NEW YORK _ A furious Magic third-quarter rally helped them turn a 19-point Brooklyn Nets lead into a 115-113 Orlando victory Monday night at the Barclays Center.
It is the biggest deficit the Magic have overcome for a win this season.
Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic sparked the surge, and Aaron Gordon and Terrence Ross finished it. Fournier carried the Magic in the first half, emerging as one of few Orlando players who could score as Brooklyn ran out to a big lead.
In the second half, however, after the Nets had built a 19-point advantage, Vucevic _ who had scored just two points in the first half _ woke up.
Vucevic scored 12 third-quarter points and the Magic went on a 15-4 run to pull within 73-67 and trailed by just six points after three quarters. The rally set the stage for a fourth-quarter shooting barrage, during which Gordon had a pair of 3s and 12 points as everybody starting making shots.
Orlando made four fourth-quarter 3-pointers and eventually took an 88-87 lead on a Ross dunk, their first lead since early in the contest. It was back and forth from there. Ross was scoreless in the first half but ended with 21 points for the game.
Gordon's second 3 of the final period made it 115-111, and Brooklyn could not get back over the top. Gordon ended with 27 points and 10 rebounds for the game. Fournier finished 21 points.
Orlando's late defensive stand was the key to holding off Brooklyn, which did not score in the final 1:31.
It's difficult to say one game is a big deal when considering an 82-game NBA schedule. Monday night at the Barclays Center, however, it seemed one team considered the battle between the Magic and the Nets to be a little more significant.
Seventh-placed Brooklyn entered the matchup with a 2.5-game advantage over Orlando in the NBA's Eastern Conference Standings. The outcome put the season series between the two teams at 2-0 in the Magic's favor. They'll meet two more times with plenty on the line down the stretch.
