Evan Fournier Leads Magic to 1st Season-opening Win Since 2012-13

The Orlando Magic haven't won a season-opening game since beating the Denver Nuggets 102-89 in 2012.

By
Victor Tan
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(Photo by Getty Images)

(Photo by Getty Images)

Game Recap

The Orlando Magic had an opportunity to show that the 2017-18 season would be different than seasons past. On Wednesday night, the Magic (1-0) took one step in the right direction, as they defeated the Miami Heat (0-1) 116-109 at the Amway Center.

“Every success builds confidence in your group,” Magic head coach Frank Vogel said after win, per the Fox Sports Florida broadcast. “Big success, small success. You know, so [winning our season-opener] definitely falls into that bucket, and our guys are gonna draw some confidence in this that, you know, we didn’t play a great basketball game, [but] we were able to win against a team that was the best team in the Eastern Conference the second half of the season last year. You know, so we’ll draw some confidence from that, but we know we have a lot to work on.”

Leading by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter, the Magic looked like they had solidified their first season-opening win since the 2012-13 season. But the hot Heat, led by center Hassan Whiteside and his 26 points and 22 rebounds, surged back to make it as close as a two-point game by the 2:39 mark.

It was shooting guard Evan Fournier, though, that quelled any hope of a Miami comeback, as he scored nine of his 23 points in the final 7:50 of the fourth quarter. After Heat point guard Goran Dragic made it a two-point game with consecutively made free throws, Fournier would account for the Magic’s final four field goals.

Fournier, first, rose up for a 25-foot three-pointer to give the Magic a 108-103 lead off an Elfrid Payton assist. After Whiteside’s layup on the very next possession, Fournier drove and found center Nikola Vucevic for a left-wing jumper to make it 110-105. One Whiteside tip-in later, Fournier drained a jumper off an Aaron Gordon pass. He capped his personal scoring run with a driving layup past Whiteside for a 114-107 lead with 30 seconds to go.

An explosive first quarter saw both teams combine for 69 points, but it was a 26-point second quarter by the Magic that helped propel them into the lead and never look back. After scoring 37 in the first, Miami would score just 18 and 23 points in the second and third quarters, respectively.

Fournier would lead the Magic, once again, as he tied the game at 47-47 with a pull-up jumper with a little more than five minutes to play in the second. The France native then assisted on a Vucevic layup to tie it at 49-49 before slamming home a Payton pass for the 51-49 lead. Fournier’s three to give Orlando a 58-51 lead at the end of the second quarter was the Magic’s final bucket of the half.

“Yeah, we talked about adversity pre-game,” Vogel said. “You know, in preseason, wins and losses don’t really matter, and, you know, a team goes on a run, and it is what it is. You know, and once a season comes around, that’s when—you know, that’s the first time your group really faces adversity. You know, and we gotta get this win, and, man, they’re on a run, they’re making everything, and we can’t get any kind of rhythm offensively, and we saw a little bit of that tonight, and we responded from it. So, again, another thing that we’re [drawing] confidence from and another positive sign.”

Player of the Game: G Evan Fournier

Fournier was clutch for the Magic down the stretch, as he made three of Orlando’s final four field goals while assisting on the fourth. He finished the game 9-for-17 from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point range. Fournier added a steal, a rebound and three assists while committing no personal fouls.

What’s next?

Orlando will embark on a two-game road trip for its first set of back-to-back games, first against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and then against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Jonathan Isaac Impresses in NBA Debut

In his NBA debut, Jonathan Isaac played with confidence and showed Vogel he was an NBA-ready player. Isaac, the sixth-overall pick in this year’s draft, played 17 minutes and recorded four points, eight rebounds (three offensive) and two blocks and committed three personal fouls. He was 2-for-3 from the field and 0-for-1 from deep.

“Kid plays with a lot of confidence,” Vogel said. “He should be confident. He’s a good basketball player. He’s NBA-ready defensively. I think, quite frankly, we keep talking about he’s NBA-ready defensively. He has a good feel for the game offensively, too. He can dribble, pass and shoot. He has a good feel for shot-selection. He exercised that tonight, and he had a good opening night.”

Highlights

NDR Notes

  • Isaac made his debut for the Magic. He was selected with the sixth-overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
  • Heat shooting guard and UCF’s all-time leader in three-pointers did not make his NBA regular-season debut in the loss to the Magic.
  • The Magic won their first season-opening game for the first time since defeating the Denver Nuggets 102-89 in 2012.

Scoring

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Orlando Magic 32 26 30 28 116
Miami Heat 37 18 23 31 109

Statistics and Starting Lineups

Team Leaders

Orlando Magic Miami Heat
Points Evan Fournier (23) Hassan Whiteside (26)
Rebounds Nikola Vucevic (12) Hassan Whiteside (22)
Assists Elfrid Payton (9) James Johnson (8)
Blocks Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Isaac, Bismack Biyombo (2) Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, James Johnson (1)
Steals Elfrid Payton (3) Dion Waiters (2)
Turnovers Elfrid Payton (4) James Johnson (4)
Minutes Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier (34) Dion Waiters (38)

Team Statistics

Rebounds Assists Blocks Steals Turnovers
Orlando Magic 50 22 9 8 14
Miami Heat 45 27 4 6 13

Shooting Percentages

Orlando Magic Miami Heat
FG% 47.8% 43.1%
3FG% 38.1% 26.7%
FT% 75.9% 76.5%

Orlando Magic starting lineup: Elfrid Payton (PG), Evan Fournier (SG), Terrance Ross (SG), Aaron Gordon (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)

Miami Heat starting lineup: Goran Dragic (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Josh Richardson (SG), Kelly Olynyk (C), Hassan Whiteside (C)

For more on the Magic, as they look to build off a season-opening win, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

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