Osceola Magic extend win streak on return home, 114-106 over Delaware

In a matchup of the top two teams in the NBA G League Eastern Conference, the Osceola Magic used a balanced attack from its starters to drop the Delaware Blue Coats, 114-106, on Sunday, their first game at the Silver Spurs Arena in over a month.

Fans, who came out Sunday for Teacher Appreciation Night (a portion of some ticket sales went to the Education Foundation Osceola County) and a bobblehead of two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champ Mac McClung, will get plenty more chances to see the team. Osceola hosts the Maine Celtics Tuesday night at 7 as part of 10 home games in the next 3 ½ weeks.

The Magic (14-7) have won seven in a row now to pull into a veritable tie with Delaware (16-8) in the East.

With the Orlando Magic about as healthy as they’ve been all season, Osceola’s best talent is present. Sunday, the Magic trotted out a talented starting lineup of McClung, two-way players Trevelin Queen and Kevon Harris, first-round draft pick Jett Howard and heralded center D.J. Wilson, who’s averaging a double-double and did it again Sunday, tallying a game-high 35 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. It was on a night the Magic didn’t shoot the three-pointer well (8-for-33) but still shot 48 percent from the field and was 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Those starters accounted for all but 11 of their points; McClung added 28, Queen 19 and Howard 17.

“We're letting the game come to us,” Wilson said. “We started off going back and forth, but then we locked in on the defensive end, securing stops that facilitated easy baskets for us. When we play like this, we can truly accomplish anything.”

The game was a tight back-and-forth affair, especially in the first half. The Magic jumped to a 27-20 at the end of the first period before Delaware opened the second on an 11-2 run to take a brief lead. Wilson, Queen and Harris hit buckets or free throws on the last four possessions of the first half to take a 54-49 lead to halftime.

Delaware took a 64-63 lead with 7:35 left in the third quarter on a jumper by Darius Bazley; but that’s the last lead they’d hold. Osceola hit its next seven shots, and when Wilson went to the rim for an energizing dunk with 3:34 left, the lead was 79-66.

Terquavion Smith scored on a couple layups to pull to 106-104 for 1:24, but Wilson and Queen answered with big shots on the next two trips downcourt, and McClung hit four free throws in the final 33 seconds to ice the big win that may be a playoff preview in the East next month.

“We're aiming to finish the rest of the season like this,” Queen said. “The environment was fantastic tonight. The fans were great, bringing so much energy. Our intention was to come back strong after halftime and dominate the third quarter. We came together as a team, making numerous crucial stops. Our best play comes when we lock them up defensively. There's a strong belief in each other and in our coach.”

“Towards the end, some old habits crept in,” Wilson said. “But growth is about being able to make that change, and we did. The crowd tonight was great; we'll use this momentum to help us on Tuesday.”