Rookie Scottie Barnes scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds and the Toronto Raptors held on to defeat the visiting Orlando Magic 110-109 Friday night.
The Magic trailed by 12 points with two minutes remaining but scored the game’s last 11 points and had a shot to win at win in the final second, but Cole Anthony misfired on a jumper.
Fred VanVleet added 19 points — 16 in the fourth quarter — for the Raptors, who have defeated the Magic nine straight times dating to 2019. Gary Trent Jr. also had 19 points.
OG Anunoby contributed 16 points — including eight straight in the fourth quarter — as the Raptors completed a four-game homestand by going 2-2. Dalano Barton had 10 points for Toronto.
Despite missing his desperation shot at the buzzer, Anthony scored 24 points for the Magic, who have lost five of six. Mo Bamba added 14 points with 18 rebounds.
Jalen Suggs scored 21 points for Orlando, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Gary Harris had 11 points and Franz Wagner scored 10 for the Magic.
Orlando took a 78-77 lead into the fourth quarter, but Anunoby made two 3-pointers and a dunk consecutively to put Toronto ahead 90-80 with 8:37 to play.
Anthony’s 3-pointer trimmed the lead to three with 5:52 remaining, but VanVleet’s jumper and free throw had the lead up to eight with 4:18 to go.
Anthony’s two free throws cut the lead to 104-98 with 2:56 left but VanVleet responded with a 3-pointer before adding another with 2:04 left to increase the lead to 110-98, but the Magic went on an 11-0 run capped by Wagner’s 3-pointer with 33.2 seconds left. Anthony missed a 46-footer in the final second.
After the Raptors led 23-20 after one quarter, Bamba’s 3-pointer with 5:17 left in the second quarter gave the Magic a 42-40 lead, but Anunoby’s 16-footer one minute later put Toronto ahead by three points. The Raptors led 54-51 at halftime.
The Raptors opened a six-point lead early in the third quarter. Suggs scored five straight points, trimming the lead to one with 7:36 left. Anthony’s 3-pointer gave the Magic a one-point lead two minutes later. Terrence Ross made a 17-footer to increase the lead to four with 1:12 left in the third.
–Field Level Media
