Magic beat 76ers, show glimpse of future

ORLANDO — Even in season still filled with struggles, the future is becoming a little clearer now for the Orlando Magic. The youngsters are coming together.

The Magic won their third consecutive game, the longest winning streak since last February, and leaned heavily again on their young nucleus in beating the Philadelphia 76ers 103-98 on Sunday night.

Center Nikola Vucevic, 25, led everyone with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Victor Oladipo, 22, had 17 points and five rebounds. Rookie point guard Elfrid Payton, who turned 21 on Sunday, had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Together, they are providing some hope in an otherwise hopeless season.

“We’re building something here. You can feel it coming together,” Oladipo said. “I like the direction we’re going. We’re feeding off each other.”

They are 4-2 under interim coach James Borrego, the youngest coach (37) in the league who replaced head coach Jacque Vaughn earlier this month.

The 76ers (12-43), another team trying to build for the future, lost their third consecutive game.

“We’re beginning to understand what it feels like to win,” Vucevic said. “And that just makes you want to work harder to get it done.”

Veteran forward Channing Frye had 15 points and hit three of his seven 3-point attempts. Veteran reserve guard Willie Green had 16 points.

The 76ers were led by reserve forward JaKarr Sampson, who had 16 points, including 11 in the last four minutes to keep the game closer. Forward Robert Covington had 16 points and nine rebounds and center Nerlens Noel had 10 points. Reserve guard Hollis Thompson had 12 points. Point guard Isaiah Canaan, in his first game for the 76ers after last week’s trade, had 14 points.

“He (Vucevic) is a big man, and he’s versatile with a great touch around the basket,” said Sixers coach Brett Brown. “He’s hard for us to guard, and they do a great job of finding him on those pick-and-rolls.”

It was the fifth time this season Vucevic scored at least 30 points. It was the ninth time he had at least 25 points and at least 13 rebounds. Only DeMarcus Cousins (11) has done it more.

“He (Vucevic) makes it easy for us because he you can drive and when they double, he will be open and he’ll catch it,” Oladipo said. “He knows how to get open for us. It’s a nice combination.”

The Sixers kept it close with their 3-point shooting. They hit 13 of 34 from 3-point range when the Magic focused on stopping them inside. The Magic outscored the Sixers 50-26 in the lane.

The Sixers never led in the fourth quarter, although they closed to 96-95 when Sampson scored his final basket. They closed to 81-79 earlier with Sampson’s 3-pointer. The Sixers were hurt by 21 turnovers.

“It’s a learning experience for all of us,” Brown said. “We’re trying to create an identify that combines attacking the rim with an ability to shoot the three.”

The Sixers led briefly in the third quarter following a trio of 3-point baskets by Covington, Jason Richardson and Canaan, respectively. Vucevic scored the next five points and the Magic regained control and never lost the lead.

The Magic closed the first half with a 15-2 run that opened a 55-47 lead. The late burst included a 3-point play from Vucevic and four consecutive free throws from Oladipo.

The Sixers had taken a 45-40 lead on back-to-back 3-point baskets by starting point guard Isaiah Canaan and reserve Hollis Thompson. The two combined to make four out of five 3-point attempts in the opening half.

The Magic got 13 points and seven rebounds from Vucevic before intermission. Frye had 12 points in the first quarter when he hit all five of his shots.

The Magic outscored the 76ers 28-4 inside the lane in the first half. The Sixers, who had 13 turnovers in the first half, stayed close early by making seven of 15 shots from 3-point range in the first 24 minutes.

NOTES: Magic F Tobias Harris, the team’s second leading scorer, returned to the lineup Sunday after a three-game absence with a sore right knee. … Both teams struggled with injuries this season. C Henry Sims is the only one to play all 55 games this season for the Sixers. Rookie PG Elfrid Payton is the only one to play in all 58 games for the Magic. … G Jason Richardson, in his 13th season, started for the Sixers on Sunday, which was only the second game he has played in the NBA since midway in the 2012-13 season. He returned last week after a serious left knee injury and a fractured foot. “I didn’t think I was going to play basketball ever again,” he said before the game.