NBA: Magic dominate fourth quarter to hand Pelicans third straight loss
FILE – Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball to the basket during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 02, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP
Franz Wagner scored 30 points and the host Orlando Magic dominated the fourth quarter in a 123-110 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
Cole Anthony scored 22 points, Gary Harris had 15, Bol Bol had 12 and Paolo Banchero added 11 for the Magic, who outscored the Pelicans 35-19 in the fourth quarter and finished 30 of 34 at the foul line in the game.
CJ McCollum scored 23 points to lead the Pelicans, who made 18 of 24 free throws. Jonas Valanciunas put up 20 points, Trey Murphy III had 18, Jose Alvarado 17, Jaxson Hayes 14 and Herbert Jones 10. New Orleans dropped its third straight result.
The Magic pulled within one point four times before the midway point of the third quarter before Murphy scored five points to help the Pelicans open an 83-77 lead.
🚂 @franzboogie was an offensive engine in tonight's @OrlandoMagic win.
30 points
10-16 shooting
9 assists
5 threes pic.twitter.com/HNgvclQzOE— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2023
Markelle Fultz scored the next four points and Banchero made two free throws to pull Orlando even at 83-all. Murphy broke the tie with a layup and Hayes followed with another New Orleans dunk.
The Magic tied the score again before Valanciunas made two baskets to help the Pelicans take a 91-88 lead at the end of the third quarter.
But the Magic took the lead for good on Jalen Suggs’ three-point play that made it 98-95. Bol had a dunk and Anthony made a basket to complete a 14-4 run that gave Orlando a 102-95 lead with 8:40 remaining.
After a Hayes dunk, the Magic scored five straight to open a 10-point lead with 6:48 remaining. New Orleans trimmed the lead to seven points twice but didn’t get any closer.
Valanciunas scored eight early points and McCollum had six as New Orleans opened a 22-8 lead.
Bol converted a three-point play and Mo Bamba and Anthony each made a 3-pointer to help pull Orlando within two points early in the second quarter.
Alvarado and Devonte’ Graham answered with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions as the Pelicans rebuilt the lead to six before the Magic took their first lead, 41-40, on a floater by Anthony.
That was the first of six lead changes before New Orleans pulled ahead to take a 60-56 halftime lead.
