Offense lacks punch, falls short
The Orlando Magic made a late surge but came up short in a 111-106 loss Friday night to the Indiana Pacers in front of a crowd of 3,777 at Amway Center.
Terrence Ross finished with 24 points to lead the Magic, who fell to 0-2 on their current fourgame homestand. Mo Bamba and James Ennis each had 14 points for Orlando (17-35).
Gary Harris made his Magic debut, playing 18 minutes in his first game since Feb. 17. He showed some rust, missing his first eight shots before coming to life with eight points in the third quarter.
The Pacers (24-27) got 20 points from Aaron Holiday and 19 points from Doug McDermott. The two were a combined 15-of27 from the field, with Holiday making six 3-pointers.
Orlando shot better overall than Indiana but was outscored 33-18 from the 3-point line.
Indiana was up 86-82 early in the fourth quarter when it surged to a 99-84 advantage to match its largest lead of the game after two
Jeremy Lamb free throws with 7:03 to play.
The Magic quickly sliced eight points off the deficit after three Ennis free throws, a 3 by Bamba and a 14-foot jumper by Ross.
The Magic then trailed 108-98 with 2:27 left when Ross started a 6-0 run with a dunk. His second dunk in the spurt pulled Orlando within 108-104 with 54.1 seconds left.
After T.J. McConnell missed a 3, Ross misfired on a 15-footer. The miss led to a free throw by Malcolm Brogdon and a 109-104 lead for the Pacers.
Ennis then made two free throws to make it a one-possession game. The Magic fouled McConnell, a 60% free-throw shooter, after the inbounds pass, and he made both foul shots to seal the win.
The Magic return to action Sunday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of a back-to-back set. The contests tips off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida. Orlando then hosts San Antonio at 8 p.m. Monday to complete the back-to-back.
The Magic will have three backto-backs remaining.