By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Vucevic got extremely hot Saturday but the Orlando Magic down several key players including French starter Evan Fournier suffered an away loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Kyrie Irving remained out, but Kevin Durant scored 42 points and James Harden in his Nets debut posted a triple-double.
“Kevin Durant was amazing and James Harden played great,” noted the Montenegrin center summing up the 2020-21 NBA Regular Season affair, “With those two guys playing great, especially with Durant taking over like that in the second half, there’s not much you can do. There are still things we didn’t do well.”
Vucevic himself was on a mission to snap the losing streak. However, his 34 points did not prevent defeat. He connected six times from beyond the arc for a career-high demonstrating his further improvement in long-range attempts. In addition, he registered ten rebounds, seven assists, and five steals.
A fifth consecutive loss for the Magic dropped them to 6-7, still enough to currently hold a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs zone. Following up three more away games versus the New York Knicks Sunday, Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday, and the Indiana Pacers Friday to complete a five-game road trip.
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