Philadelphia 76ers (46-37) beat Orlando Magic (45-38) 109-97 at home on Wednesday, April 15, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The 76ers had the better start, winning the first 28-24 to lead by 4 after one. The teams matched each other with 31 points apiece in the second quarter; the 76ers still led by 4 at halftime.
The 76ers won the third 20-19 to create some separation, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The 76ers took the fourth 30-23; the 76ers finished the job for a 109-97 regulation win.
What decided it
The 76ers took better care of the ball, turning it over on 10.1% of possessions compared with 14.2% for the Magic. The 76ers got more from their shots, finishing at 51.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 45.1% for the Magic. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Magic did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 23.8% against 17.9%. The 76ers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the 76ers produced 110.3 points per 100 possessions to 98.2 for the Magic.
The Magic's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 24-10.
Who made the difference
Desmond Bane was the game's biggest individual force for ORL: 34 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast on 10-16 shooting. His Game Score of 23.9 led everyone. His team was -11 with him on the floor.
Andre Drummond led the 76ers with 14 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk on 5-8 shooting, good for a 20.3 Game Score.
VJ Edgecombe (19 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) and Andre Drummond (14 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 61% for the 76ers.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Orlando Magic lead 4-3.
The 76ers are now 46-37, and the Magic are 45-38. The 76ers last five before this game: L-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.