Magic 116, Nuggets 110
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Guard Evan Fournier matched his career high with 30 points Tuesday night, leading the Orlando Magic to a 116-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets at the Amway Center.
Reserve center Jason Smith scored a season-high 25 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter to hold off a late charge by the Nuggets. Victor Oladipo had 23 points and six assists. Aaron Gordon scored 16 points. Brandon Jenning, in his first Magic start, had 12 points and a game-high 11 assists.
The Magic (29-37) won for just the second time in six games. The Nuggets (28-40) dropped their second consecutive game.
The Nuggets were led by Gary Harris with 18 points. Reserve Will Barton had 15 points. Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic each scored 14 points. Reserves Joffrey Lauvergne and D.J. Augustin each had 12 points. Darrell Arthur scored 13 points.
The Nuggets never got closer than four points in the last nine minutes, although they stayed close until the end.
Fournier was called for a technical foul midway in the fourth after shoving Jokic in the chest after play had stopped. Jokic had just fouled Fournier.
The Magic led, 85-79, going into the final period, but the Nuggets had the momentum after cutting into the 18-point deficit with a late rally that included eight points from Augustin.
Augustin opened the fourth by hitting three free throws and cut the deficit to 85-82. But that was as close as the Nuggets would come.
The Magic led 61-46 at intermission, capitalizing on their hot-shooting start. Fournier had 18 points and hit seven of nine shots in the first half. Gordon made six of his seven shots for 14 points. Gordon scored nine points in the first four minutes.
The Magic shot 61.4 percent (27 of 44) in the first two periods, taking a quick lead they never lost. They closed the first half on a 13-2 run.
The Nuggets, who lost in Miami on Monday, turned to their reserves early. Barton had 10 points in 17 first-half minutes. The Magic were flawless early, finally committing their first turnover midway through the second period.
NOTES: The Magic were without starting center and leading scorer Nikola Vucevic (strained groin) for the fifth consecutive game and without starting PG Elfrid Payton for the third consecutive game (strained elbow). Brandon Jennings, in place of Payton, made his first start this season in a Magic uniform. He started one previous game for the Pistons. ... The Magic beat the Nuggets earlier this season in Denver, but they needed 18 points and 13 rebounds from Vucevic and 18 points from Payton. ... The Magic came into the night having made a 3-pointer in 721 consecutive games, fifth longest active streak in the NBA. ... Nuggets F Kenneth Faried came into the game having made 38 of 57 shots (66 percent) in his previous five games. ... Although well under .500, both teams came into the game clinging to faint hopes of getting into the playoff hunt. ... The Nuggets had won four straight before losing in Miami Monday night. ... “Our issue,” said Magic coach Scott Skiles before the game, “is less about looking at standings right now, and more about playing a good game, winning a game and then going and playing another good game, and not just completely falling apart in the next game.”