Bolt from the blue
Augustin’s 3-pointer helps Magic stun Raptors in opener
TORONTO — Led by their veteran point guard, the resilient Orlando Magic are at it again.
And now they hold a 1-0 lead in their first playoff series since 2012.
D.J. Augustin sank a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds to play to lift the Magic to a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.
“Overall, just the fight and the way we hung in there,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said when asked about his impressions of his team’s win. “I thought our defense was very good for most of the game. Even when things went against us, we hung in the game.”
Augustin played
He scored 10 points during a key secondquarter run that flipped the momentum and finished with 19 first-half points.
Then he saved his best for last. the lead role in that department.
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Augustin came off a screen from a high pick-and-roll from Nikola Vucevic and rose up and buried the 3-point attempt from the top of the key.
Augustin’s fourth 3-pointer of the game snapped the 101-101 tie as a wave of silence rolled over the Scotiabank Arena crowd.
When Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard was caught in the pick, Raptors center Marc Gasol switched but didn’t close out on Augustin. The guard saw that opening and took advantage of it.
That is Augustin’s game.
“I’ve always just taken what the defense has given me,” Augustin said. “[Gasol] gave me a little space and I took what the defense gave me. I shot the ball with confidence and it went in.”
Leonard had a chance to tie it but his long 3-point attempt missed everything and went out of bounds, giving the Magic the ball with 0:0.5 seconds left. do was in-bound the ball.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m. from Scotiabank Arena.
Augustin finished with 25 points to match his playoff career-high set April 22, 2014, while playing for the Chicago Bulls in a game against the Washington Wizards. “D.J. was obviously terrific,” Clifford said. Evan Fournier finished with 16 points and Vucevic struggled to an 11-point night on 3-for-14 shooting.
Jonathan Isaac added 11 points while Aaron Gordon had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Terrence Ross and Michael Carter-Williams each had 10 points for Orlando, which won a playoff game for the first time since 2012.
While Augustin hit the biggest shot, the Magic got key plays from several players down the stretch.
Gordon sank a 3-pointer to pull the Magic within 90-89, Vucevic drained a 3 to tie it at 92-92 and Isaac hit a corner 3 to put the All they had to
Magic ahead 97-96.
Then it was Augustin rolling in a fingertip layup to tie the game at 101-101.
When Gasol’s 3-pointer rolled in and out on the ensuing Raptors’ possession, the stage was set for Augustin’s heroics.
Leonard finished with 25 points to lead the Raptors while Pascal Siakam finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.
The Raptors have now lost the opener in a first-round playoff series for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
As if the Magic needed any more confidence, they now have a chance to put the Raptors in a 2-0 hole.
“We played well. The next game will be more difficult, but we have to have a belief, or we should have a belief that we’re good enough to compete in this building,” Clifford said.
The Magic fell behind 34-27 before using a 30-7 run — led by 10 points from Augustin — to take a 57-41 lead with 1:06 left in the first half.
But the Raptors closed the gap to eight by halftime after scoring the final eight points of the half.
The third quarter saw the Magic struggle offensively. The Raptors’ 20-2 run, capped by a Gasol 3-pointer, built a 61-59 lead.
Orlando ultimately kept fighting and ultimately found a way to win.
“They just saw a team that’s not going to give up,” Augustin said when asked what he would say to those who were surprised the Magic beat the Raptors. “… A team that’s going to fight and just play hard.”