19 August 2020

Orlando Magic pull off stunning 12-point upset over Milwaukee Bucks

19 August 2020

The Orlando Magic have shocked the Milwaukee Bucks 122-110 to take a 1-0 lead in their opening round play-off series against the NBA’s Eastern Conference leaders.

Few expected the eighth-seeded Magic to trouble the Bucks, who had swept Orlando 4-0 in the season series.

However Milwaukee were sluggish out of the gate, giving up a 33-23 first-quarter lead before Giannis Antetokounmpo started to find his rhythm and close the gap.

Unfortunately for the Bucks, an unrelenting defensive effort from Orlando, coupled with a 35-point performance from Nikola Vucevic, proved enough to see the Magic home.

There was another upset in the Western Conference, with the eighth-seed Portland Trail Blazers downing the Los Angeles Lakers 100-93.

Despite Portland leading most of the way, the result was always going to come down to the wire as Damian Lillard went head-to-head with Lebron James and Anthony Davis down the stretch.

Two clutch threes from Lillard late in the fourth ultimately broke the game open before another three from Gary Trent Jr in the final minute sealed the victory for Portland.

Lillard finished the game with 34 points while James became the first player to post more than 20 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a play-off game.

The Miami Heat made the most of an early eye injury to Victor Oladipo as they claimed a 12-point win over the Indiana Pacers.

Oladipo, a key cog in the Pacers’ offensive and defensive wheels, lasted just eight minutes before being forced from the floor, leaving Indiana at the mercy of a 28-point performance from Miami’s Jimmy Butler.

Heat guard Goran Dragic also contributed 24 points in the 113-101 victory.

And the Houston Rockets blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-108 on the back of James Harden’s clinical 37-point performance.

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