NEW ORLEANS – Of their many accomplishments in nearly 30 seasons of basketball, the Orlando Magic had never won three straight road games by 16-or-more points. The dominant teams of the mid-1990s, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, never accomplished the feat, nor did the 2009 squad that ruled the Eastern Conference and ultimately reached the NBA Finals.
Remarkably, though, the present-day Magic – one beleaguered by inconsistency for much of the early season – finished off the feat on Tuesday with more flawless execution, gritty defense and ice-cold shot-making.
Riding their surging momentum of late, the Magic roared out to a 28-point first quarter lead, pushed that advantage to as much as 31 in the second half and cruised past the New Orleans Pelicans 118-88 for a season-best fourth straight victory.