National Basketball Association
Orlando 139, Brooklyn 105
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #20 Leroy Richardson, #46 Ben Taylor
Attendance: 17536

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Andrew Nicholson waited a long time to have a game like this.

The Magic reserve forward, in his fourth NBA season, scored a career-high 24 points and made all nine of his shots in leading Orlando to a 139-105 victory over the hapless Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.

It was a great game for his team and a great game for him, both hoping to salvage something from a forgettable season.

"Haven't done this since college," said Nicholson, who played four years at St. Bonaventure before the Magic drafted him in 2012. "It felt good. It felt great. I've just tried to stay ready to play all season. My opportunity came tonight, and we all played well."

Nicholson, who has played in only 49 games and averaged 14 minutes this season, made the most of his chances Tuesday. He hit three 3-pointers and grabbed three rebounds in his 21 minutes. He was nearly perfect, scoring from both inside and out.

"This is the kind of thing you can build on," Nicholson said. "We can all build on this."

Orlando (31-43) had eight players score in double figures as it pounded Brooklyn from start to finish.

The Magic, who beat the Chicago Bulls by 21 points on Saturday, won back-to-back games for the first time since early February. It was the first time they had back-to-back 20-point victories since November 2013. The 139 points were the most they have scored this season and the fourth most in franchise history.

The Nets (21-53) lost their second consecutive game after falling Monday night in Miami, sounding embarrassed by the lopsided loss to another team that has struggled to find its way this season.

"No resistance throughout the night," Nets coach Tony Brown said. "As a group, we just didn't get it done. I didn't have my team ready to play."

Aaron Gordon scored 20 points for the Magic, and Dewayne Dedmon added 15. Point guard Elfrid Payton had 11 points and 12 assists in 26 minutes. Guard Evan Fournier had 15 points and hit three of his four 3-point attempts. Reserve center Jason Smith had 14 points, and guard Brandon Jennings contributed 11 points and six assists. Rookie Mario Hezonja had 10 points.

"We played well, and now have back-to-back games coming up (Thursday and Friday), and that hasn't been our strength this season," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "We've got to just regroup now and hopefully have our third energetic game in a row."

The Nets were led by forward Thomas Robinson, who got his second start of the season, with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Wayne Ellington scored 12 points, and point guard Shane Larkin added 10 points. Sean Kilpatrick and Markel Brown each scored 11 points.

The Nets never seriously challenged after midway in the first quarter.

"It was 100 percent on us," Robinson said. "We didn't give it to them early, and just let them get comfortable. All people are going to see is that we got beat by 30. Mentally, it's tougher to keep fighting in games when things are going the way they are for us. It's tough."

The Magic led by 30 points going into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 36 points in the third. They shot 61.5 percent from the field for the night.

The Nets came into the game ranked last in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage (.475) and were ranked 28th in defensive efficiency. They offered little resistance Tuesday.

The Nets, who trailed by 28 points at halftime, changed their starting lineup in the second half. Only Larkin and Robinson started both halves. Among those benched was starting center Brook Lopez, who finished with five points and never played in the second half.

The Magic led 73-45 at halftime after blistering the Nets with a season-high 41 points in the second period.

NOTES: Magic C Nikola Vucevic, who missed his 13th consecutive game with a strained groin, expects to return Thursday against Indiana. The Magic are 4-9 without Vucevic. ... Magic G Victor Oladipo returned after missing two games with a sore right wrist. He scored seven points. ... The Magic beat the Nets in their previous three meetings this season by an average of 12 points. The Nets won all three games against the Magic last season. ... Rich DeVos, who bought the Magic in 1991, was inducted into Orlando Magic Hall of Fame. He joined earlier inductees C Shaquille O'Neal, team executive Pat Williams and Nick Anderson, the team's first draftee (1989). ... Nets PG Shane Larkin, in his fourth game back as a starter, had a mini-cheering section. He played high school basketball in the area and still has plenty of friends here. ... In Brooklyn's early season loss in Orlando, Nets C Brook Lopez had 24 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. He became one of only four players in history with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks or more in a game against the Magic in Orlando. The others were Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Top Game Performances
 
Brooklyn   Orlando
Thomas Robinson 18 Scoring Andrew Nicholson 24
Markel Brown 5 Assists Elfrid Payton 12
Thomas Robinson 12 Rebounds Elfrid Payton 5
Sergey Karasev 6 Free Throws Made Dewayne Dedmon 3
Sean Kilpatrick 2 Steals Victor Oladipo 3
Henry Sims 2 Blocks Dewayne Dedmon 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Brooklyn 105 46.8 5-14 26-39 19 39 5 7 18
Orlando 139 61.5 14-27 13-19 40 35 5 11 10
Upcoming Games
  • Orlando will play their next game on the road against Indiana. The Magic have a W/L % of .387 after a win and .442 after a loss.
  • Brooklyn will play their next game on the road against Cleveland. The Nets have a W/L % of .190 after a win and .321 after a loss.