ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic were outscored 79-43 in the middle quarters as the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, behind big games from Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, rolled to a 135-100 victory Thursday night at Amway Center.
Mo Bamba recorded his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes, and Devin Cannady also had 17 points to pace Orlando (18-41), which lost its fourth straight game.
A announced crowd of 3,411 was on hand to see Williamson face the Magic for the first time in his career. The second-year forward didn’t disappoint, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He sat the fourth quarter with the Pelicans in control.
Ingram, meanwhile, scored 29 points to lead New Orleans (26-33), which put six players in double figures and snapped a four-game losing streak
Both Ingram and Williamson were out of the lineup when the teams met April 1 in New Orleans — a 115-110 overtime win for the Magic.
This one looked nothing like that matchup as the Magic got plenty of Williamson and Ingram. The two combined for 39 first-half points to get the Pelicans going and they never looked back.
Williamson scored 16 of his team’s 42 first-half points in the paint as the Pelicans shot 61.8% (21 of 34) on those attempts.
New Orleans led by just two after the first quarter before using a 26-8 run to produce a 65-44 lead in the second quarter.
New Orleans wound up with 45 points on 16-of-23 (69.6%) shooting in the frame and took a 72-50 lead into halftime. The 45 points are the most allowed in the second quarter this season by the Magic. The Nets had the previous high of 41 points on Feb. 25.
Ingram scored nine points during a 29-8 run over a 7-minute, 30-second stretch in the third quarter that pushed the Pelicans to a 106-64 lead. Their reserves closed it out.
The Magic wound up shooting 36.7% (36 of 98) from the field, while the Pelicans shot 55.6% (50 of 90) and posted a 66-34 scoring advantage on points in the paint.
Orlando played without center Wendell Carter Jr., who was a late scratch with a sore ankle, as well as forward James Ennis (calf soreness). Bamba started in place of Carter, while Dwayne Bacon started in place of Ennis. It was Orlando’s 29th starting lineup of the season, the most in franchise history. The Magic used 28 different lineups in 1991-92 and 2012-13.
The Magic also did not have shooting guard Terrence Ross (back spasms), point guard Michael Carter-Williams (ankle sprain) or forward Otto Porter Jr. (foot pain).
The Magic return to action Sunday when they host the Pacers.