ORLANDO – When Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac kept making play after play made on Monday – a confidently stroked corner 3-pointer early in the night, a snatch-and-score offensive rebound before halftime and a steely shot late that quieted a roaring crowd – it felt very much like a coming-of-age moment for the promising 21-year-old.
At least that’s what many of Isaac’s Magic teammates thought after watching the finest performance of the second-year player’s young career. His 18 points and 12 rebounds were both career-high marks and his suffocating defense on budding star Jayson Tatum was definitely significant, but it was that calm, cold-blooded shot that blunted Boston and quieted the crowd with 53.