Pelicans remain winless after loss to Magic
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Evan Fournier capped a career-high, 30-point performance with a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:13 and the Orlando Magic won for the first time this season, 103-94 over the winless New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Victor Oladipo added 12 points for the Magic, who, like the Pelicans, entered the contest at 0-3.
Eric Gordon had 21 points for New Orleans, which trimmed an 18-point, first-half deficit to 95-90 with 2:46 to go. Then Fournier helped Orlando put it away.
Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson each scored 14 for the injury-plagued Pelicans, who've given up more than 100 points in all four losses under new coach Alvin Gentry. New Orleans also shot poorly, hitting just 36.6 percent (32 of 90).
Fournier made 12 of 20 shots. When he hit his fourth and final 3 with 39 seconds left, he let out a roar as he jogged back toward the Orlando defensive end.
Thanks in part to the Pelicans' poor shooting, Orlando outrebounded New Orleans 55-46. Tobias Harris grabbed 13 rebounds for the Magic.
New Orleans also missed seven of 25 free throws, while Orlando was a perfect 12 of 12.
The Pelicans were thin at center after Omer Asik, who has played in only one game this season, was ruled out with a right calf strain. Alexis Ajinca started but contributed only four points and four rebounds. Davis, normally a power forward, had to play some at center and did not look entirely comfortable. He went 3 of 12 from the field and finished with nine rebounds, but also blocked five shots.
TIP-INS
Magic: Orlando outshot New Orleans 54.5 percent (24 of 44) to 31.9 (15 of 47) in the first half in building a 57-43 lead. The Magic led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter. Fournier scored 15 points in the opening two periods on 7-of-10 shooting, with all three misses coming from behind the 3-point line. ... C.J. Watson needed some attention from trainers after taking an elbow to the face from the Pelicans' Toney Douglas, who was driving to the basket and was called for an offensive foul.
Pelicans: New Orleans hit only one of its first 13 3-point attempts before making 11 of 23 the rest of the way. ... Gentry was assessed a technical foul by official Brent Barnaky moments after calling timeout in the middle of the second quarter, when the Pelicans trailed 41-27. ... The Pelicans would have trailed by 17 at halftime if not for Ish Smith hitting a 25-foot 3 as time expired in the first half.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit Houston on Wednesday night.
Pelicans: Host Atlanta on Friday night.
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