The Orlando Magic defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 128-118, on Friday afternoon in Orlando.

The Magic (30-35) and the Nets (30-34) played a pivotal contest in the race for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and Brooklyn got off to a stronger start following a 39-36 first quarter in which they led by as much as eight points. Orlando bounced back quickly, however, and they grabbed the lead midway through the second quarter only to hold tightly onto it until the end of the game. The Magic jumped out to an 11-point lead at the break, and they pushed that advantage even further following a 41-23 third quarter. With the Magic up by 39 points entering the fourth, the Nets were not able to complete what would've been a miraculous comeback despite winning the fourth quarter by a 36-17 score. Orlando sealed the win rather comfortably by a 128-118 score.

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 24 points and five assists, while Nikola Vucevic posted a strong performance with 22 points, seven rebounds and five dimes. Markelle Fultz notched a team-high six assists coming off the bench, and he also scored eight points while grabbing two boards in 19 minutes. Aaron Gordon posted a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin delivered 11 points as the starting point guard.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was the top scorer for the Nets, finishing with 24 points while shooting an impressive 8-of-12 from the field. Caris LeVert chipped in with 17 points and seven assists, but he shot just 7-of-17 from the field. Jarrett Allen chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists as the starting center. Joe Harris added 14 points while shooting 6-for-11 from the field.