Orlando Magic Grades: Minnesota Timberwolves 111, Orlando Magic 105
The Orlando Magic seemed to have the game wrapped up. They failed to get the stop and failed to show up in overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves sneaked by.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT1 | T | |
| Magic | 23 | 28 | 28 | 19 | 7 | 105 |
| Timberwolves | 26 | 26 | 28 | 18 | 13 | 111 |
Aaron Gordon seemed to have put the Orlando Magic win away. He scrapped for the ball on an offensive rebound and finished through contact for an and-one and a two-point lead with 50 seconds left.
The Magic would not score again. Nikola Vucevic committed a travel on the next possession after getting a rebound. Then Andrew Wiggins got around a screen and drained a jumper over Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic to send the game to overtime.
Orlando failed to get a shot on its final possession with 10 seconds left. Elfrid Payton, clearly frustrated over a busted play, had to heave a contested 3-pointer that barely grazed the backboard.
The Magic would go to overtime and the wind would escape them.
Wiggins had things rolling and kept attacking the Magic defense. Meanwhile, Orlando’s offense lost its togetherness as the team tried desperately to get to the basket and struggled to draw much iron. Orlando had just one field goal in the overtime.
That is going to be tough to get any wins in.
The Magic got the game back down to three points, but Payton split a pair of free throws and the Timberwolves iced the game at the foul line. Nikola Vucevic missed a wide-open 3-pointer and Evan Fournier, playing for the first time in eight games, missed a put back and the Wolves ran out the clock.
Orlando could not complete a nine-point comeback from midway in the fourth quarter, succumbing to Ricky Rubio‘s sudden 3-point barrage and Andrew Wiggins finding his star turn with stellar playmaking down the stretch.
The Magic played with the effort to get a chance at consecutive wins for the first time since Christmas.
It turned into a disappointing game. The Magic had a winnable game and a chance to build some momentum to keep their fading Playoff hopes on life support. Maybe that is a futile hope anyway. Talks of playing a good effort game are talks of a team tanking anyway.
The Magic simply failed to execute in the end, giving the Timberwolves too many opportunities to beat them.
Elfrid Payton
PG, Orlando Magic
Undoubtedly, though, the attention is going to get put on that final play. And Payton did not do a good job calming his team down after that. It appeared the play was for Payton to attack off a pick and roll going right with 10 seconds left. Instead, he sheepishly waited and waited and had to hoist a contested three. It was not ideal. And the Magic fell apart from there.
It may have been part of the gameplan, but Payton also left Ricky Rubio open for 3-pointers a lot. Rubio scored 22 points, making six of nine 3-pointers. That was a big reason the Timberwolves came back in the game and eventually gave Andrew Wiggins the room to win it.
Nikola Vucevic
C, Orlando Magic
But his game was largely one of frustration. The traveling call in the fourth quarter to set up Andrew Wiggins’ game-tying field goal sticks out. But he also got beat on the offensive glass, once having the ball taken out of his hands by Gorgui Dieng.
Vucevic did recover and had some nice defensive possessions guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. But the lasting image of his game will be his late challenge as Wiggins dunked all over him. That was not bad defense necessarily, but Vucevic always seemed a bit off.
Serge Ibaka
PF, Orlando Magic
Then things seemed to unravel. He did not get as involved on the offensive end and his defense waned as the Timberwolves attacked the offensive glass. Minnesota had 10 offensive rebounds, but 22 second-chance points. Every offensive rebound seemed to hurt.
With the Timberwolves going small, it was perhaps telling Ibaka was not in late in the game. The Magic opted to go with Nikola Vucevic defending Karl-Anthony Towns late. Maybe that was the wrong decision in the end.
Evan Fournier
SG, Orlando Magic
Fournier finished with nine points on 4-for-11 shooting. He missed his first five shots and looked really rusty. It was clear he was getting more comfortable as the game went on. He was more aggressive with his attacks and made baskets. Even early in the game, his driving and passing back to the perimeter were benefits to the team.
Defensively, Fournier was clearly rusty. Andrew Wiggins did a good job exploiting him. It was clear Fournier was not quite up to speed. But it is good to see him back out there. And the Magic will be better for having him out on the floor.
Minnesota Timberwolves
19-29, 12th West
The Timberwolves are still an incredibly talented team. And that talent shined through in the end. Andrew Wiggins got things going on his way to 27 points, including that game-tying jumper. Ricky Rubio hit timely 3-pointers to keep the Timberwolves in the game in the third quarter. Rubio his six 3-pointers.
Minnesota had the better players in the end and made the plays that mattered.
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