The Orlando Magic didn’t look like a team with just nine available players competing on the second night of a back-to-back set.
It helps to have Nikola Vucevic on your team.
Vucevic scored 42 points and Michael Carter-Williams recorded 21 points in his return to the lineup to power the Magic to a 123-112 win Friday over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Arena.
Vucevic hit 17-of-22 shots and was 6-of-8 from the 3-point line and finished one point shy of matching his career-high of 43 points, set Feb. 5 against the Chicago Bulls.
Carter-Williams, meanwhile, was back in the lineup after missing the past 19 games and made his presence felt. He organized the offense early then got going in the second half as he attacked the rim and scored 19 of his points. Carter-Williams also finished with seven assists.
“Vooch was terrific and MCW gave us a huge lift,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said.
More than anything, Clifford was impressed with how his team responded to Thursday’s tough loss at Golden State.
“The biggest part of it to me was the fight. You know the attitude,” Clifford said. “We had a tough loss last night. We flew down here and you could tell, not that we were going to win, but you could tell guys were ready when we walked through over in the hotel ballroom.”
Terrence Ross finished with 18 points and hit four of the Magic’s 15 3-pointers as they outscored the Kings 45-36 from behind the arc.
Buddy Hield scored 19 points to lead seven players in double figures for the Kings (12-13), who played without starters De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley.
The Magic (10-17) played without Cole Anthony, Evan Fournier, Frank Mason and Al-Farouq Aminu, then lost James Ennis in the third quarter to a groin strain.
Carter-Williams certainly helped make up for their absence.
He scored 14 points during a 28-5 run that produced a 92-72 lead late in the third quarter.
The Kings pulled within 95-86 before the Magic got a dunk by Birch, a 14-foot baseline jumper by Ross and another dunk by Birch to push their lead to 18 at 111-93 with 6:05 left.
Hield hit two 3s to spark a 13-4 run as the Kings got within nine with 3:16 to play. But Carter-Williams hit two free throws and Vucevic knocked down a 16-footer to make it 119-106.
Sacramento could get no closer than nine as Orlando snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Magic will close out their four-game West Coast road trip on Sunday when they face the Phoenix Suns. The game tips off at 9 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Florida.
