ORLANDO, Fla. — Ersan Ilyasova scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 107-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night at the Amway Center.
The Magic (35-46) led from start to finish in their final home game of the season. The Bucks (33-48) will close the season Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.
Rookie Mario Hezonja had 19 points and a season-high seven assists. Evan Fournier had 13 points and five rebounds. Center Dewayne Dedmon had 17 points and eight rebounds. Elfrid Payton had 11 points and 11 assists. Devon Marble, who spent much of the season in the NBA Development League, had nine points.
The Bucks were led by center Greg Monroe, who finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton each scored 17 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 11 points and nine rebounds.
C.J. Watson, who didn’t score in the third three quarters, scored the first three Magic baskets in the fourth for the 91-79 lead. The Bucks, though, rallied late and closed to 100-96 after three free throws by Middleton. That was as close as they would come.
Hezonja hit a 3-pointer for the 103-96 lead that sealed the game.
Ilyasova scored 10 points in third when the Magic built a 77-57 lead. The Bucks, though, closed the period by making seven of their last eight shots and cut the deficit to just 12 going into the fourth.
The Magic led, 58-44, at intermission, riding the 14 points from Dedmon and 12 from Ilyasova. Reserve center Jason Smith also had three blocks in the first half.
The Magic never trailed in the first half while shooting 56.8 percent (25 of 44) from the field. Dedmon and Ilyasova combined to hit 11 of 13 shots.
Monroe had 15 points in the first half, but all were in the first nine minutes. Parker had 10 points at the break.
NOTES: The Magic were without starters C Nikola Vucevic (right leg contusion), G Victor Oladipo (concussion) and F Aaron Gordon (concussion). . . . Bucks C Greg Monroe returned to action Monday after missing Sunday’s win against the 76ers to rest. The rest must have done the trick. He had 15 of the team’s first 19 points, in the first nine minutes Monday. . . . The Bucks came into the game having beaten the Magic in two of their three previous meetings this season. . . . Both teams played Sunday night, but the Bucks had a tougher turnaround after needing overtime to win in Philadelphia. . . . . When Vucevic played Sunday, the Magic started five players from five different countries, a first in franchise history. The lineup included G Elfrid Payton (USA), G Mario Hezonja (Croatia), F Evan Fournier (France), F Ersan Ilyasova (Turkey) and Vucevic (Montenegro).