Orlando entered tonight’s showdown in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and with an upcoming schedule that looked pretty winnable. However, recent road ills loomed large, with the hope being that the home wins over Houston and Boston had gotten the team back on track. Ultimately it was an up and down performance, and one that perfectly encapsulates the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this team. Let’s look at how it unfolded.
The first quarter started out awkwardly, with both teams trading possessions that lacked fluidity and featured poor execution. Luckily for the Magic their shot was true, and despite some tough looks they were able to regularly convert and get out to an early lead.