Magic improve to 4-0 for 1st time in franchise history

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107 Tuesday night.

Orlando, 4-0 for the first time in the franchise’s 31-season history, is one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the NBA, along with Atlanta. The Magic started 3-0 only three previous times before this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which lost its second home game in two nights after winning its opener at Charlotte. The Thunder had won their last five games (and 15 of their last 18) against the Magic and now are 10-3 at home all-time against Orlando.

Dwayne Bacon went 9 of 10 from the field and scored 18 points to go with eight rebounds for Orlando, which surpassed the 110-point mark for the fourth straight game. After the Thunder tied the score at 87-87 early in the fourth, Bacon scored six points in a 10-4 spurt that gave Orlando the lead for good.

Oklahoma City made only 4 of 13 free throws in the fourth, thwarting the Thunder’s hopes to rally. Isaiah Roby, who hadn’t scored a point in a NBA game before Tuesday, had 19 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma City, while Luguentz Dort added 15 and Mike Muscala had 14.

Orlando led 36-27 early in the second quarter before a 12-2 run — fueled by nine points from Hamidou Diallo — put the Thunder back ahead 39-38. The Magic again pushed its lead out, this time to 53-43, but Oklahoma City pulled within 60-56 by halftime. The Thunder briefly pulled even at 80-80 on a 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander but Orlando led 87-85 entering the fourth quarter.

TIP-INS:

Magic: Vucevic became Orlando’s franchise leader in field goals by making 12 against the Thunder. He now has 4,083 with the Magic, passing Nick Anderson (4,075) in that statistical category … Aaron Gordon started but coach Steve Clifford said Gordon remains on a minutes restriction as the player recovers from a hamstring injury he suffered last season. He scored 12 points in 22 minutes.

Thunder: Center Al Horford didn’t play, resting on the second day of a back-to-back, while veteran guard George Hill missed the game with neck spasms … Roby and Justin Jackson both started for the first time this season for Oklahoma City. It was Roby’s first career start and he scored nine first-quarter points … The shooting woes continued for first-round draft pick Aleksej Pokusevski, who went 1 of 8 from the field, although he did score his first career points in the third quarter of his third NBA game.

UP NEXT:

Magic: Begin a four-game homestand against Philadelphia on Thursday before hosting Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Thunder: Host New Orleans on Thursday before starting a five-game road stretch on Saturday in Orlando.