Magic (18-13), Pelicans (10-21)
ORLANDO – New Orleans lost the momentum early in the third quarter – then temporarily lost its best player due an unfortunate collision with Orlando’s Victor Oladipo. What was once a tightly-contested matchup quickly turned in the home team’s favor Monday, with the Magic transforming what was just a four-point halftime lead into an 18-point margin in short order. Anthony Davis (20 points, 8 rebounds) missed part of the game-turning stretch with a groin injury, after he’d been inadvertently struck in a sensitive area on an Oladipo drive to the basket. Orlando was up 50-46 at intermission, but gained a double-digit edge with a 25-18 third quarter and expanded the gap further in the final period.