ORLANDO, Fla. _ Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford talked at length about the importance of playing ahead against the Milwaukee Bucks in their first-round playoff series.
His team followed his advice all the way to a Game 1 victory.
After taking a 12-10 lead, the Magic never trailed again and rode a career-best playoff game from Nikola Vucevic to a 122-110 upset of the top-seeded Bucks on Tuesday.
Vucevic hit 15 of 24 shots _ 5 of 8 from the 3-point line _ and finished with a playoff career-high 35 points to lead Orlando. He also pulled down 13 rebounds.
The last Magic player to score at least 30 points in a playoff game was Dwight Howard, who had 33 against the Hawks on April 19, 2011.
Terrence Ross attempted just three 3-pointers but finished 7 of 13 from the field and scored 18 points. Markelle Fultz and Gary Clark each had 15 points, while D.J. Augustin recorded 11 points and a playoff career-high 11 assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks. Eric Bledsoe added 15 points, while George Hill had 16 points and Khris Middleton scored 14 points.
Orlando pulled off the win without starting forward Aaron Gordon (strained left hamstring) and reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams (strained tendon, left foot).
The Magic scored an upset of similar magnitude last season when they beat Toronto on the road in Game 1 in the first round of the playoffs.
Unlike that game, when the Magic had to rally in the fourth quarter, they were in control nearly the whole way against a Bucks team that entered the series as a heavy favorite.
The Bucks certainly didn't make it easy. They got within 69-68 with 8 minutes and 33 seconds left in the third quarter. Five minutes later, the Magic were up 86-74 after a 3-pointer by Vucevic.
Milwaukee put on another run midway through the fourth to pull within six before the Magic got key plays from veterans Ross and Augustin.
Augustin found Ross slicing to the basket and he finished the sequence with a thunderous one-handed dunk.
On the ensuing possession, Augustin delivered a 3-pointer.
The two hooked up again on Orlando's next possession as Augustin found Ross for a layup and a 13-point lead with 6 minutes and 19 seconds to play.
Evan Fournier, who averaged a team-best 20 points a game against the Bucks during the regular season, did not score until the 4:50 mark of the fourth quarter. But his first field goal was a big one: a 3-pointer that pushed Orlando ahead by 15.
Fournier drained another 3 with 3:10 to play after Vucevic drew two defenders and quickly kicked the ball to his teammate.
Fournier then essentially finished off the Bucks with his third 3-pointer of the fourth quarter as Orlando went up 16.
The Magic wound up shooting 49.4% overall _ their best percentage this season against the Bucks _ and made 16 3-pointers.
The Bucks made their first three shots and led 8-2 before the Magic went on an 18-2 run behind seven points from Vucevic to go ahead for good. Orlando went 6 of 7 from the field in that stretch, with Clark, Vucevic and James Ennis combining for four 3-pointers.
After the Bucks pulled within 20-19, the Magic stretched their lead to 13 early in the second quarter with a 16-4 run.
Two free throws by Augustin gave Orlando its biggest lead, at 51-33, and the underdogs were cruising. The Magic managed just 11 points over the final 5:29 but still took a 62-52 lead into halftime.
