ORLANDO, Fla. _ Somebody forgot to tell the Orlando Magic they were the worst offensive team in the NBA heading into Sunday night's game at Amway Center against the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately for the Magic, they could not keep up the hot streak and eventually lost 109-102.
Orlando came into the game shooting just 41% from the field and even worse from the perimeter _ 26% from 3-point range _ and were averaging just 97.7 points per game. They reversed the trend against Indiana and led by as many as 13 points in the first half thanks to some red-hot shooting.
Orlando shot 55% from the floor, 61% from behind the arc and had 18 assists among 26 made baskets. The Magic were in control at halftime with a 60-51 lead.
Then they reverted back to the way they had played during the first nine games of the season. Orlando watched Indiana score the first 12 points of the second half, losing their early lead, and it was pretty much all Pacers from that point as Indiana would eventually build a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
The Magic and an announced Amway Center crowd of 17,118 on NBA Cares Hoops for Troops Night did come alive late in the game. Orlando pulled within 105-99 after a Markelle Fultz dunk with 42 seconds remaining, but Malcolm Brogdan answered with a Pacers 3-pointer on the other end. Evan Fournier made it closer with a 3 of his own, but the Magic didn't have enough left.
Magic finding ways to make up for sluggish range shooting
Brogdan and T.J. Warren were thorns in Orlando's side all night on offense. Demontas Sibonis finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds, while Brogdan had 20 points and Warren added 19 to lead the Pacers.
Orlando, which did end up shooting 46% ferom the field and 42% from 3-point range, were led by Evan Fournier's 22 points and Nikola Vucevich had 18 points and 17 rebonds. Terrense Ross, playing his first game after missing two with a knee injury, had 12 points.
The teams combined for the fewest free-throw attempts in NBA history _ 11.
The Magic will be back in action Wednesday at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.
