Recap: New Orleans vs. Orlando

 

The Sports Network

Arron Afflalo scored a game-high 26 points and provided the go-ahead bucket in the final minute, as the Orlando Magic pulled out a 105-102 comeback win over the New Orleans Hornets.

Jameer Nelson, who had missed the previous six games due to a knee injury, chipped in 15 points and seven assists, while Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless added 15 and 13 points, respectively, in the win.

Orlando trailed by 17 in the third quarter and were down by nine late in the fourth before rallying to end a three-game skid.

Anthony Davis returned from a two-game absence and totaled 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks for the Hornets, who have lost three of four. Eric Gordon and Greivis Vasquez each netted 17 points, but Vasquez missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"Defensively, that was about as poor as I've seen us all year long in the second half," said Hornets head coach Monty Williams, whose club gave up 69 points after the break.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Vasquez and Ryan Anderson had the Hornets on top by a 97-88 score with 3:30 remaining, but the Magic responded with an 11-1 run to go in front.

After a Vasquez bucket, Afflalo drained a turnaround and added two free throws for a 103-100 Orlando advantage with 18.8 seconds remaining. A Davis tip-in made it a one-point game, but two Magic free throws pushed the margin back to three.

Vasquez was hounded by Nelson at the top of the key with time winding down, and his try missed wildly to the left to seal the outcome.

"It was great to see the guys feel it and get rewarded for their effort of consistent play," Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said. "We get down 17 and still plug away and play each possession. That was great to see from multiple people."

The Hornets held a 23-20 lead heading into the second quarter and went into halftime with a 46-36 cushion.

The difference reached its apex after Anderson and Gordon connected on back- to-back 3-pointers for a 61-44 lead four minutes into the third.

The Magic didn't go away, scoring 22 of the next 27 points to even things, though they still trailed 76-70 entering the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

Read more Basketball Wires stories from the Miami Herald

Get your Miami Heat Fan Gear!

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category