ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s no secret that Orlando’s current rebuilding process will lean heavily on its ability to develop and get production from its younger players.
After nearly a month of swallowing bitter lessons during a season-worst string of losses, the Magic’s youth played a big role in helping them finally break out of their haze.
J.J. Redick scored 22 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 19 rebounds as Orlando snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 110-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
The Magic shot 50 percent from the field in earning their first win since Jan. 16. Jameer Nelson added 10 points and a career-high 15 assists, and reserve Gustavo Ayon also tied a career-high with 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds for the Magic.
“When teams made runs over the last X-amount of games, we kind of shut down a little bit," Nelson said. “Tonight we didn’t, we were up and they cut it to three or four. We just kept playing our game. We played well enough to win tonight."
LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 25 points. Nicolas Batum added 19 points and Wesley Matthews chipped in 17.
The Blazers, who have lost three in a row, fell to 1-7 in their past eight road games. They still have two more road games this week before the All-Star break.
After seeing his 30-point scoring night go for naught in his team’s loss to Houston on Friday, Aldridge tried to defer more to his teammates at times Sunday.
It did little to draw out a better defensive effort, however.
Portland turned it over 14 times, leading to 18 points on the other end by Orlando. The Magic also got into the paint at will, outscoring the Blazers 60-46 on the inside and 15-6 on second-chance opportunities.
Part of the reason was how well Orlando’s big men played. In addition to his scoring and rebounding, Ayon also helped to open things up offensively with six assists. One pass was particular highlight-worthy, with the second-year big man finding rookie Andrew Nicholson in the lane with a no-look, behind-the-back pass.
What made the game particularly impressive was that Ayon had not scored more than four points or had more than two rebounds in any of the Magic’s previous five games.
“The NBA is like that, and you have to forget about the game before," Ayon said. “You have to think about the game that’s coming up."
His impact on Sunday was not lost on Portland.
“He has good basketball instincts and he was physical on the boards," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “He was aggressive. He did a little bit of everything."
Guard play was also slanted heavily in the Magic’s favor with Nelson’s assist total overshadowing a 12-assist night by Portland point guard Damian Lillard, who also shot a dismal one for 16 from the field.
Orlando held a 79-72 lead entering the final quarter but had to push back against multiple attempts at a run by the Blazers down the stretch.
Portland closed to 103-95 with less than 3 minutes to play, but the Magic answered with a 3-pointer by Redick and a layup by Ayon to push the cushion back to 13 with just over a minute remaining.
Redick returned to action Sunday after missing three consecutive games with a sore right shoulder and instantly injected some energy into the Magic’s lineup.
Usually most effective with his outside shot, Redick did his scoring with a variety of cuts to the basket and layups off fast breaks. He attempted only a pair of 3-pointers through the first three quarters, but still managed 17 points over that span.
Also on Sunday:
Heat 107
Lakers 97
MIAMI — LeBron James scored 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting, Dwyane Wade scored 30 and Miami beat the Los Angeles Lakers for its fifth straight win.
Clippers 102
Knicks 88
NEW YORK — Chris Paul scored 25 points in his second game back from injury and reserve Jamal Crawford had 27 to lead the Los Angeles Clippers over New York.
Celtics 118
Nuggets 114
BOSTON — Paul Pierce had a triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, and Boston extended its winning streak to seven games with a triple overtime win over Denver.
Grizzlies 105
Timberwolves 88
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points, hitting all eight of his shots from the field, and Memphis pulled away in the second quarter before coasting to a win over Minnesota.
Raptors 102
Hornets 89
TORONTO — John Lucas scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to match his season high and Rudy Gay had 20 points to lead Toronto over New Orleans.
Spurs 111
Nets 86
NEW YORK — Tony Parker had 29 points and 11 assists in another brilliant performance without his two sidekicks, and San Antonio dominated the second half to beat Brooklyn.
Thunder 97
Suns 69
PHOENIX — Thabo Sefolosha made a career-high five 3-pointers and Oklahoma City routed Phoenix for the second game in a row.
Kings 117
Rockets 111
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Isaiah Thomas scored 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and John Salmons also had 23 points to help rally Sacramento to a victory over Houston.