Thunder rally in 2nd half, top Magic
Paul George (left) scores 39, Russell Westbrook adds triple double in 132-122 victory.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Paul George scored a game-high 39 points and Dennis Schroder finished with 20 as the Oklahoma City Thunder turned away the Orlando Magic for a 132-122 win at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday night.
The Magic went up 79-67 on two Aaron Gordon free throws at the 8:56 mark of the third quarter, but they watched that lead evaporate and never recovered.
Before Evan Fournier hit a 3-pointer at the 8:44 mark of the fourth quarter, the Magic had been outscored 44-18 and trailed 111-97.
Russell Westbrook recorded his seventh straight triple-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists for the Thunder (34-19).
Terrence Ross had 26 points and Fournier scored 25, while Gordon finished with 18 points and a career-high 10 assists for the Magic (22-32).
The Magic shot 57.8 percent in the first half, leading by as many as 10 points during one stretch as they took a 69-62 lead into the locker room.
Gordon led the way with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Ross and Fournier combined to hit five 3-pointers as the Magic went 7 of 15 from behind the arc.
The Magic’s 69 first-half points were a season high for a half this season, eclipsing the 68 they scored in the first half Jan. 3 at Minnesota and the 68 they scored in the second half Nov. 17 against the Lakers.
The Magic return home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at Amway Center.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports Florida.