|
 Vucevic, now in his fifth NBA season, hit a game-winning, fadeaway
jumper at the buzzer Sunday afternoon, carrying the Magic to a
desperately needed 96-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the Amway
Center.
It was his second buzzer-beating, game-winning jumper this season.
Vucevic beat the Lakers in November in an almost-identical
situation.
"I'm confident taking that shot," Vucevic said. "I was ready when my
number was called. It's a shot I work on a lot in practice. Both
times, it was a tough shot. It felt great both times."
Vucevic caught the inbounds pass with 1.8 seconds remaining, took
one pivot and launched an arcing 18-foot shot over Hawks center Al
Horford, scoring as the buzzer sounded.
"We didn't intend for him to shoot as far out as he did, but Horford
kind of pushed him out and that's where he got it, took it and made
it," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "We needed the win."
Vucevic finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. He is averaging
just 16.7 points, three points less than his average last season.
The Magic (22-28) snapped a three game losing streak, having lost 15
of their previous 17 games.
Magic guard Evan Fournier scored 21 points and guard Victor Oladipo
had 19 points. Point guard Elfrid Payton had 12 points and a
game-high 12 assists and forward Aaron Gordon had 11 points and a
game-high 13 rebounds.
The Hawks (30-23) were led by guard Jeff Teague with 24 points and
five assists. He made 10 of his 17 shots. Kent Bazemore, who tied
the game at 94 with 48 seconds remaining, had 23 points and eight
rebounds.
Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Center Al Horford had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Hawks had their three-game winning streak snapped. The same two
teams play Monday night in Atlanta.
"Vucevic just made a heck of a shot," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer
said. "I'm sure they had multiple options drawn up, and that was one
of them. I thought Al (Horford) was all over him. To his (Vucevic's)
credit, he made a tough one."
The Hawks had scored the previous eight points as the Magic
collapsed in the final three minutes and made four turnovers during
Atlanta's late run.
The Magic had led since the first minute of the first quarter.
Bazemore's basket that tied the game at 94 was the first tie since
2-2.
"First off, we have to stop putting ourselves in situations like
that. You can't guard him (Vucevic) any better than that on that
last play," Millsap said. "But you make it tough on yourselves when
you're trying to dig yourself out of a hole the whole game. That's
unacceptable."
Payton had played well midway in the fourth period, scoring or
assisting on five consecutive baskets as the Magic built a 94-86
lead with 3:41 remaining.
[to top of second column] |
Horford, who had only four points in the first three periods, scored
seven points in the first three minutes of the fourth, pulling the
Hawks within four points.
The Magic took a 71-60 lead into the final period, despite a
3-pointer from beyond halfcourt by Atlanta's Thabo Sefolosha as time
expired. The Magic led by as many as 14 points in the third.
Fournier scored 16 points in the first half when he led the Magic to
a 48-41 lead. Fournier hit a pair of 3-pointers, made six of 10
shots and converted both free throws before intermission.
The Hawks started slowly with seven turnovers in the first 10
minutes. They had 12 by halftime. Teague was their only starter who
played well in the first two periods. He hit six of eight shot for
14 points. Millsap and Bazemore made a combined three of 12 shots.
The Magic led by as many as 14 points in the first period. Vucevic
had 11 points and five rebounds in his first 17 minutes.
NOTES: Magic F Tobias Harris, the team's third-leading scorer,
missed the game with an ankle sprain, sustained Friday night when he
collided with teammate Nikola Vucevic. ... Hawks backup C Tiago
Splitter missed his fourth consecutive game with a sore right hip.
Splitter will be held out until after the All-Star break. ... The
two teams will play again in Atlanta on Monday night. Both teams
planned to leave the Amway Center quicker than usual Sunday in an
effort to land in Atlanta before the Super Bowl kicked off Sunday
evening. ... Magic coach Scott Skiles scoffed when asked if the 1
p.m. ET start time Sunday would have any effect on his team. "It's
an unusual start time, but we just need to play a good solid game,
whether it's 1 o'clock, or 3 in the morning," Skiles said. ... The
Hawks had beaten the Magic in 17 of their last 20 regular-season
meetings prior to Sunday's loss. ... The Magic came into Sunday
having had 11 games this season decided by three points or fewer,
tied for the most in the NBA. The two-point margin upped that count
to 12. ... The Hawks are 8-0 this season when C Al Horford scores 20
or more points.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
