 raised their intensity in the second half. We can't live with giving up 70 points (in a half). I thought our defense definitely let us down.'' The game, featuring two teams holding down the eighth and final spot in their respective conferences, was close until the end. A 3-point attempt by Memphis guard Tyus Jones to tie the game bounced off the rim with about two seconds left, preserving the Magic third straight victory.''We played hard,'' Ross said. ''We're always in the fight. This is one of one of those nights where we came out a little sluggish, and we picked it up in the second half.'' Orlando had carried a lead to 110-101 on a pair of free throws from James Ennis with 4:28 remaining and seemed in control. But Memphis rattled off the next seven points, including a 4-point play by Brooks, to pull within one possession.Memphis would tie the game at 112 on a drive by Morant with just less than two minutes remaining.But Ross would answer with a pair of 3-pointer to put the Magic up for good.''To me, when you're up 17, everybody kills you when you lose.'' Magic coach Steve Clifford said of the second-half rally, adding that the way players score these days such an advantage is not insurmountable. ''You want to be ahead rather than behind, but you have plenty of time.'' TIP-INSMagic: The scoring by Ross and Carter-Williams came off the bench as Orlando's reserves outscored Memphis' 65-36. . Have made a 3-pointer in 1,049 straight games. ... Now lead the series with Memphis 24-23. ... Aaron Gordon was held scoreless in the first half, missing all four of his shots while dealing with foul problems. He ended the game with 8 points. ... Carter-Williams has reached double-figures in four straight games and 13 times this season. ... Orlando coach Steve Clifford challenged a foul call against Vucevic in the third quarter. The foul call was upheld. Clifford is now 14 of 25 on challenges this season.Grizzlies: Valanciunas already had recorded his 32nd double-double early in the second half. ... Despite the loss, Memphis has won 15 of last 19 games at home. . The Orlando result was the only time a Southeast Division team defeated Memphis at home this season. . Morant's 21 point marked the 20th time he has reached at least 20 points this season and his 21st consecutive game in double figures.LAST WORDUnder the new locker room guidelines, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins held his pregame press conference in the room that doubles as the dining facility. Wrapping up his comments, Jenkins looked to the side of the room and said: ''Enjoy the food spread.'' UP NEXTMagic: Host Bulls on Thursday.Grizzlies: Travel to Portland on ThursdayMore NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Mar 09, 2020The Orlando Magic have ratcheted up the dial on their offense to effectively turn the corner following a disastrous 1-8 stretch.The Magic look to continue their spirited surge on Tuesday when they conclude a four-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies.Orlando posted its seventh win in 11 contests on Sunday with a 126-106 victory at Houston. The Magic are averaging a robust 120.8 points per game during the 11-game stretch, and have reached at least 120 on five occasions in that run.Six players reached double digits in scoring versus the reeling Rockets, with D. J. Augustin leading the way with 24 points off the bench."We didn't worry about what the Rockets were doing. We just wanted to come out and play our game," Augustin said of his club, which was playing without second-leading scorer Evan Fournier (elbow).Orlando coach Steve Clifford credited the performance of the last two games for Augustin, who has totaled 42 points while shooting 11 of 17 from the floor."He was in the middle of everything in both halves tonight," Clifford said of the 32-year-old. "You can tell he was getting his rhythm back. It's not just his shot-making but his play-making also." Markelle Fultz overcame a nagging calf injury on Sunday to score 18 points while sinking 8-of-12 shots from the floor. The top overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has made at least 50 percent of his shots from the field in three straight contests and eight of his last 11.Nikola Vucevic, who averages team-leading totals in points (19.5) and rebounds (11.0), recorded 16 and 16, respectively, in Sunday's victory. The 29-year-old had 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in Orlando's 118-86 romp over Memphis on Nov. 8.Jonas Valanciunas, who had 15 points and nine rebounds in that contest, erupted for 27 and 17, respectively, on Saturday in Memphis' 118-101 win over Atlanta. The latest double-double was the 27-year-old's 32nd of the season.Valanciunas made 10 of 13 shots from the floor for the Grizzlies, who are maintaining a firm grasp on the final postseason spot in the Western Conference,"Yeah. It's that time of year, right? We're watching the standings," Valanciunas said. "You want to climb higher and higher, so wins (are) really important." Rookie Ja Morant, who scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor, isn't getting too hyped about Memphis' fourth victory in five contests."We know we have to turn the page, focus on the next game or the next day, whether it's a practice or an off-day," Morant said. "We just focus on ourselves (and) lock into it." Morant, who was the second overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, is averaging team-leading totals in points (17.6) and assists (7.0) to help Memphis move within one win of matching last year's total of 33.--Field Level Media
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