Orlando Magic Grades: Utah Jazz 114, Orlando Magic 107

The Orlando Magic had the lead and seemed on their way to a win. Then the Utah Jazz caught fire and the Magic could not stop them from overtaking them.

	1	2	3	4	T
Magic	42	23	18	24	107
Jazz	29	35	20	30	114

The Orlando Magic went up 102-97 on a slither layup from Elfrid Payton, giving him a career-high 28 points. The Magic were in cruise control and seemed about to pull out another gutsy win on the road on this West Coast trip.

The Magic’s energy was good and they had everything going for them. They scored 42 points in the first quarter and generally controlled the pace of the game against the Utah Jazz.

Things never seem to last when it comes to the Magic, though. The struggles for Orlando to close the game would be legendary as the team seized up with poor decision after poor decision.

The Jazz won the game 114-107 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday on the strength of a 13-0 run in the final three minutes. Making 3-pointers, catching the Magic in over rotations and poor decisions and stifling the Magic’s once flowing offense.

Orlando could not pick up the pace and attack again, trying to force the ball to Nikola Vucevic or playing through Jodie Meeks, of all people, to try and create some offense. The Jazz attacked these weaknesses, Rudy Gobert at one point emphatically blocking a Nikola Vucevic hook shot to start a fast break.

Orlando could not reel Utah back in as it had throughout much of the game — or similar to how the team did against the Portland Trail Blazers the night before. Payton’s career night would go to waste and no amount of energy or feeling of moral victory could replace the feeling the Magic let one go.

The Magic did indeed let one go. Not after scoring 42 points on one of the best defenses in the league in the first quarter and going up by 13, only to see that lead completely disappear within the first three minutes of the second quarter against a depleted second unit — Evan Fournier missed the game with a heel injury.

Orlando is improving and playing better, but it is quickly the time for victories. And the Magic had a lot they left on the floor in Salt Lake City.

Elfrid Payton

PG, Orlando Magic

Payton scored a career-high 28 points and nearly recorded a triple double with nine rebounds and nine assists. He was all over the floor, pushing the pace and attacking off the dribble. The Magic entrusted him fully with the ball in his hands without Evan Fournier in the lineup. Payton ran the show and did a good job doing it. He had the Jazz on their heels all game.

The only complaint with Payton, and it may not have been his fault, was his play down the stretch. Maybe it was Frank Vogel and the Magic’s strategy, but Payton no longer was the centerpiece when the game mattered at the end. The ball needed to be in his hands with him attacking and the game slowed down. That is something Payton could not allow when playing with a lead.

C.J. Watson

G, Orlando Magic

Watson struggled to deliver in his first stint in the rotation, and he struggled again Saturday night. His defense, probably the one thing that could keep him in the rotation, did not come through. He struggled sticking with Rodney Hood or whomever else the Jazz played on the perimeter.

It was no coincidence the Magic struggled whenever the second unit was on the floor. Watson was -14 for the night. And Watson did not produce much of anything offensively, missing both his shots. It is going to get harder and harder to justify his playing time. Then again, Mario Hezonja has to displace him too — something he really has not had the opportunity to do.

Nikola Vucevic

C, Orlando Magic

Vucevic scored 15 points on 7-for-15 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds. He made shots and rolled well. He even attacked Rudy Gobert well, putting pump fakes up and timing shots to keep Gobert off balance.

More importantly, Vucevic was stout defensively. He was consistently rotating over to cut off dribble penetration and challenging shots at the rim. Gobert scored 19 points, but much of it came when Vucevic was off helping and doing his job. Vucevic continues to impress defensively.

Utah Jazz

26-16, 5th West

Utah stiffened up defensively in the second and third quarters to get back into the game. And the Jazz made the defensive plays in the final stretch. Orlando found it difficult to regain momentum and keep the pace the team had to win the game. The Magic had control for much of the game, until the end.

Utah’s 13-0 run to seal the game was the better team taking control and taking advantage of the opportunity. Orlando did not figure out the way to close the game or get that last play the team needed to win. The Jazz delivered, whether it was Gordon Hayward cracking the Aaron Gordon code or Rudy Gobert working the weakside on dump downs.