Orlando continue winning ways with win over Wolves 136-125
The Orlando Magic defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 136-125 at the Amway center in another solid with for the boys in blue.
Aaron Gordon, now hot off his slam dunk performance, had a triple double for Orlando with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Gordon has been much more confident and aggressive in his play following NBA All-Star Weekend.
Gordon’s teammates celebrated his performance by dousing him with water and ice in the locker room when he entered.
“I mean we’ve been saying that he puts us in a different place,’’ Magic head coach Steve Clifford said of his team’s potency with Gordon playing at an elite level in the past 12 games. “He’s not just scoring, but he’s playing an all-around game, for sure.’’
Orlando (27-32) won for a fifth time in the past six games. The victory, combined with a third straight loss by Brooklyn, vaulted the Magic into the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
D’Angelo Russell led the way for the Timberwolves with 28 points in the game. Russell went 7 for 13 in shooting in the first half . The Timberwolves were recently fined $25,000 for not playing Russell in a recent game for violating league rest rules.
Russell, who usually kills the Magic, was tamed a bit in the second half when Orlando switched to more of a zone defense and it limited his open opportunities. When they did come, D’Angelo wasn’t nearly as potent.
In the fourth quarter, Terence Ross scored 10 straight points to help put Orlando over the top.
The Magic next have a back to back where they travel so San Antonio to Face the Spurs, followed by a game on Monday back at Amway Center to face the Portland Trailblazers.