TORONTO _ Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford isn't too concerned with what the other teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race are doing.
Every game at this point is precious for the Magic. And with the teams vying for spots six through eight in the Eastern Conference playoff race in action Monday, the Magic couldn't deliver on the road.
Orlando started hot but couldn't sustain its early momentum, falling 121-109 to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. With just four games left, the Magic (38-40) are running out of runway to make up ground in the playoff hunt.
For one quarter, Orlando looked every bit like a playoff team. The Magic opened on a 7-0 run and led throughout the opening 12 minutes. Nikola Vucevic hit the first shot of the game and Orlando's starters went a combined 11-for-15 in the first quarter. Shooting guard Evan Fournier scored seven of his 13 first-half points in the first quarter.
Fournier finished the game with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Vucevic had a double-double, finishing the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Orlando led by as many as 11 points in the first half before melting down during the final six minutes of the half.
Toronto finished the half on a 19-2 run, with Orlando's lead eventually evaporating thanks to a series of missed shots and turnovers. The Magic missed nine of their final 10 shots of the first half and committed five turnovers during the last six minutes of the second quarter.
The Raptors outscored the Magic 33-16 in the second quarter.
It was a stark reversal from a stellar first quarter. The Magic shot 15-for-24 from the field during the first 12 minutes and hit 5-of-11 shots from beyond the arc. Orlando shot just 7-for-23 from the field in the second quarter. At one point during the Raptors' run, the Magic had three consecutive possessions end with a turnover.
The Raptors got their first lead of the game after Marc Gasol hit an and-1 3-point shot. He hit the free throw for the four-point play and the Raptors led 53-50 with 1:49 left in the half.
Orlando didn't regroup at halftime.
The Raptors pushed their lead to 24 in the third quarter. Orlando's bench cut the hosts' lead to eight with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter but couldn't get any closer.
Raptors shooter Danny Green, who hit his first five shots from the field and his first three 3-pointers, finished the game with a season-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting. He hit seven 3-pointers. He didn't play in the fourth quarter, finishing the game four points shy of his career high.
