Game 1: Sonics Run Away with Game in Second Half
The Sonics dominated the second half in Game 1, as they defeated the Magic 109-85. The Sonics held a narrow 41-38 lead at the major break, but completely overwhelmed the Magic in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Eastern Conference champions 39-22.
Arron Afflalo was the main contributor to the Sonics’ big second half performance, scoring 19 points, while shooting a hot 5-7 from beyond the arc. Otto Porter and Dion Waiters were also significant contributors, with 17 points each, while Patrick Mills (14 points, 10 assists) and Andrew Nicholson (10 points, 13 rebounds) both tallied double-doubles on the night.
On the other side of the court, the Magic only had two players in double figures, with Serge Ibaka (18 points, 4 rebounds) and Evan Fournier (16 points, 3 assists) the only Orlando players to have any significant impact on the scoring sheet.
Game 2: Sonics Burn Magic in 4th
The Sonics once again came up big in the second half, in their 108-84 blowout of the Magic. The game stayed close at the end of the 3rd quarter, but the Magic once again lacked the staying power, getting blown out in the 4th by 36-16.
Arron Afflalo once again had the hot hand for the Sonics, scoring 24 points, including 4-5 from beyond the arc. Otto Porter once again played an important supporting role, with 16 points and 5 rebounds, while Patrick Mills and Dion Waiters scored 14 points each.
Serge Ibaka top scored for the Magic again, as he tallied 17 points and 6 rebounds. Elfrid Payton made the most of his introduction into the starting lineup, with 14 points and 3 assists, while Mario Hezonja (11 points, 4 assists) and Evan Fournier (10 points, 4 assists) had modest contributions from the wing.
Game 3: Sonics Continue Domination, Take Decisive 3-0 Series Lead
The Sonics are now one game away from the Larry O’Brien trophy, after a comprehensive 113-80 over the Magic in Seattle.
Seattle got the bulk of their points from Tony Snell (25 points, 5 rebounds) and Otto Porter (21 points, 7 rebounds) in Game 3, as the Magic had no answer for them at the small forward position. Andrew Nicholson also did well against his former team, tallying 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Arron Afflalo continued his hot scoring run with 17 points. In fact, Afflalo’s run has been so great that Marc J. Spears reports that the Sonics two-guard has shot 69.2% from 3-point range during the Sonics current win streak.
For the Magic, Evan Fournier offered the most resistance on the offensive end, with 18 points and 5 assists on the night. Unfortunately for Orlando’s top scorer, there wasn’t a whole lot of offence outside of him, with J.J. Barea (12 points) and Joe Ingles (11 points) the only other double-digit scorers for the Magic.
Game 4: Sonics Crowned NBA Champions
The Sonics became the 2018 NBA Champions, after beating the Orlando Magic 97-88 in Game 4. However, the Magic were anything but pushovers. Heading into the 4th quarter, they held a 68-63 lead. But the Sonics once again blew the Magic out of the water in the 4th, outscoring the home team 34-20 in the final period of the game.
Otto Porter was the main catalyst for the 4th quarter run. The Great Palindrome scored 13 of his 20 points in the decisive quarter. Arron Afflalo continued his hot shooting streak, scoring 16 points off 6-9 from the field, while Patrick Mills (14 points, 10 assists), Shaun Livingston (13 points), and Andrew Nicholson (12 points, 7 rebounds) all played a role in securing the sweep.
For the Magic, Aaron Gordon was their spark plug off the bench. The athletic forward tallied 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, leading his team in a relatively low-scoring game. Serge Ibaka had 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Marvin Williams put up 10 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.
Sonics win the NBA Finals 4-0