Aaron Gordon is a player many consistently say is on the cusp of something great in the NBA due to his athleticism and size. His skills are still developing, though, so he remains an inconsistent player for the middling Orlando Magic. That wasn't the case on Wednesday night, though, as Gordon had a breakout game against the Los Angeles Clippers in a 113-108 loss.
Gordon's breakout
Gordon has competed in the Slam Dunk Contest before, so nobody was surprised when the Magic forward showed off his dunking acumen in this game against counterpart Blake Griffin.
He had a massive dunk over Griffin, putting him on a poster to the excitement of the crowd. He faked out DeAndre Jordan on the way to blowing by him for a layup. He also took a lob from Evan Fournier and slammed home an alley-oop that seemed to be sent from the sky.
Overall, Gordon played 40 minutes in the game and scored 33 points, nine more than the next closest Magic player in Fournier. He also brought down seven rebounds; both his point and rebound total were significantly higher than his season averages, as he averages less than ten points a game.
Magic still lose
While Gordon had an amazing game, he didn't get much help from his Magic teammates, falling to one of the best teams in the NBA in the Clippers.
Los Angeles had a balanced attack, with every starter scoring at least ten points; only Gordon and Fournier hit that mark among Magic starters.
Austin Rivers lit up the scoreboard from behind the arc against the Magic in his first game back from a concussion. He nailed seven three-pointers and scored 25 points. Meanwhile, there was a major disparity at the free throw line, where the Magic went 10 for 20 while the Clippers went 26 for 37.
Even DeAndre Jordan, one of the worst free throw shooters in the NBA, went 12 for 18 from the stripe.
Gordon and the Magic dropped to 11-16 with the loss, dropping them to 12th in the Eastern Conference. Their next game will come Friday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets, who are 14th in the Eastern Conference.
