Magic second-year pros Jase Richardson and Noah Penda returned to the court Wednesday afternoon and Orlando’s Summer League squad took down the 76ers inside UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center to win their third exhibition in Las Vegas.
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Richardson and Penda, who sat out Sunday’s Summer League contest against Portland to rest in the second game of a back-to-back, separated themselves early on both ends of the court by hitting long-range buckets, incorporating their teammates on offense and forcing stops on defense.
Richardson notched 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the floor and added four assists with three steals during 30 minutes of action in the 99-92 victory against Philadelphia. Penda did a little bit of everything with 10 points, six rebounds, six assists, three blocks and a steal across 29 minutes.
The Magic led by as many as 30 points but saw Philadelphia turn up the heat defensively and cut its deficit to just four points with less than two minutes to play. The Sixers forced key turnovers and went on a 16-2 run to make it a 93-89 game with 1:37 remaining.
Richardson was responsible for four of Orlando’s 24 total turnovers, which led to 32 Philadelphia points. Magic guard Lester Quinones (12 points) recorded a team-high six turnovers, but the Sixers had their problems taking care of the ball as well.
The Magic, who used a 15-0 run in the first quarter to jump out ahead 30-17 after the shorter 10-minute opening frame, scored 23 points off 20 takeaways. Orlando took a 65-37 lead into halftime but took its foot off the gas from there.
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With four players reaching double figures, Philadelphia responded by outscoring Orlando 55-34 in the second half and 29-18 in the fourth quarter. A key basket from Richardson, a pair of free throws from Penda and a layup from Quinones put the game on ice in favor of Orlando.
The Magic did a solid job neutralizing Philadelphia rookie Labaron Philon Jr., the No. 22 pick in June’s NBA draft. Philon Jr., who shot 39.9% from 3-point range as a senior at the University of Alabama, scored 15 points but shot 1-for-13 from distance.
Magic two-way teammates Colin Castleton (14 points) and Alex Morales (13) combined for 27 points with Morales notching a double-double by way of 10 rebounds. He added five assists and three steals while Castleton grabbed six boards with a block.
Off the bench, Magic Summer League backup center Will Baker scored an efficient nine points in 10 minutes.
With the win, the Magic improved to 3-1 in Las Vegas, and a fifth game will be added to their schedule based on other outcomes in Las Vegas later Wednesday. The Sixers fell to 2-2 out west.
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Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]