ORLANDO, Fla. _ It was Paul George in the first half and Dennis Schroder in the fourth quarter, and it proved to be a little too much for the Orlando Magic.
George scored 31 of his 37 points in the first half, and Schroder had 18 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Magic for a 126-117 victory Tuesday night at Amway Center.
Nikola Vucevic scored 27 points and Evan Fournier had 17 for the Magic, who lost their fourth consecutive game and fell a season-low 11 games under .500 at 20-31.
Russell Westbrook registered his 17th triple-double of the season _ and fourth straight _ after recording 23 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for the Thunder (32-18).
George, meanwhile, showed why he continues to garner heavy MVP consideration. He scored at least 24 points for the eighth consecutive game and made it look easy at times.
He was 11 for 16 from the field and 7 for 7 from the free-throw line in the first half as the Thunder built a 69-63 lead.
Schroder carried the Thunder in the fourth quarter, hitting his first seven shots and giving them a 116-103 lead on a 3-pointer with 5:12 left to play.
The Magic, who used a 26-5 run in the third quarter to erase an 81-66 deficit, twice got within five, but they didn't have enough to chase down the Thunder, who won their sixth straight.
The Magic will try to snap their four-game skid Thursday when they play host to the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. at Amway. The game will air on Fox Sports Florida.
