Pelicans at Magic
Anthony Davis is starting to get a little bit of help from his teammates, enough to pull out a one-point home win over the Boston Celtics on Monday. The way the Orlando Magic, who host Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, are scoring, Davis might not need much help to drag his team to its first back-to-back wins of the season.
Davis recorded 25 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks in the 106-105 win over Boston but more encouraging for the Pelicans was Terrence Jones delivering a double-double off the bench and Langston Galloway putting up a season-high 21 points. "Everybody played well, everybody stepped up," Davis told reporters. "Langston made some huge shots. Solomon (Hill) played well. Terrence (Jones) played well. Tim (Frazier). Buddy (Hield). We’re going to need that spread offense from everybody." The Magic would take offense from just about anybody after suffering an 86-69 loss at Indiana on Monday in head coach Frank Vogel's return to the place he coached for 5 1/2 seasons before being let go over the summer. The performance stood in stark contrast to Sunday night, when Orlando had three players go over 20 points in a 119-117 win at Oklahoma City.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (2-9): Davis might be getting some high-quality help soon in the form of point guard Jrue Holiday, who has been away from the team to be with his wife after she gave birth to the couple's first child and underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. Head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters prior to Monday's game that Holiday is expected back within the week. "All of the guys realize what he's been through and how tough it's been for him," Gentry told reporters. "Not just the fact that he's going through the thing with his wife, but to have a newborn kid also is extremely tough. That's why we wanted him to do it on his terms, when he felt comfortable enough to come back, so he could just play basketball and kind of not worry so much about everything else that's going on."
ABOUT THE MAGIC (4-7): Even in Sunday's big win, Orlando did not get much from starting center Nikola Vucevic, who is having a difficult time getting shots to fall of late. Vucevic grabbed 12 rebounds on Monday but went 1-of-10 from the floor and is 5-of-32 over the last three contests. "A lot of times we did (get the shot that was wanted) and we couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean and our execution is a long way from where it needs to be," Vogel told reporters after Monday's loss. "I’ve got to figure out how to use (Evan Fournier and Vucevic) better and get them in better spots, and they have to bring pride to their individual performances – as does our whole team."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic F Serge Ibaka grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds on Monday - his first time in double figures with the team.
2. Hield, who shot 45.7 percent from 3-point range in college last season, is shooting 23.7 percent from beyond the arc in the NBA after hitting 1-of-4 on Monday.
3. Vucevic averaged 25 points as Orlando swept the two-game series from New Orleans last season.