Jalen Campbell
On Monday, Feb. 2, the Osceola Magic (13-3) squeezed by the South Bay Lakers (9-7) after a tight game for a 137-133 at Osceola Heritage Park.
Magic forward Alex Morales led the team with 28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while dishing 2 assists. Guard Jarron Cumberland came off the bench and had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double against his former team. Guard Javonte Smart recorded his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 assists.
Lakers Guard Kobe Bufkin dropped a game-high 36 points. Of those points, 23 of them were in the first half and helped the Lakers take a 69-59 lead at halftime.
Both teams came out of halftime, but the Magic outscored the Lakers 46-36 in a high-scoring third quarter with main contributors being Morales, Smart and Will Baker. This hot period for the Magic helped even the score going into the fourth quarter 105-105.
Lester Quiñones scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and hit a dagger three-point basket to seal the Lakers’ winning chances. The Magic kept their undefeated home record alive at 5-0 after this win.
“We’ve done a great job closing in the fourth quarter the last several weeks. Honestly, I’m not sure we deserved to win that game,” said head coach Dylan Murphy. “But when it’s tight down the stretch, we feel like we’re going to win.”
The Magic is now 1-0 against the Lakers in their first matchup of the season and 8-2 in their last 10 games.
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