NBA highlights on Jan. 2: Warriors show grit in win over Magic

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Orlando Magic 121-115 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, ending their three-game losing streak.

The Magic missed Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz and Joe Ingles in the game, but they are still one of the toughest opponents for the Warriors with their advantages in size, athleticism and power, as well as the offensive and defensive aggression that come along with the advantages.

The Magic grabbed a total of 13 offensive rebounds and earned 15 free throws in the first half. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner kept charging the paint, causing a lot of damage to the Warriors. Klay Thompson played less than nine minutes in the first two quarters, during which he was called three personal fouls.

However, the game was level at 55-55 after the first half for several reasons. First, the Magic shot 6-for-21 from downtown in the first two periods, failing to punish the opponents' defensive policy of closing in toward the paint. Second, they committed nine turnovers. Though the Warriors didn't score many points on these mistakes, they still kept the Magic from consistently launching successful attacks.

Third, which was the most important one, Stephen Curry carried the Warriors' offense with 19 points in the first half. Though he only made one 3-pointer out of five attempts, he went 5-for-7 in jumpers within the triple line and made four free throws. Curry's efforts kept his side together until the turning point came in the third quarter.

The Warriors did the following things right in the second half on Tuesday night: First, they protected the rebounds better, allowing only three on the offensive glass by the Magic in the final two quarters. Second, Thompson dodged foul trouble and got 12 points. Third, the Warriors outmatched the Magic in offensive aggression in the fourth quarter by going to the free throw line 18 times.

Curry made all three of his field goals (FGs) in the fourth quarter to add 10 points for the Warriors. He dropped a game-leading 36 points in total, plus six assists and four steals. Meanwhile, six of his teammates scored double-digit points.

By contrast, the Magic got 52 of their points from Banchero and Wagner. The two combined to shoot 18-for-39 from the field but also committed nine turnovers in total. Without Markelle Fultz or Ingles, the team had no trustworthy passer to move the ball safely. The team had nearly the same assists (19) and turnovers (17) in Tuesday's game. Their poor 3-point shooting of 14-for-36 also became a lethal weakness for the opponents, even as small as the Warriors, to exploit against them.

Other games on Tuesday (away teams come first):

Chicago Bulls 97-110 Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid came back from injury for the 76ers after missing four games and dropped a triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his team to secure a big win at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He extended his streak of notching 30+ points in consecutive games to 15 and got at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in 14 consecutive games.

The Bulls trailed by 31 points (73-42) in the first half. The game entered garbage time in the fourth quarter. The team had no player reach even 20 points.

Boston Celtics 123-127 Oklahoma City Thunder

The Western Conference No. 2, the Thunder, extended their winning streak to five games after ending the six-game winning streak of the Eastern Conference No. 1, the Celtics, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) tore the Celtics' defense like a thin piece of paper to drop 36 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Josh Giddey knocked down four triples to support him on the offensive end. Chet Holmgren delivered seven assists and made significant defensive contributions with four blocks.

Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis fought the hardest on the Celtics side, combining to score 64 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists. Porzingis also got three blocks. Derrick White drained five triples for the team. Most of the blame for this loss should go to Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown, especially the latter, who missed 14 of his 18 shots, including all eight attempts behind the arc.

San Antonio Spurs 98-106 Memphis Grizzlies

Brooklyn Nets 85-112 New Orleans Pelicans

Charlotte Hornets 111-104 Sacramento Kings