Shooting their way to another win
Efficiency from the field and at the line give Magic lift
The Orlando Magic picked up their third straight home win Thursday night with a 122-112 triumph against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Amway Center.
Here are some observations from Thursday’s win.
Offensive efficiency
The Magic got off to a fast start and didn’t slow down.
They shot 56.5 percent in the first quarter and 73.9 percent in the second when they posted 39 points to tie a season high for secondquarter points. They also had 39 against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 26.
Overall, the Magic shot 54.2 percent, one of their best field-goal-shooting games of the season. They had gone seven straight games without hitting the 50 percent mark.
Entering the game, teams were shooting 46.2 percent against the Timberwolves.
Terrence Ross played a big role in the offensive success.
The 6-foot-7 swingman scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the first half, including 11 straight during one stretch of the second quarter, to help the Magic amass 71 points before halftime — their highest total in a half this season. It was Ross’ second 30-point night in his past four games, during which he’s averaged 23.8 points.
Ross’ effectiveness (13 of 23 from the field) was part of a high level of inside-out play that fueled the Magic’s night. Nikola Vucevic scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and Evan Fournier had 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
As Vucevic said after the win, the Magic are at their best when they score from the post and the perimeter, and it showed on Thursday.
Rebounding must improve
Magic coach Steve Clifford was pleased with his team’s play, with rebounding being the one exception. The Timberwolves pulled down 16 offensive rebounds — six by athletic forward Andrew Wiggins – that led to 26 second-chance points.
The Magic gave up a season-high 17 offensive rebounds against the Pistons on Dec. 30 — also a game won by Orlando.
Against the Timberwolves, the Magic came up with 10 offensive rebounds that led to 12 points.
Free throws, free throws
The Magic played well in a lot of areas but especially delivered at the free-throw line.
Led by Aaron Gordon, they were 21 of 23 from the foul line and outscored the Timberwolves by 11 points from there. Gordon made all eight of his free-throw attempts.
Getting to the line has been a point of emphasis from Clifford for much of the season, and the Magic have done a better job of that lately. They shot 34 free throws Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
In their past nine games, the Magic have averaged nearly 21 free-throw attempts, going 153 of 187 from the line. That’s nearly two more attempts per game than their season average and three more than their average from their previous 10-game stretch.
A few more attempts per game may not look like a lot, but with games being decided by two or three possessions those extra free throws could be the difference between winning and losing.