NBA News Wire
Magic 95, Trail Blazers 85
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
ORLANDO, Fla. — Reserve forward Tobias Harris had 25 points and 11 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic snap a nine-game losing streak with a 95-85 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie point guard Victor Oladipo contributed 13 points and a game-high six assists.
Center Robin Lopez had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third consecutive game. Portland (45-27) has won only four of their last 13 games, falling farther behind Houston for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Blazers, who lost Saturday in Charlotte and Monday in Miami, trailed by as many as 19 points early in the fourth quarter. They made only 32 of 86 shots from the field (37.2 percent) and never led in the second half.
Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews had 18 points and guard Damian Lillard 17. Magic reserve guard Doron Lamb scored 11 points and guard Arron Afflalo had 10.
The Magic led 79-65 going into the fourth quarter. Harris sparked Orlando in the third quarter when he made all four of his shots from the field and scored 11 points.
The Magic led 50-42 at halftime, capitalizing on a 16-0 run in the second quarter that was led by reserve guard Deron Lamb, who hit two 3-point shots. The Blazers led 38-32 before they went cold.
In the first quarter, Lopez hit all five of his shots from the field, leading Portland to a 26-23 advantage.
Vucevic finished the first half with 14 points and six rebounds.
Both teams were sloppy early. The Blazers had nine turnovers and the Magic eight in the first two quarters.
The Blazers were careless in the second half, too, when they fouled Magic shooters twice behind the 3-point line.
NOTES: The Blazers were without All-Star F LaMarcus Aldridge (lower back contusion) for the seventh consecutive game, although he worked out on the court with his teammates before the game. He is expected back Thursday when Portland plays at Atlanta. The Blazers were 3-3 without him before Tuesday. … The Magic were without PG Jameer Nelson (sore left knee) for the fourth consecutive game. … Orlando owns the NBA’s worst road record (4-34). The franchise mark for fewest road victories is six, set during the inaugural season, 1989-90 . … As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, the Magic honored former player Grant Hill on Tuesday, even though his time was marked by numerous injuries. Hill spent seven seasons in Orlando but played in only 200 of a possible 574 games. … The hot-shooting start on Tuesday for Portland C Robin Lopez (he was 5 of 5 from the field in the first quarter) was no surprise. In his previous three games combined, he was 11 of 16 from the floor.
