorly, and then there were a lot who were like, ‘I feel great,’ and they were frustrated they couldn’t get out there.”

Tip-ins

76ers: Rivers said guard Tyrese Maxey and forward Matisse Thybulle remain out and in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. “I know they’re feeling great,” Rivers said. “This thing, as everybody knows, is individual. Some guys have struggled with it and some guys haven’t.”

Magic: Thursday will be the one-year anniversary of Markelle Fultz tearing the ACL in his left knee. The No. 1 pick from the 2017 NBA draft missed the final 64 games of last season and has yet to play this season. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Fultz has rejoined the team in some non-contact practices, but the guard is still in the rehabilitation phase.

Up next

76ers: Host San Antonio on Friday night.

Magic: Play at Detroit on Saturday night.

—

Embiid, Harris lift 76ers by Magic for fifth straight win

The post Embiid, Harris lift 76ers by Magic for fifth straight win appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Brown scored 21 in the fourth quarter, then opened OT with his fifth 3-pointer of the game. Brown, whose previous career high was 46 against the Knicks on Oct. 20, also finished with 11 rebounds as the Celtics avoided losing for the fourth time in five games.

“We needed to win. No way we could have lost this game. It wouldn’t have been good,” said Brown, who made nine of 12 shots in the fourth quarter while leading the Celtics on a frenzied comeback.

Marcus Smart added 17 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who needed an 11-2 run down the stretch to force overtime. Dennis Schroder had 21 points and seven assists.

“We let the game come to us,” Smart said. “It wasn’t pretty. It was a little ugly. But we came out with the win and that’s because we kept our composure and we kept with it.”

Terrence Ross scored 33 for the Magic, who outscored Boston 35-20 in the third quarter. They closed the period on a 20-4 run to take a 77-65 lead into the fourth and were ahead 96-82 with a little more than 4 minutes remaining in regulation.

“Everybody was just going extreme tonight. We were playing with a lot of energy, a lot of hustle,” Ross said. “Any time you play like that, you’re going to give yourself a good chance.”

Shortly after missing the free throw on a three-point play attempt with 1:40 left, Brown drove for a layup to tie it at 98-all with 38 seconds to go. He added another layup that briefly put Boston up 100-98 with 30 seconds remaining, but Tim Frazier tied it up again and the game was decided in overtime.

“We’ve just got to shake it off and learn from the situations that we were in, because we’ll find ourselves in more of these as the year goes on,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said.

Boston, which beat one of the top teams in the league Friday with a 123-108 win over Phoenix, couldn’t stop the lowly Magic (8-29) two days later.

Both teams were without their top scorers. Cole Anthony was out for the Magic with a sprained right ankle and Boston’s Jayson Tatum missed his fourth straight game after being placed on the COVID-19 health and safety protocols list last week.

Gary Harris added 23 points and Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds for Orlando. Frazier, who also scored 11 in the third, finished with 14 points.

The Celtics led 45-42 at halftime despite committing 14 turnovers in the first half and nearly letting a 14-point lead vanish before the break. Frazier opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to tie it, starting the Magic on a roll that would put them up by as much as 14.

“We got a little careless there. We were playing really fast and a little reckless at times and let them get back into the game, but overall we showed growth,” Boston coach Ime Udoka said. “We’ve lost quite a few of those this year and got out there defensively and got what we wanted towards the end of the game.”

Brown’s big night

Brown said he wasn’t aware he was headed toward a career night, too caught up in the pace of the rally to realize how much he had scored until the final minute.

Brown is the seventh player in team history to score 50 and the fourth Celtic to reach 50 points and 10 or more rebounds in a game, joining Tatum, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.

“My teammates found me tonight and I knocked some shots down,” Brown said.

Tip-ins

Magic: Orlando had just four turnovers in the first half. … Mo Bamba was back after missing seven games due to health and safety protocols. … G Hassani Gravett returned after missing one game due to safety protocols. … C Robin Lopez remained on the protocol list.

Celtics: C Robert Williams, who had his first career triple-double Friday with 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in a win over Phoenix, was out with a sprained right big toe. … Although Tatum’s status was bumped up to “reconditioning to return to competition,” he remained out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. … Schroder returned after missing four games on the protocols list. … G Romeo Langford was out with a non-COVID illness and G Brodric Thomas was out with lower back pain. … C Enes Freedom was still on the protocol list.

Up next

Magic: At Chicago on Monday night.

Celtics: Host San Antonio on Wednesday night.

—

Brown scores 50, rallies Celts to 116-111 OT win over Magic

The post Brown scores 50, rallies Celts to 116-111 OT win over Magic appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Yurtseven scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his first start, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin each scored 17 points in their returns and the Heat beat the Orlando Magic 93-83 on Sunday.

“You’re seeing the skill level that he has,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Gabe Vincent and Max Strus each had 13 points for Miami.

Butler had missed 12 of Miami’s last 13 games because of the injury. Martin had missed Miami’s last seven games because of a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” said Yurtseven, who was called on to start because of injuries to Miami centers Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon.

Gary Harris scored 20 for Orlando, which got 14 from RJ Hampton, 13 from Franz Wagner and 12 from Hassani Gravett.

Orlando signed four players — Gravett among them — earlier this month to hardship deals after the Magic were hit by virus-related problems. Those deals are expiring.

“I was ready. I was ready at any given moment,” Gravett said. “I knew coming into this year what could take place with COVID or injuries or anything and was ready.”

Hampton’s 3-pointer with 4:42 left in the first gave Orlando a 21-12 lead, the biggest Magic cushion of the afternoon. Miami answered with a 12-3 run capped by a layup from Udonis Haslem to pull into a tie, then took its first lead with 7:29 left in the half on a pair of free throws from Butler.

The Heat edge was only 42-39 at the half. But Miami scored the first 10 points of the second half — getting four baskets from four different players, Strus, Yurtseven, Duncan Robinson and Vincent — to push the lead out to 13.

Orlando wouldn’t go away. Hampton’s 3-pointer with 6:03 left got the Magic within 80-72, but Miami scored the next eight and sealed the win when Strus hit a 3 with 3:14 left for an 88-72 edge.

“I think we did a really good job of competing all night and getting the looks we were looking for,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

TIP-INS

Magic: Orlando fell to 7-27, tying the worst 34-game start in franchise history. It also happened in 1991-92. … The Magic are now 0-3 against Miami this season.

Heat: Kyle Lowry (protocols) remained sidelined, and Miami was without assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Caron Butler for virus-related reasons. … Haslem has played in three consecutive games for the first time since making four consecutive appearances in December 2017.

LOTS OF STARTERS

Yurtseven was part of more unique lineups for both sides. The three Heat-Magic games this season have seen 19 different players in the starting lineups, already the most in any season series between the Florida teams since 21 players opened Miami-Orlando games during 2002-03.

HERRO EJECTED

Heat guard Tyler Herro was ejected late in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul of the game. He also received one midway through the second quarter, a double technical along with Hampton.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday, the start of a two-game homestand against the reigning champions.

Heat: Host Washington on Tuesday, the end of Miami’s first four-game homestand so far this season.

—

Heat win 3rd straight, pull away from Magic 93-83

The post Heat win 3rd straight, pull away from Magic 93-83 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Talen Horton-Tucker scored seven of his 19 points as Los Angeles utterly dominated a close game out of halftime, scoring 23 consecutive points while holding the Magic to 2-for-23 shooting in the third quarter with their field goals scored nearly 10 minutes apart. Los Angeles rode that 36-10 advantage in the third to its second straight win and moved two games above .500 for the first time in four weeks.

Russell Westbrook had 19 points and James secured his 101st career triple-double in the final minutes as the Lakers won their second straight with second-leading scorer Anthony Davis sidelined by left knee soreness. Coach Frank Vogel said examinations of Davis’ knee found it structurally sound, and the team anticipates him returning to action soon.

Cole Anthony scored 21 points for the Magic, who went 0-5 on their West Coast trip despite rallying in the fourth quarter.

Franz Wagner added 20 points and seven rebounds, but the Magic responded to Saturday night’s last-second loss to the Clippers with a solid first half and a catastrophic third quarter in their 12th loss in 13 games. Orlando dropped to 5-23 despite hitting 13 3-pointers.

Los Angeles’ 23 straight points comprised its longest run of the season, and the Lakers turned a small halftime deficit into a 25-point lead while holding Orlando without a field goal for 9:48. James scored 13 points in the first four minutes after halftime, slicing up Orlando’s defense with 3-pointers and dunks alike while also making two crowd-pleasing blocks at the rim.

Neither team took a substantial lead in a first half highlighted by James’ spectacular chase-down block of R.J. Hampton’s layup attempt in the second quarter. The Magic hit nine 3-pointers during the first half in another significant step for one of the NBA’s worst-shooting and lowest-scoring teams.

Tip-ins

Magic: Rookie guard Jalen Suggs missed his sixth straight game with a broken right thumb. … Gary Harris was limited to six points in 33 minutes on just five shots.

Lakers: Dwight Howard made his third start of the season against the team that drafted him in 2004 and employed him for eight years before he became an NBA vagabond. The center, who turned 36 last Wednesday, had five points and four rebounds. … Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points and hit three 3-pointers.

Up next

Magic: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Lakers: At the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

—

LeBron scores 30, Lakers top Magic 106-94 for 5th win in 7

The post LeBron scores 30, Lakers top Magic 106-94 for 5th win in 7 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Terrence Ross scored 19 points off the bench and rookie Jalen Suggs added 13 for the Magic, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Orlando trailed 96-94 with 1:54 left but stunned the Knicks by outscoring them 10-2 the rest of the way for their second road win of the season – both at Madison Square Garden.

“One thing I will say is we talk about their resilience, their ability not to overreact, not to panic,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosely said. “They are doing a great job communicating with one another in the huddle. My assistants did a great job of communicating with them the things we needed to do down the stretch.”

RJ Barrett scored 17 points and Mitchell Robinson had 13 points and 11 rebounds for New York, which has lost four of six.

The Knicks had 18 turnovers and fell to 3-5 at home.

“You have to play for 48 minutes. You can’t let your guard down,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Unfortunately, we beat ourselves tonight. Our turnovers hurt us. We’re capable of playing a lot better than we did. We give them credit. They played well. They played hard. We didn’t.”

Orlando (4-11) appeared on its way to another loss after blowing a nine-point lead in the final quarter.

New York trailed 84-82 before going on an 8-0 run capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Alec Burks and Obi Toppin to take an 89-84 lead with 6:33 left.

The Knicks extended it to 96-95 on Barrett’s layup before Franz Wagner led a 7-0 run with a three-point play, including a two-handed dunk over Barrett. Anthony followed with a pair of free throws before Suggs stole Derrick Rose’s errant pass and fed Wendell Carter Jr. to make it 102-96 with 29 seconds left.

Suggs, who in his senior year of high school took Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball honors before quitting football to star for Gonzaga and leading them to a national title game, credited his old defensive skills on the gridiron for three of his four steals in the fourth quarter.

“Free safety,” Suggs said. “I just saw two running the wings and they had numbers. Really just read that. I was looking for a pass. I knew he wanted to throw a crosscourt pass and get the ball over. Just trying to make winning plays.”

After a layup by Barrett, Anthony made a pair of free throws to seal it.

Tip-ins

Magic: Ross became the fourth active player in the NBA to eclipse 5,000 points as a reserve, joining Atlanta’s Lou Williams, Brooklyn’s Patty Mills and Utah’s Jordan Clarkson.

Knicks: Backup center Nerlens Noel (sprained right knee) was held out. … Burks, who scored 15 points, hit three of his four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Two-way player

Suggs, who returned to the starting lineup after missing his last game due to a sprained right ankle, had eight points in the fourth quarter, including one after a steal that cut Orlando’s deficit to one point with under five minutes left.

Mosley credited Suggs’ winning attitude as one of the keys to the Magic’s first win in 10 days after beating Utah at home.

“It talks about the wining mentality, making the bell plays,” Mosley said. “Diving on the floor. He is the first one on the ground, diving, trying to get the loose ball. He makes the big play, the bell play, getting the steal in transition. Those winning plays and that mentality of being a competitor and doing whatever it takes to get these guys over the hump.”

Up next

Magic: Continue their five-game road trip at Brooklyn on Friday night.

Knicks: Host the Houston Rockets on Saturday afternoon to close out their three-game home set.

—

Magic rally late, beat Knicks 104-98 to stop 3-game slide

The post Magic rally late, beat Knicks 104-98 to stop 3-game slide appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Ross was one of six Orlando players to score in double figures as the Magic snapped a season-opening two—game losing streak.

Cole Anthony recorded his first career double-double with 29 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. added 11 points apiece, and Franz Wagner and Mo Bamba added 10 points each.

Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson recorded double-doubles for the Knicks, who lost their first game after opening the season with consecutive wins. Randle had 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Robinson 10 points and 10 rebounds. Derrick Rose scored 23 points, R.J. Barrett finished with 12 points on 5-for-17 shooting, and Kemba Walker had 10 points in 19 minutes.

The Eastern Conference rivals were playing the second half of a home-and-home series. New York had routed Orlando 121-96 on Friday in Florida. In that game, the Knicks set team records for 3-pointers attempted (54) and 3-pointers made (24).

They picked up where they left off, knocking down 7 of 13 3s in the first quarter. But that didn’t last as New York made six more 3-pointers over the final three quarters. The Knicks finished 13 for 48 from long distance.

While the Knicks opened an insurmountable lead Friday, the Magic hung around this time and entered the fourth quarter trailing by six points, 80-74.

The Magic used a 12-0 spurt over the first 2:40 to take an 86-80 lead, highlighted by a 3-pointer by Ross and a thunderous dunk by Moritz Wagner over Obi Toppin that prompted Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to call timeout.

That didn’t do much as the Magic were able to hang on and record their first win of the season.

Tip-ins

Magic: Entering the season, the Magic had nine players aged 23 or younger and have an average age of 25.1 years. That means head coach Jamahl Mosley’s job will be molding young players into professionals. “It is a definite opportunity for these young guys to experience the league at this level,” Mosley said before the game. “Playing very good, physical, top basketball teams. This is a great experience for them to have to walk into and learn from.” … According to Elias Sports, Orlando’s starting lineup of Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Mo Bamba had an average age of 21 years and 213 days, and was the youngest opening lineup in NBA history. The league has tracked starters’ average age as far back as the 1970-71 season.

Knicks: Tom Thibodeau does not want his team taking shots just for the sake of taking shots. Rather, he emphasized the importance of taking the right shot. “I just want them to understand the value of shots,” Thibodeau said in his pregame availability. New York’s coach had been asked a series of questions about his team taking a franchise record 54 3s and making a franchise record 24 in the Knicks’ 121-96 rout of the Magic in Orlando on Friday night. “We know the free throws are worth a lot. We know the layups are worth a lot. You know the dunk is worth a lot. You know the corner 3 is worth a lot. So understanding whatever your strengths are, play to those strengths. And then we put a lot of time into attacking the rim and making the right play.”

Up next

Magic: Conclude two-game trip in Miami on Monday night.

Knicks: Host Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

—

Ross’ 22-point 4th quarter leads Magic over Knicks 110-104

The post Ross’ 22-point 4th quarter leads Magic over Knicks 110-104 appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.