Raptors pull away from Magic
Lowry, Siakam combine for 50 points to send Orlando to 1-2.
TORONTO — The Orlando Magic fought their way back and looked poised to pull off an upset in Toronto.
Instead, Monday night’s trip to Scotiabank Arena ended the same way Orlando’s last visit did.
Kyle Lowry scored 26 points as the Raptors put all five starters in double figures and held off the Magic for a 104-95 victory on Monday night.
Pascal Siakam had 24 points while Fred VanVleet had 14, OG Anunoby had 12 and Marc Gasol 10 for the Raptors (3-1).
Jonathan Isaac scored a career-high 24 points, hitting a career-best five 3-pointers, to lead the Magic (1-2). Evan Fournier finished with 18 points and Markelle Fultz added 13 for the Magic.
The Raptors ended the Magic’s season last year after winning the first-round playoff series between the two, including a Game 5 victory at Scotiabank Arena that finished off the series.
The Magic looked like they were going to turn the tables. They used a 13-0 run to grab an 89-87 lead after Terrence Ross buried a 3-pointer with 4:18 to play.
It was a 91-90 lead after a reverse layup by Fultz. Then the Magic went cold and the Raptors pulled away. The Magic missed 3-pointers on three straight possessions, giving the Raptors a chance to pull out to a 97-91 lead.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic’s nightmarish shooting struggles continued against the Raptors. Vucevic, who shot just 36.2% in last year’s playoff series against Toronto, was 1-for-13 from the field and finished with just five points. He did not have a two-point
field goal.
Even when Vucevic had seemingly had an easy path to the basket, the Raptors swarmed to the ball. On a third-quarter play, Fournier fed Vucevic with a perfect bounce pass after Vucevic rolled off a screen, but Anunoby came over to help and blocked Vucevic’s layup attempt from behind.
The Magic entered the game No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating and showed why during spurts of the game.
During the first 7:40 of the second quarter, the Raptors went 2-of-12 from the field and committed five turnovers.
The Magic used that stretch to climb back in it, pulling within 42-35 on a pair of Isaac free throws.
Nearly three minutes later, the Magic cut the lead to 46-44 when Fournier completed a three-point play.
But the Raptors countered with a threepoint play by Lowry to steal some of the Magic’s momentum.
The Magic’s improved defensive second quarter came after the Raptors put up 31 points and shot 54.2% in the opening quarter.
The Raptors got out to a 16-9 lead as all five starters registered a field goal before Siakam took over. He scored the Raptors next nine points before assisting on a 3-pointer by Anunoby that pushed the lead to 28-14.
The Magic return home to face the New York Knicks at 7 p.m. Wednesday during the first of three consecutive games at Amway Center.
The Magic will take on the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets Friday and Saturday during their first set of back-to-back games this season.