NBA: Shorthanded Brooklyn narrowly falls to the Magic

New York, New York - The Brooklyn Nets, who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 bug this past week, suffered a tough loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

Magic guard Gary Harris added 17 points against the Nets.
Magic guard Gary Harris added 17 points against the Nets.  © imago/Icon SMI

The Magic defeated the Nets 100-93, snapping Brooklyn’s four-game winning streak and handing the Nets their first loss this season without any of their big three superstars playing in the game.

With the win, Orlando snapped a seven-game skid.

While the Nets were without Kevin Durant (33) and James Harden (32), two of 10 total players who are out under the NBA’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols, the Magic had an opportunity to step up and get themselves back into the win column.

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The Magic started early with some great defense that held Brooklyn to 17 points, as Orlando ended the first quarter with a 26-17 lead.

The Nets weren’t out of it yet as they stormed back with a strong second quarter to only trail by six at halftime.

In the second half, the Magic stuck to their game plan, doing just enough to hold Brooklyn at bay throughout the entire third quarter.

But yet again, the Nets wouldn’t go away without a fight, even tying the game at 93-93 with two and a half minutes to go.

The Magic scored seven more points but, more importantly, kept Brooklyn from getting any more buckets as Orlando slipped away with a big win.

The player spotlight

Robin Lopez led Orlando with 20 points on Saturday night.
Robin Lopez led Orlando with 20 points on Saturday night.  © IMAGO/Agencia EFE

Orlando’s big man in the middle, 12th-year center Robin Lopez, was the main man for the Magic against the Nets.

Averaging 8.5 points per game, he did more than twice as much damage on the stat sheet against the shorthanded Nets.

With his performance on Saturday night, Lopez notched his first double-double of the season.

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He finished the game with 10-for-22 shooting from the field for a team-high 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.

The big picture

Nets forward Kevin Durant is one of 10 players on the team now under the NBA's Covid-19 protocols.
Nets forward Kevin Durant is one of 10 players on the team now under the NBA's Covid-19 protocols.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

The big story heading into the game revolved around the Nets needing to make do while having 10 players out under the NBA’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Harden had been on the list since Tuesday but was joined Saturday morning by Durant and Kyrie Irving, who isn’t active but is supposed to be finalizing a part-time return to Brooklyn’s roster.

But eight other players got nixed an hour before playing Orlando.

This opened the door for the Magic to end their losing streak against a team they likely wouldn’t have beaten if everything on Brooklyn’s end was normal.

But luckily for the Nets, they still lead their division and the Eastern Conference despite missing so many weapons from their arsenal.

With the coronavirus continuing to wreak havoc, no one can say exactly how soon the Nets will be whole again.

"It's just crazy," Nets forward Blake Griffin said in his postgame comments to ESPN.

On Monday, the Magic is scheduled to be on the road against the Raptors, while on Sunday, the Nets will play host to the Nuggets.

Cover photo: IMAGO/Agencia EFE

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