Orlando Magic Ready For Next Step In Win vs. Houston Rockets
ORLANDO - The mark of a playoff-caliber team isn't just about beating the NBA's elite but winning decisively against the teams they're supposed to beat.
The Orlando Magic proved capable of making the jump from a promising young squad to a playoff-caliber team, leading wire-to-wire in a 116-86 win in the season-opener against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at the Amway Center.
"It's really about that level of maturity," Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "There was a couple of times when they got it back, Markelle [Fultz] slowed the ball down, got us into our set [and] run a nice execution [and Franz [Wagner] gets to the basket. It's those things that show the maturity and the growth of this group, and I think we just have to keep holding on to that."
Markelle Fultz had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
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The 30-point victory was Orlando's largest in a season-opener in franchise history.
The Magic controlled throughout the first half, leading 54-43 at halftime. Things started to slip away a bit when Houston trimmed the lead to 63-62 in the third quarter with 7:16 left, but Orlando (1-0) responded by outscoring them 24-7 and capped it off with an emphatic block from Jonathan Isaac on Jalen Green that brought the crowd to its feet.
Isaac got a technical foul after the block to end the third quarter.
"I saw it was Green, and I was like OK, here we go. I'm either going to get dunked on, or I'm going to block it," Isaac said. "I just went forward with everything I had, and once I got it, I was kind of shocked myself. The excitement poured over, I looked for a little second and I tried to look away, but I got it. I was just excited about the play and excited about the moment."
Isaac added: "I feel that I am one of the most dominant defensive players in the NBA. To go through what I've been through when it comes to injuries and being able to come back and still be able to trust it, that was one of those moments where I'm good. I'm absolutely good. I'm back, invested and can go block shots for this team."
Isaac, who scored 11 points and had four rebounds along with one block, was part of a balanced attack from the Magic, who had six players score in double-digits. Orlando had 55 points from their starters and 61 from their bench.
Cole Anthony led the team with 20 points,= and had two assists plus two rebounds. Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris also scored in double-figures.
"We did our thing," Anthony said. "I thought we brought great defensive intensity, and I feel like as a unit, we feel like we changed the game early."
The Rockets had four players score in double-digits. Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet led the team with 14 points.
While the Magic couldn't have drawn up a better start to the season, Anthony doesn't want the team to dwell on it, given what lies ahead.
"We've got to get back to work tomorrow," Anthony said. "We didn't come here to win one game. We didn't put all of this work in to win one game. We want to keep doing what we're going and get used to this."
The Magic kicks off a four-game west coast road trip on Friday when they face the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET.
