Clippers vs. Magic final score: LA takes care of business in Orlando, 120-95

Tobias Harris led the way for the Clippers against his former team as LA defeated Orlando, 120-95.

Harris had 21 points and chipped in seven rebounds and two assists for the road team. He was perfect from the field in the first half and finished 8-of-10 overall. His frontcourt partner Danilo Gallinari was fantastic as well, abusing the Magic forwards for 13 points of his own. Aaron Gordon, Wes Iwundu, and Jonathon Isaac were consistently a step slow for the skilled Harris and Gallinari, who drove to the basket and hit jumpers with ease.

The Clippers maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half, though Orlando prevented the game from ever getting too far out of hand. Every time the Magic made a bit of a run, one of the LA players was able to stop the bleeding.

The second unit blew the game open with big runs. The three-guard lineup featuring Milos Teodosic, Lou Williams, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Montrezl Harrell and Mike Scott built a seven-point lead in the second quarter; the unit was given an 11-point lead in the second half and extended the margin to 24 by the time Williams and Teodosic left the game.

Williams had one of his patented fourth-quarter heat checks, dropping 16 points in the period on perfect shooting from beyond the arc. His lone miss turned into a make off of a goaltend by Magic rookie Mo Bamba.

For the first time this season, the Clippers changed their starting lineup, inserting Boban Marjanovic at center in place of Marcin Gortat. Last year, LA used 37 different starters as injuries and trades forced constant tinkering roster tinkering, but has not been forced to do so this year.

Boban responded marvelously. The knock on Marjanovic has been that he is incapable of playing big minutes and can’t defend out in space, but the center played 23 minutes (one night after playing nearly the entire second half in Philadelphia). His shot was a little off, most notable on free throws, where the 75 percent foul shooter missed four short. That could also be a result of Marjanovic tweaking his ankle against the 76ers.

Nevertheless, he set crushing screens, rebounded the ball well, and notched his second consecutive double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds), the only two he has had with the Clippers.

Nikola Vucevic led the way for Orlando with 22 points, but the Magic shot 43 percent from the field and 56 percent from the line in the loss.