Gordon, Magic stop 7-game skid, overcome Pistons in OT
ORLANDO, Fla. — Aaron Gordon had 27 points and 13 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic stop a seven-game losing streak with a 115-106 victory against the Detroit Pistons in overtime Friday night.
Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin had 20 points and nine assists for the Magic. Evan Fournier scored 17, including seven in the extra period.
Article continues after this advertisementJames Ennis and Reggie Bullock led Detroit with 21 points apiece. Blake Griffin, Dwight Buycks and Anthony Tolliver had 12 each for the slumping Pistons, who have lost seven of nine.
Fournier scored the first six points in overtime, giving Orlando a 110-104 lead going into the final two minutes.
Detroit, which had only one field goal in the final 5:57 of regulation, missed all eight shots from the field and its first three free throws in overtime. Tolliver’s two free throws with 32 seconds left were the only points the Pistons scored in the extra period.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Magic could have won it in regulation. Fournier drilled a 3-pointer that gave Orlando a 104-102 lead with 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons tied it when Griffin got a long rebound and found Ennis for a breakaway dunk that tied the game at 104 with seven seconds left.
The Magic muffed their chance for a game-winner. Vucevic lost his balance when driving the lane and turned the ball over, leading to overtime.
The teams played evenly for three periods, going into the fourth quarter tied at 82.
Detroit got consecutive 3-pointers from Buycks, Tolliver and Langston Galloway to take a 97-91 lead with 6:47 left in the fourth.
Like most leads in the game, however, it was short-lived.
Orlando started attacking the basket, hitting three straight layups, and that opened up the perimeter. Gordon nailed his third 3 to give the Magic a 101-100 lead with three minutes to play.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Galloway left in the second quarter to get three stitches to close a cut over his right eye. He returned in the second half. … Detroit turned the ball over on its first four possessions. The Pistons didn’t get off a shot for nearly three minutes. … Griffin is 0 for 11 on 3-pointers in his last four games. … Detroit has forced more than 10 turnovers in 48 straight games, the longest current streak in the NBA. The Pistons forced 16 turnovers in this one.
Magic: Jonathan Isaac, the team’s first pick in the 2017 draft, played for the first time in 26 games. He had three points and two rebounds in 15 minutes. … SG Aaron Afflalo was deactivated before the game so the Magic could see more of 10-day signee Rashad Vaughn, but Vaughn did not play.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Play at Miami on Saturday night.
Magic: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night to complete a three-game homestand.