3. Orlando needs Evan Fournier to show up
Through the first two games of the series, Nikola Vucevic’s lack of production was a glaring issue for the Magic. He had tallied a total of 17 points and 14 rebounds on 6-of-21 shooting and the Raptors’ defense was bullying him with all-encompassing length and effective double-teams.
Orlando’s lone All-Star got back on track in Game 3, but outside of Ross and Isaac, the rest of the roster failed to contribute much on the offensive end. With Vooch getting back to proper form, the most noticeable offensive struggles belonged to Evan Fournier, who had avoided the spotlight to this point primarily because of all the attention on Vucevic.
Through three playoff games, Fournier is averaging just 11 points per game on 12-of-42 shooting (28.6 percent), including 5-of-20 shooting (25 percent) from downtown. His scoring dipped from 16 points in the Game 1 win, to 10 points in Game 2, to just seven in Game 3. He shot an atrocious 1-for-12 from the field on Friday, and though he made a key triple during Orlando’s fourth quarter rally, it was his only make on eight tries.
The Magic need Vucevic to consistently bring the production he rediscovered in Game 3, but they have little chance of making this series competitive if Fournier — the team’s third-leading scorer who averaged 15.1 points per game during the regular season — can’t find his groove.