MANILA – Orlando Magic stunned Phoenix Suns, 112-111, after Evan Fournier scored on a go-ahead basket during their match in the 2020-2021 National Basketball Association Season on Wednesday night (Thursday in the Philippines) at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Trailing 110-111 after two free throws by Suns’ Devin Booker, the Magic regained the lead for good at 112-111 on a layup by Fournier with 6.4 seconds remaining.
Phoenix, the number two seeded team in West, had chance to seize the win from Orlando but Booker misfired his buzzer beating basket against the Magic’s defense.
Fournier finished the match with 21 points, while Nikola Vucevic led the win with double-double 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, which is second to the last in the East with 15-29 slate.
Chuma Okeke contributed career-high 17 markers, while Aaron Gordon and Dwayne Bacon hit double-figures in scoring with 13 and 11 markers, respectively, for the Magic.
Booker tallied 25 points, Chris Paul added 23 markers while Deandre Ayton had 21 points and nine rebounds as the Suns dropped to 29-14 win-loss slate.
Utah Jazz, meanwhile, took advantage of the absence of Brooklyn Nets’ four star players to score a lopsided 118-88 win at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Donovan Mitchell top-scored with 27 points, Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 markers each, while Georges Niang contributed 15 for the Jazz (32-11).
The Nets (30-15) played the match without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The team has also rested James Harden and Blake Griffin, who were both nursing minor pains.
In other results, Milwaukee Bucks prevailed over Boston Celtics, 121-119; Memphis Grizzlies edged Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-107; Dallas Mavericks wallop Minnesota Timberwolves, 128-101; Charlotte Hornets trip Houston Rockets, 122-97; and Cleveland Cavaliers beat Chicago Bulls, 103-94.
BOX SCORE:
ORLANDO 112 – Vucevic 27, Fournier 21, Okeke 17, Gordon 13, Bacon 11, Carter-Williams 8, Aminu 6, Ennis 5, Birch 2, Randle 2.
PHOENIX 111 – Booker 25, Paul 23, Ayton 21, Crowder 17, Craig 10, Bridges 5, Saric 4, Galloway 3, Johnson 3, Payne 0.
Quarterscores: 24-32, 59-59, 86-91, 112-111./PN
