ORLANDO, Fla. _ Last week, Bismack Biyombo watched from home while his Orlando Magic teammates played their season opener. Suspended for one game by the NBA for committing too many flagrant fouls during the 2016 postseason, he felt helpless. He shouted at his big-screen TV as the Magic lost to the Miami Heat.
No wonder he looked forward to the Magic's game Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings at Amway Center. The game would be his regular-season debut at Amway Center as a Magic player.
He channeled his excitement onto the court.
With Biyombo leading the way with conspicuous hustle plays, the Magic bench provided a key second-quarter energy boost that turned the game on its ear.
It propelled Orlando to a 102-94 win.
Nikola Vucevic provided a jolt, too.
The Magic clung to a 94-92 lead in the fourth quarter when Vucevic sank a turnaround jumper over Willie Cauley-Stein.
After Aaron Gordon played solid defense on Rudy Gay on Sacramento's ensuing possession, Vucevic sent a perfectly placed pass to Gordon. Gordon attempted a reverse layup and absorbed a foul. Gordon made both free throws to extend the lead to 98-92.
A few sequences later, Vucevic played sound defense on DeMarcus Cousins, forcing Cousins to take _ and miss _ a jumper from 11 feet.
Evan Fournier scored a team-high 29 points, and the Magic withstood a 33-point performance from Cousins.
But perhaps the Magic (2-3) would never have led the Kings (2-4) in the first place if not for Biyombo and his teammates on the second unit.
In 22 minutes, Biyombo scored four points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded two blocks.
But his impact went further than those numbers indicate.
Cousins and Gay dominated the game's early stages, combining to score all of the Kings' first 22 points.
The tone changed in the second quarter because of the Magic's bench.
Frank Vogel put D.J. Augustin, C.J. Watson, Mario Hezonja, Jeff Green and Biyombo on the court, and they infused some energy into the placid arena.
The key stretch started as Orlando trailed 33-25. Augustin unleashed a vicious crossover that freed himself for a wide-open 3-pointer on the left wing. Then Augustin drained the shot.
Thirty-one seconds later, Sacramento stole the ball and sent it ahead to Omri Casspi on a fastbreak. Casspi went up for a dunk, but Biyombo blocked the attempt with two hands. Seconds later, the Magic made the Kings pay. Augustin hurled a pass to Green for a dunk.
On the Kings' ensuing possession, Matt Barnes tossed an off-target pass into the Magic's defensive end, but Biyombo stole the ball. Augustin ended Orlando's possession with a 3-pointer that tied the score 33-33.
Cousins watched the action from the Kings' bench.
When he returned to the game with 4:34 left in the first half, the momentum he and Gay had worked so hard to build had vanished.
Cousins' frustration started to build. He and teammate Kosta Koufos fought each other for a defensive rebound, and the ball sailed over the baseline for a Sacramento turnover.
A few minutes later, Cousins attempted to drive on Serge Ibaka, lowered his left shoulder and bowled over Ibaka to earn a personal foul.
Orlando led 56-50 at halftime.
It was the Magic's best first half of the season.
Cousins scored several baskets early in the third quarter, despite decent defense from Ibaka. But Cousins' frustrations appeared to increase as the period progressed. His body language deteriorated with each passing minute as he slumped his shoulders and scrunched his brow.
Midway through the quarter, with Orlando ahead 68-59, he had an easy opportunity to collect an offensive rebound following a missed 3-pointer by Arron Afflalo. But Gordon outhustled him. Gordon tipped it away from Cousins and to an open teammate.
A short while later, Ibaka misfired on a 3-pointe, but Vucevic outhustled Cousins to corral an offensive rebound. Vucevic passed the ball to Fournier in the right corner, and Fournier sank a 3-pointer, extending the Magic's lead to 71-62.
