Orlando Magic Knock Off Toronto Raptors Thanks To Masterful Final Quarter

If you walked away from your TV at the end of the third quarter, you probably assumed the Toronto Raptors had this one in the bag. They were up by 14, cruising with a comfortable rhythm, and the Orlando Magic looked about as energetic as a team stuck in mud.

In a stunning reversal of fortunes inside the Kia Center, the Orlando Magic didn’t just wake up; they went supernova. The Raptors, meanwhile, watched a sure-fire win dissolve into a 130-120 loss, leaving them wondering how exactly the wheels fell off so spectacularly in the final frame.

The Magic Find Their Range When It Matters Most

For three quarters, this game was a grind. The Raptors and the Magic traded blows in the first half, with Toronto taking a modest 7-point lead into the break. By the time the third quarter wrapped up, Toronto had stretched that advantage to double digits. They were playing downhill, they were hitting shots, and the Orlando crowd was sitting on its hands.

It took all of five minutes for Orlando to erase the deficit. It wasn’t a slow chipping away; it was an avalanche. The Magic picked up a head of steam that Toronto simply couldn’t derail. The catalyst? An absolute barrage from beyond the arc.

The stat sheet tells you the Magic shot 50% from three-point land (17-of-34), but the numbers don’t capture the demoralizing timing of those buckets. Every time the Raptors tried to stop the bleeding, the Magic answered with a dagger from deep. Combine that with a relentless parade to the free-throw line, where Orlando knocked down 33 of 37 attempts, and you have a recipe for an unstoppable comeback.

Raptors Freeze Under Pressure

While the Magic were catching fire, the Raptors were busy freezing up. It’s hard to overstate just how thoroughly Toronto lost the plot in the final 12 minutes.

Offensively, the rhythm that had carried them through the first 36 minutes vanished. The ball movement stagnated, shots stopped falling, and frustration started to mount. You could physically see the energy drain out of the Raptors’ bench as the momentum shifted.

Defensively, Toronto had no answer. They gave up wide-open looks and fouled jump shooters, unable to rotate fast enough to keep up with Orlando’s sudden ball movement. It was a collapse in every sense of the word.

Turning the Corner After a Rough Skid

This wasn’t just a win for Orlando; it was an exhale. The Magic came into this game trying to shake off the cobwebs of a four-game losing streak, a skid that started across the pond in London against the Grizzlies. When you lose four in a row, the rim starts to look smaller, and the legs feel heavier.

To come back from down 14 in the fourth quarter shows a level of grit that the Magic desperately needed to rediscover. They played a complementary game down the stretch that reminded everyone why they can be a headache to play against in the East.

What’s Next For the Magic and Raptors?

For Toronto, the road doesn’t get easier. They have to swallow this bitter pill and prepare to bounce back against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. They’ll be back home at Scotiabank Arena, kicking off a five-game homestand before the All-Star break. They need to figure out how to close games, or that homestand is going to feel very long.

As for the victors, the Magic are riding high again. They’ve won two straight and seem to have found their footing. They’re back in action on Sunday, facing the alien talent that is Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center.