Final - OT
Afflalo, Nelson lead Magic to OT win over Bobcats
Mar 29, 2014 - 3:30 AMVideo
Orlando trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and didn't take its first lead until Nikola Vucevic knocked down back-to-back buckets for a 91-89 edge with 4:46 remaining.
The Magic's lead was one, 94-93, with 1:12 left before Josh McRoberts and Kemba Walker each found the bottom of the net around a Vucevic miss to give Charlotte a 97-94 lead with 14.6 ticks to play in regulation.
However, Afflalo answered with a triple from the top of the key and Walker missed a right elbow jumper as the final horn sounded to force overtime.
"All you've got to do is do what we're supposed to do right there and the game ends. That was it," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said of his team allowing Afflalo to get free. "We have to make one play that you make time after time and we didn't make the play."
In overtime, Walker hit a hook shot with 2:41 left for a 101-99 lead, but Nelson drilled a trey at the other end to give Orlando the lead for good, as the Magic held the Bobcats to just one field goal the rest of the way.
Vucevic posted 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, while Afflalo finished with 17 points for the Magic, who have won two straight on the heels of a nine-game slide.
"Tonight was an impressive win for us after kind of a lackluster start," Afflalo said. "I do think it's important that these last nine games or so that we build some momentum, build some better habits just in case the core group of guys are back (next year)."
Walker and McRoberts each scored 24 points to pace the Bobcats, who have lost four of their last six games. Despite the recent rough patch, Charlotte still occupies the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings, three games ahead of eighth-place Atlanta.
Charlotte had its way in the first half, shooting 20-of-42 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while scoring 11 points off 12 Orlando turnovers en route to a 50-41 halftime lead.
Orlando chipped away at the deficit early in the third, as Kyle O'Quinn's reverse layup pulled the Magic within 57-56 with just under eight minutes left in the period.
However, McRoberts responded with back-to-back triples to help the Bobcats take an 81-74 lead into the fourth.
Walker opened the fourth with a jumper to extend Charlotte's lead, but Orlando answered with a 10-2 run, capped by E'Twaun Moore's running jumper that brought the Magic within 85-84 with 8:16 left in regulation.
Game Notes
The win was Orlando's 1,000th regular-season victory ... Nelson, who had missed Orlando's last four games with a knee injury, scored 11 points and handed out eight assists ... The Bobcats fell to 22-5 when scoring 100 or more points ... Orlando improved to 17-18 at home ... Tobias Harris had 15 points and seven rebounds for Orlando ... Charlotte's Al Jefferson supplied 20 points and eight boards in the loss.
Mar 28 9:46 PM- CHARLOTTE: 97
ORLANDO: 97
End of Regulation
Mar 28 9:18 PM - 200
roots - CHARLOTTE: 81
ORLANDO: 74
End of 3rd
Mar 28 8:42 PM - CHARLOTTE: 50
ORLANDO: 41
Halftime
Mar 28 8:03 PM - CHARLOTTE: 30
ORLANDO: 16
End of 1st
Mar 28 7:32 PM - CHARLOTTE: 0
ORLANDO: 0
1st Quarter - 11:45
Mar 28 7:11 PM
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