Orlando Magic (30-26) beat LA the Clippers (27-30) 111-109 on the road on Sunday, February 22. The Clippers led after three quarters, but the Magic took control in the fourth.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Magic had the better start, winning the first 29-25 to lead by 4 after one. The teams matched each other with 28 points apiece in the second quarter; the Magic still led by 4 at halftime.
The Clippers won the third 36-31 to turn the game around, taking a 1-point lead into the fourth. The Magic took the fourth 23-20; the Magic completed the comeback for a 111-109 regulation win.
What decided it
The Magic grabbed 26.1% of their own misses, while the Clippers recovered 22.5%. The Magic got more from their shots, finishing at 53% effective field-goal shooting compared with 51.2% for the Clippers. In a 2-point game, the second chances kept adding up.
The Clippers did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 9.4 against 12.4. The Magic made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Magic produced 115.6 points per 100 possessions to 113.6 for the Clippers.
Who made the difference
Kawhi Leonard was the game's biggest individual force for LAC: 37 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl on 14-25 shooting. His Game Score of 29.7 led everyone. His team was -4 with him on the floor.
Desmond Bane led the Magic with 36 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast on 13-19 shooting, good for a 29.5 Game Score.
Wendell Carter Jr. (15 pts, 14 reb, 3 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Magic entered with about a 27% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, LA the Clippers lead 2-1.
The Magic are now 30-26, and the Clippers are 27-30. The Magic last five before this game: W-W-L-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.