tobias harris

Josh Cohen

OrlandoMagic.com’s Josh Cohen ranks Tobias Harris' most effective scoring plays.

Cohen’s Analysis: Tobias Harris is an effective pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop player and when he partners with Elfrid Payton on a high screen, often the defense gets fooled. Both Isaiah Thomas and Brandon Bass think Harris is going to set a hard screen for Payton to penetrate, but instead Harris rolls to the open space and buries a wide-open jumper over the reach of Kelly Olynyk. WATCH:

ranking-tobias-harris-best-scoring-plays

Ranking Tobias Harris' Best Scoring Plays

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

ORLANDO – Not long after posting one of the best all-around stat lines of his career – 24 points, five steals, five rebounds, four assists and three 3-pointers – to boost his numbers to career-high levels in every category, Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris pointed to the only statistic that really mattered to him.

``Most importantly,’’ Harris said, referring to Monday’s defeat of Detroit, ``those numbers came in a victory.’’

A potent scorer during his first three seasons in the NBA, Harris was challenged this past offseason by the Magic front office and coaching staff to greatly expand his game and become a more all-around player. Orlando expected Harris – a dazzling athlete because of his rare blend of size and speed – to be as active defensively as he was on the offensive end. They wanted him to not only look for his own shots, but to also look for teammates with passes when the defense collapses. And, most importantly, they wanted Harris to use his legendary work ethic to not only make himself better, but also make the Magic better as a whole.

Harris, who is still only 22 years old, responded to the challenge by changing his body and changing his game for the betterment of the Magic (5-8). The versatile forward heads into Friday’s game against the Hornets (4-8) in Charlotte averaging career-bests in points (18.9 ppg.), rebounds (7.8 rpg.), assists (1.8) and steals (1.25). Also, Harris’ work to expand his shooting range has been shown in him hitting 43.8 percent from 3-point range – something that is significant considering that he has never made more than 33.3 percent of his 3-point shots in a season.

``I’ve taken the next step in my game and the next level now is continuing to trust my teammates and trust that this whole thing is going to work out for us as a team as long as we play the right way,’’ Harris said. ``I’ve told all of the guys on the team, `You look better individually when we win as a team.’ So it really is all about winning.’’

Skeptics could potentially point to Harris being in a contract year as to the reason in his increased production, and they would mostly be wrong when it comes to the player who has been known for years as ``All Business’’ because of his serious, no-nonsense approach. When Harris and the Magic didn’t reach a contract extension prior to the Oct. 31 deadline, it meant that the fourth-year pro would be a restricted free agent on July 1. The Magic retain the right to match any contractual offer sheet that Harris might receive from another team in July.

All of the contractual stuff, Harris stressed, is well into the future and he said that his focus is locked in on helping the Magic make significant strides. Orlando has done just that so far, wiping out a 0-4 start with a recent stretch of three wins in four games prior to Wednesday’s ugly home loss to the loaded Los Angeles Clippers. Harris said his strong religious beliefs, his desires to win and the advice from first cousin and teammate Channing Frye help to keep his focus on the right things.

``I just use my faith to block out that (need to prove himself). God has a plan for me and I know that it’s all going to work out,’’ said Harris, who can usually be found before games laying on the locker room floor reading spiritual or motivational books. ``I come in here each and every day and my goal is to win. I know that if we win and we play the right way, all the other stuff will work itself out.’’

Frye, the older cousin of nine years, has tried to give Harris advice on a variety of topics since signing a four-year contract with the Magic as a free agent back in July. Frye said that while his role is fairly simplistic as a shooter and floor-spacer for the Magic, Harris’ is asked to be more of a driver, shooter and a playmaker who makes others better. A point that he’s tried to make to Harris is, ``Tobias is great at a lot of things, but I tell him to excel at one thing and let that dictate how you do everything else.’’

As for trying to relieve the pressure on a younger cousin who tends to press at times, Frye said: ``I just constantly tell him, `You be you and don’t worry about what happens. Carve out your niche for who you want to be as a player and don’t just be a contract-year guy; be an all-the-time guy and he’s doing that. Winners get paid – I said that since I first got here – and you want to be a winner.’’

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said that it speaks to Harris’ maturity and seriousness as a basketball player that he accepted the challenges from last summer and he has expanded his game in almost every area.

``He’s trying to just be a better player overall,’’ said Vaughn, who drew up Harris’ game-winning, buzzer-beating basket in Philadelphia two weeks ago because of his confidence in the versatile forward. ``A lot of times when we talk about a player trying to get better everybody (looks) at the offensive end of the floor. I think defensively he’s taken some strides in the different matchups that he’s had throughout the course of the season so far. He’s taking pride in both ends of the floor. I’ve been pleased to see that from him.’’

Undoubtedly, Harris’s best quality as a player is his ability to score points in bunches – as he did on Wednesday night when he poured in 25 points in just three quarters of work. And because he has the power to post up, the quickness to drive by foes and the improved stroke to hit jumpers, Harris sometimes looks to take over games himself when he’s feeling it offensively.

But Harris said that he’s gone out of his way this season to become more of a willing passer and to be known as a player who can make others around him better. Accordingly, he’s had six games with multiple assists and games with five, four and three (twice) assists this season.

All of it, Harris stressed, is being done in the name of making the Magic into winners.

``One of the main focuses for me was making sure that we all play the right type of basketball and that’s team basketball,’’ he said. ``I’ve taken it upon myself to be the guy who takes that first step for everybody else. Especially in that first quarter, I want to make that extra pass, be patient and trust everyone. The coaches have told me over and over to keep trusting the system. I’ve been doing that, it’s helping my teammates and it’s had a ripple effect on everybody.

``The reason I’m focused and so locked in is because I want our group here to win,’’ Harris continued. ``Our coaches have put in a tremendous amount of time with us and they have given us the right plan and structure to help us win games. And for us as a team, it’s on us to go out there and execute and win games. The games where we’ve been locked in offensively and defensively, that’s when we have won. So we just have to be consistent with it and win games.’’

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Harris Showcasing His All-Around Growth

NEW YORK – Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris spent much of this past summer in his native New York, playing pick-up games at the famed Rucker Park and even scrimmaging several times against superstar forward Carmelo Anthony.

But that doesn’t mean that Harris has given much thought to his NBA future being in New York or potentially playing for the Knicks and alongside of Anthony.

A New York Post report on Wednesday claimed that Harris might have interest in playing for the Knicks this summer when he becomes a restricted free agent. Harris and the Magic failed to reach a contract extension prior to the Oct. 31 deadline, meaning the high-scoring forward will become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Magic will have the right to match any offer sheet that Harris receives from another team.

Harris, who came into Wednesday’s game against the Knicks second on the Magic in scoring at 17.5 points per game, said his only focus right now is trying to help Orlando win as many games as possible.

``My thoughts are just that I’m all about being for my team right now. I’m all about where I’m at right now and that’s with the Orlando Magic,’’ Harris stressed. ``I’m not worried about (free agency) at all. I just want to help my team be the best that we can be. Each and every day I pride myself on helping my teammates helping us get better as a team and winning games. That’s my focus.’’

Harris, who is in his third season with the Magic after coming to Orlando via a trade in February of 2013, said he isn’t allowing his focus to stray to when he can become a free agent in July. He said that while he was disappointed that he didn’t secure a four-year contract extension last month, he had no hard feelings toward the Magic and his first option is to remain in Orlando.

``It’s not personal; it’s just business. That’s the way you’ve got to look at it,’’ Harris said. ``We’re past that point (for a contract extension). There’s no hard feelings at all and it’s just business. As a basketball player this is my job, this is what I come out to do and this is what I love to do. It’s all about how I approach the game and help my team now.

``I just go out there and play basketball. I’ll let everything else handle itself,’’ added Harris, who said there was no added pressure on him to post big statistics in hopes of earning a contract extension. ``Like I said, I’m about helping my team win and being in the present moment right now – and that’s playing against the Knicks (Wednesday) night.’’

FINDING FRYE: The Magic and head coach Jacque Vaughn are well aware that for their offense to function at its highest this season that sweet-shooting power forward Channing Frye must be an integral piece.

After all, Orlando awarded Frye with a lucrative four-year free-agent contract in the offseason in hopes that he could have a dramatic effect on the offense – both as a deadly outside shooter and a floor-spacer for others in the offense.

Orlando spent much of Monday’s practice and Tuesday morning’s shoot-around session working to try and incorporate the 6-foot-11 power forward more into the flow of the offense.

The Magic then went out on Tuesday night in Toronto and repeatedly fed the ball to Frye, who connected on his first four shots and had three 3-pointers in the first 24 minutes. It was no coincidence that some of Orlando’s best basketball of the season came as Frye was scoring 16 first-half points. However, he had just three points in the second half – a key factor in Orlando blowing an 11-point lead and losing 84-80 to the Raptors.

Still, Vaughn was delighted with how his team heeded his direction to find Frye more in the offense. Frye, who signed with the Magic in July, missed some valuable time of getting to know his new teammates when he sprained his left knee early in training camp and missed four weeks. Slowly but surely, the Magic have better figured out how to work Frye into the offense.

``I just think his comfort level of playing with guys is getting better and there weren’t balls going behind him and over his head (on passes) from guys,’’ Vaughn said. ``Passes were going into his hands and into his shooting slot. That will continue to grow and get better as well.’’

Frye, who is in his ninth NBA season, said that he’s feeling much more comfortable with his new teammates and he’s finding spots in the Magic offense where he can get open shots. Frye came into Wednesday’s game in New York averaging 10.4 points a game while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 44.1 percent from 3-point range.

Magic point guards Elfrid Payton (six times) and Luke Ridnour (four times) have found Frye for 10 of his 28 field goals this season. Frye’s chemistry has also grown with Nikola Vucevic (four assists to Frye) and Evan Fournier (three assists to Frye).

Following his hot start on Tuesday, Frye caught the attention of Toronto’s defense and he had a difficult time getting clean looks at the basket. He knows that in time he will find new ways in the Magic offense to play off his teammates and get himself open.

``(The Raptors) were basically like, `(Forget) this, we’re not going to let you touch the ball,’’ Frye said. ``Teams are going to start doing that. But we just have to figure out what plays are going to work for us. … We have to go to those plays. We have to rid the hot guy. We’re still learning, but that’s something that the next-level teams do.’’

ETC: The Magic are in arguably the toughest stretch of their schedule this season. In addition to being in the midst of a stretch of games where they are playing 15 of 20 games on the road, Orlando is also playing four games in five nights. The Magic lost in Toronto on Tuesday, they played in New York on Wednesday, they are off on Thursday and then they play Milwaukee in Orlando on Friday and travel to Washington to face the Wizards on Saturday. … Just last week, Harris drilled the game-winning shot in Philadelphia at the buzzer for Orlando’s first victory. On Tuesday, he had to deal with the sting of missing a 10-foot shot with 1.9 seconds remaining that could have tied the game. Said Harris: ``For me, you have to have the confidence to take the shot and live with the consequences of it. But the good thing is we have another game (Wednesday) and you have to have a short-term memory. … I watched the shot a couple of times just to see the play and I got a good look off. They played some good defense and it just didn’t fall.’’ … Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton made sure to get in a lengthy pre-game shooting session Tuesday night so that he wouldn’t be in awe of playing his first game in Madison Square Garden when the game started. Said Payton: ``I went out there early to get a good look at it. It was cool driving in and seeing the MSG sign and all of the pictures of the old concerts in the hallways.’’ … Frye, who was born in White Plains, N.Y., was the No. 8 pick of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Knicks, but he lasted just two seasons in New York as the franchise struggled to win under former coach Isiah Thomas. Said Frye: ``We didn’t win. It was a rough time here because the team was in a transition. Me personally, I wanted us to win but I didn’t know what it took because it was so early in my career.’’

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Harris: "All About Being For My Team Right Now"

NEW YORK – In a script that seemed to be straight out a syrupy-sweet Hollywood sports movie, the older cousin – the one who actually paved the way to the NBA years earlier – set a screen for the younger cousin, one that freed him up to drill the game-winning shot an instant before the final horn.

And just to complete the family feel from Wednesday, the father to the younger player – who is subsequently also the uncle to the older cousin – was sitting nearby and watched the entire sequence unfold. Still somewhat bleary-eyed from a trip the night before, the third family member couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed from his flesh (his son) and blood (his nephew).

``It was kind of interesting because Tobias had called me earlier in the day and said, `Oh, you don’t need to come to the game.’ I told him, `Nope, I’m coming to this game because I feel like something special is going to happen,’’’ said Torrel Harris, father to Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris and the uncle of first-year Magic forward Channing Frye.

`Tobias knew that I was tired from my trip and said that I didn’t have to come to the game, but I told him, `No way, I really feel like something special is going to happen.’ After Tobias hit that shot, I said, `Bingo, there it is.’’’

Sports moments don’t get much more special than the one that the Harris and Frye families got to experience on Wednesday in Orlando’s 91-89 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers. As Harris, 22, ran down the lane and broke hard to his right, Frye, 31, set the key screen that created space and made the shot possible. From there, Harris did the rest by spinning, fading and sinking the 21-foot shot that caused his teammates to streak onto the floor in celebration.

At the time of his clutch basket, Harris was overcome with the joy of helping to lift his Magic to their first victory of the season. But as he watched the shot over and over again – both on ESPN’s SportsCenter and on his laptop via a DVD – Harris was struck by the magnitude of the moment. Two family members, playing on the same team for the first time in their lives, worked well together to produce magic for Orlando.

``It was surreal,’’ Harris admitted on Saturday. ``When I look at it in hindsight, I realize now that it was pretty special the way it all unfolded. I’m sure that I’ll look back at it at the end of my career too and realize how special of a moment that was.’’

Harris and Frye will be in New York on Sunday when the Magic (2-4) face the Brooklyn Nets (3-2) at 3:30 p.m. Barclays Center is not far from where their mothers – Lisa (Tobias) and Karen (Channing) – grew up in Brooklyn as two of eight children with a one-year age gap and being ``thick as thieves,’’ Lisa said. The two starters for the Magic will also be near their former homes – Frye was born in White Plains, N.Y. before moving to Arizona, while Harris was born in Islip and went to high school in Dix Hills, N.Y.

The family is expecting more than 100 friends and family members at the game, including the possibility to seeing 90-year-old grandfather Lt. Col. John Mulzac, who was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen in 1942 during World War II. Those in attendance will get to see Harris and Frye not only play in the same NBA game, but don the same Magic jersey and once again work together for a common purpose. The moment, Lisa said, is almost too good to be true.

``It’s really special for our family,’’ said Lisa, who admitted that she got ``really loud’’ on Wednesday night when watching her son drill the game-winning shot from her home in New York. ``Just having one relative in the NBA is big, but to have two getting there and now they’re on the same team, you couldn’t have planned this. We never thought this was possible and it was never planned, so that just makes it even more special.’’

The union of the two first cousins was made possible when the Magic heavily pursued Frye in free agency last summer. Harris, who came to the Magic in a trade in February of 2013, also put in a call to Frye to see if he would be interested in joining the rebuilding Magic. Harris and Magic GM Rob Hennigan and head coach Jacque Vaughn all saw the same thing – Harris’ abilities as a leader and shooting the 3-pointer as a power forward would greatly benefit the Magic.

Through six games, Harris is the Magic’s leading scorer at 17.7 points per game, while Frye – who missed four weeks of training camp and the opener because of a knee sprain – is getting more comfortable around his new teammates and is averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds while having made seven 3-pointers.

``We’re both players and both scores, so we know how to play off one another,’’ Harris said. ``He’s family, so it’s been good having him around. He’s a bright spot for our team and he keeps everybody upbeat and focused. It’s definitely exciting any time that we’re out there on the floor together. Obviously we have good chemistry. He makes the game easier for a lot of people, including myself.’’

After signing a four-year contract with the Magic in July, Frye was blown away at how hard Harris worked throughout the summer to get himself ready for this season. Whereas Frye can be sarcastic and funny quite often, Harris is nicknamed ``All Business’’ because of his no-nonsense and serious approach to basketball. And when Harris hit the game-winner on Wednesday, Frye was quick to point out that his first cousin earned the opportunity because he had put in so much work over the summer to prepare for the situation.

``(Playing on the same team) definitely is a dream come true for our family,’’ Frye said. ``Any time that you have two people from the same family on the court at the same time, it’s special. I’ve been able to see Tobias grow through the years and with me being here now I just want to help him grow more. We’ll always be family first, but out here it all about winning games. That comes first when we’re on the court.’’

Frye moved from New York to the Phoenix area as a child and he became a college star at the University of Arizona from 2001-05. And when Frye was drafted No. 8 in the 2005 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, it gave Harris and younger brothers Tyler and Terry a chance to go watch their much-older cousin play at Madison Square Garden.

Frye didn’t know it at the time, but he was blazing a trail for Harris to the NBA. Harris starred at the University of Tennessee for one season before being the 19th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Tyler (20 years old) plays at Providence and Terry (18 years old) plays at Houston Baptist and they too hope to follow in Channing and Tobias’ footsteps to the NBA.

``When Channing was in the NBA, Tobias and Tyler were in middle and elementary school and they could see how this dream could be a reality for them as well,’’ Lisa Harris said. ``I’m sure they looked at Channing and imagined their day coming if they worked hard enough.’’

Said Tobias: ``I followed Channing pretty much his whole career at Arizona and then him being drafted to the Knicks. He showed me the way and it was pretty exciting to have somebody from our family make it to the NBA. It pushed me to try and make it, too.’’

Because of their age difference and their upbringings in different time zones, Frye and Harris aren’t as close as some first cousins. But playing on the same NBA team has allowed them to occasionally hang out at each other’s houses during their downtime and to see each other on a daily basis in the Magic locker room. And they know that they have to be related considering the way that neither will shy away from a lively debate.

``We’ve been hanging out a lot. We’re around each other so much, that when the guys on the team hear us arguing about something or debating things, people tell us that we argue like cousins,’’ Harris said with a laugh. ``Channing’s always taking the opposite side of things, but he’s a fun guy to be around.’’

Not long after setting the screen for his younger cousin’s game-winning shot on Wednesday in Philly, Frye offered up a witty assessment of what had just transpired. As much as he and Harris stressed that their focus was on the Magic’s first victory, they did take great delight in the family feel that they provided.

``It showed that we’re being successful and we’re playing the game the right way,’’ Frye said of him and Harris teaming up on the winner. ``The thing is that for Tobias, he’s made shots at the end of his career. That might run in the family – just kidding.’’

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Cousins Harris and Frye Making New York Family Proud

Dan Savage

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic and Harris Corporation have teamed up for the 11th consecutive season to honor military men, women and their families with Seats for Soldiers Night on Friday, November 7 when the Magic take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, tip-off set for 7 p.m.

The event provides game tickets for more than 2,000 active and retired military personnel and their families courtesy of the Magic, Harris Corporation and season ticket holders who donated their seats for the occasion. Seats for Soldiers participating military outfits include Patrick Air Force Base, The Wounded Warrior Project, Orlando Marine affiliate, Orlando Army affiliate, MacDill Air Force Base, U.S. Army PEO STRI and Greater Jacksonville Area USO.

Harris is also providing courtside seats to US Army Sgt. Bacary Sambou and his family to acknowledge his sacrifices. Sgt. Sambou was wounded in action in March 2012 and will be honored in a special halftime presentation during the game.

Sgt. Sambou, joined the Army in October 1997, and is an active duty Army member who was wounded in action by an improvised explosive device while delivering supplies to a sister unit in Afghanistan.  During the explosion, Sgt. Sambou suffered a spinal cord injury, two broken ribs, a broken foot, and mild traumatic brain injury.  For his courageous efforts while on tour, Sgt. Sambou received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, three Army Commendation Medals, Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

"It is truly the Orlando Magic’s honor to recognize the brave men and women who dedicate their lives in service of our great country,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins.  "Together with Harris Corporation, we recognize the sacrifices made by not only the men and women in uniform but their families as well. They are all heroes.”

In addition, in honor of the annual Seats for Soldiers Night, the Magic will host a military-themed Fan Fest presented by FanDuel including military Humvees, a rock wall, and military simulators. Other highlights include volunteer uniformed officers distributing game programs to fans entering the Disney Atrium, the national anthem performed by a military member, a military-themed performance by the Magic Dancers.  The Magic, Harris and Levy Restaurants will host a postgame reception for more than 100 preselected active and retired military personnel and their families, with food and beverage courtesy of Levy Restaurants and an opportunity to meet Magic players.

The night will also feature recognition of a Hometown Hero presented by Harris Corporation, Staff Sergeant Steven Perez. Hometown Hero is an ongoing in-game recognition honoring first responders in the Central Florida community including emergency medical, fire, police and military.

“Harris is proud to be able to acknowledge our military and hometown heroes with this great event at a great venue,” Harris Chairman, President and CEO Bill Brown said. “With Veteran’s Day approaching, we want to thank Sgt. Sambou and every other man and woman in uniform and their families for all they have done for our nation.”

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and about 14,000 employees—including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at Harris.com.

Levy Restaurants, founded in Chicago in 1978, is recognized as one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies, and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining. Levy was named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in the world by Fast Company magazine. The company’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants such as James Beard Award-winning Spiaggia in Chicago, Fulton’s Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café at Walt Disney World Resort, renowned sports and entertainment venues like Wrigley Field in Chicago, Churchill Downs in Louisville, STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, and events including the Super Bowl, World Series, U. S. Open, Kentucky Derby, NHL, MLB and NBA All-Star Games and the GRAMMY® Awards. For details, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 24 years more than $18.8 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations through the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2014-15 season in the Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.

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Magic to Host Seats for Soldiers Night  Presented by Harris Corporation

ORLANDO – The nearly simultaneous occurrence of Tobias Harris’ jumper ripping through the nets and the blaring of the final horn signified the Orlando Magic’s pulsating first victory on Wednesday night.

Harris, who was as clutch and confident as ever in drilling the fade-away shot from the wing, will officially get credit for the game-winner, but actually that designation could have been a shared one because of all the Magic’s selfless plays down the stretch.

Orlando’s 91-89 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers – its first win in five tries this season – came about because of a variety of decisive factors. To wit:

Point guard Elfrid Payton saw his NBA record-tying streak of four games with seven-plus assists to start a career come to an end, but it mattered very little to the gritty rookie. Quite frankly, Harris’ shot never happens without the FIVE huge plays made by Payton down the stretch. He had a difficult put-back layup with 1:16 to play to tie the game at 87-all; his drive-and-dish play set up Harris for a go-ahead layup with 51 seconds left; his ball pressure caused Philadelphia’s Tony Wroten to accidentally step backcourt for a turnover and seconds later Payton dived on the floor for a steal away from Henry Sims; and Payton initiated the final, game-winning sequence by patiently waiting for Evan Fournier to come off a screen and in-bounding the ball to the guard so that he could hit a curling Harris.

``The offense is not going to be there every night, so you’ve just got to find another way to impact the game,’’ said Payton, who had eight points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and a blocked shot. ``This one was about hustle plays. You’ve just got to find a way to help.’’

Magic center Nikola Vucevic and power forward Channing Frye set two important screens on the final play – Vucevic’s designed to free up Fournier and Frye’s used to give Harris room to heave the game-winner from the right wing. Vucevic’s screen was so good that Fournier was wide open and he briefly thought about driving down and open lane, but he stuck with the play drawn up by head coach Jacque Vaughn. And with Frye’s screen, it was a matter of the much older cousin delivering a selfless act to free up the kid cousin for the game-winner.

Said Frye of Harris, whose mother is sisters with Channing’s mom: ``You’ve got to feel like you’ve earned it and not be afraid to miss it. He’s made big shots at the end of games. It might run in the family – just kidding, but Tobias deserves this because he’s busted his butt all summer doing the right things. It’s huge for us as a family and it shows that we’re trying to play the game the right way. I’m glad (Harris’) dad – my uncle – was here to watch him do that, and that made it really special.’’

Harris had been through a wide array of emotions of late what with him not agreeing to a contract extension with the Magic before the Oct. 31 deadline, struggling through two games and four losses and winning Wednesday’s game with the second buzzer-beater of his career. Vaughn said it was never a consideration to go elsewhere with the final shot because Harris has the kind of swagger that it takes to pull off a game-winning shot. Harris had to slightly fade away on the final try and he said he knew it was good from the time that the ball left his finger tips.

``I dream about those moments, making those big shots for my team,’’ Harris said candidly after pumping in 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds. ``I know for us it’s been a little hard losing these games and I’ve been just praying and trying to find ways to lead our team. It’s just good to get the victory. And I think it’s important for our fans to feel this victory with us.’’

The hope now for the Magic (1-4) is that they can ride the emotional momentum from Wednesday’s thrilling victory and put together a streak that centers around winning instead of losing. Orlando hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Amway Center. The T—Wolves also won in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, scoring the final nine points of the game to defeat Brooklyn 98-91.

Several of the Magic players are eager to see how finally winning a game and playing without the added pressure of a 0-4 start will affect the squad.

``With the first win of the season, that’s special and now I feel like now we might be more relaxed,’’ said Fournier, who had 10 points and three assists on Wednesday. ``Now maybe we won’t have the pressure. We’re just happy and hopefully we can get a winning streak. Who knows what we can do now?’’

Vaughn, too, is a believer in what one victory could possibly mean to the Magic. Orlando squandered an early lead on Wednesday because of a turnover total that eventually climbed all the way up to 24. And Orlando also lost a four-point lead late in the fourth period when it inexplicably didn’t score a point for more than five minutes.

The pressure to shed its winless label now gone, Vaughn hopes his Magic can play freer and with more precision starting on Friday night.

``This hopefully gives our guys a chance to relax,’’ Vaughn said. ``You can sense (the added pressure) at different points in the game where they wanted to win and they wanted it to happen right now. But hopefully we can relax after getting that one win now.’’

The 20-year-old Payton, who seems well beyond his years with his even-keeled demeanor and grown-up game, said he didn’t want to leave Philadelphia on Wednesday without a win. That’s why he refused to quit in the fourth quarter and continuing pressuring the ball, diving on the floor and rebounding among the giants. He truly thinks the Magic could be on the verge of taking flight now that they have a victory under their belts.

``This is a big, big load off our backs, but we can’t be satisfied,’’ Payton said firmly. ``We have to just keep pushing and keep going from this big victory.’’

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Selfless Play Catapulted Magic to Victory Over Sixers

PHILADELPHIA – The final play of the night – the one that finally got the desperate and determined Orlando Magic the victory that they have long sought – was the epitome of the selfless basketball they played with all night long.

Seven-foot center Nikola Vucevic set the screen to free up Evan Fournier, who took the pass from gritty point guard Elfrid Payton. Fournier ignored the shaking in his legs and the wide-open lane in front of him and stuck with the play drawn up in the huddle by head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Then, Channing Frye drilled a defender with a screen to free up Tobias Harris, Frye’s first cousin none the less. And Harris, Orlando’s all-business leader and its hardest worker, confidently stroked the 21-foot shot just before the final horn that gave his teammates some much needed joy.

The final, frantic sequence, capped by Harris’ fade-away jump shot from the right wing, helped Orlando defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 91-89 and win for the first time this season in five tries.

``I told our group that everyone did their job,’’ Vaughn said. ``I talked about that before the game and (Tuesday) after that game. Everyone did their job. … Nik got Evan open, Elfrid was patient out of bounds, a great setup by Tobias and a great screen by Channing. Just a great team win.’’

Harris, who had his father Torrel in the crowd, made his first game-winner since his dramatic buzzer-beating dunk to defeat Oklahoma City last spring. He finished with 18 points – none of them bigger than the final two that caused his teammates to streak from the bench and mob him in a victorious locker room that throbbed with raw emotion.

``I dream about those moments, making a big shot for my team,’’ Harris said candidly after pumping in 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds. ``I know for us it’s been a little hard losing these guys and I’ve been just praying and trying to find ways to lead our team. It’s just good to get the victory. And I think it’s important for our fans to feel this victory with us.’’

Orlando had possession with 4.6 seconds to play after Philadelphia center Henry Sims knotted the game at 89-all with his only basket of the night. Vaughn drew up a play for Harris, who curled around a screen to the right side of the floor. Harris took the pass from Fournier and calmly hit a 21-footer even as he had to fade away slightly to avoid defensive ace Luc Mbah a Moute – a former teammate of his in Milwaukee. Referees reviewed the play, but it showed Harris connecting on the biggest shot of his three-year Magic career.

``Everybody needs wins because nobody wants to go 0-5 or 0-6 or 0-7 or go winless, so for us we continued to get better and we finally got into the `W’ column,’’ Frye said. ``So hopefully we can build on this and continue to grow. Even though we’re still making some mistakes, I feel like we’re learning how to win and win together.’’

Harris had the game-winning shot, but Orlando (1-4) likely wouldn’t have been in position to grab the victory without the numerous contributions of Payton – who, ironically enough, Orlando acquired in a draft-night trade with the Sixers back in June.

After the Magic had blown a four-point lead and their offense was reeling midway through the fourth quarter, Payton followed up a Harris miss with a layup that tied the game at 87-all with 1:16 to play. Then, seconds later, Payton drove hard into the lane and found a cutting Harris for the go-ahead basket with 51 seconds to play.

Finally, Payton dived on the floor with 32 seconds to play to knock the ball away from Philadelphia center Henry Sims to secure possession of the ball for Orlando. The Magic (1-4) then survived a frantic final 11 seconds to secure their first victory of the season.

``I was just trying to fight, keep fighting and fight to the end,’’ said Payton, who finished with eight points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and a blocked shot. ``One play I was able to get into the lane and (Harris) was able to finish. I played a little defense and got the backcourt. They got a rebound and I was able to get in there and make a play. I just kept fighting but we had to get this `W’ tonight.’’

Payton came into Wednesday having equaled some NBA history when he had at least seven assists in the first four games of his career. Only Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (1960) and Washington star John Wall (2010) have ever done that to begin their careers. Payton saw his assist streak end, but it didn’t matter after Orlando notched a much-needed victory.

Said Frye of Payton’s relentless hustle: ``He turned into a pit bull and he attacked that bone. That’s pretty much it. That’s what he does and that’s what we needed him to do. It’s been a tough go for him in the matchups, but he’s stepped up to the challenge and he’s giving us a chance to win almost every night.’’

Orlando opened the season by dropping games to four likely playoff-bound teams – New Orleans, Washington, Toronto and Chicago – before finding a way to gut out Wednesday’s win. The 0-4 start was a first for the Magic since 1990, but they hung tough down the stretch on Wednesday despite playing their second game in as many nights.

Vucevic, another player that Orlando acquired from Philadelphia two seasons ago, started strong and scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. His five double-doubles – one in every game this season – are the most in the NBA.

Philadelphia fell to 0-5, joining the Lakers as the only 0-5 teams in the NBA. Point guard Tony Wroten scored 27 points, while Brandon Davies chipped in 20 points. Nerlens Noel (four points and three assists) left the game in the second half with a sprained ankle.

The Magic came into the game having lost 12 in a row and 28 of their last 29 road games, two streaks that date back to last season. The one victory, fittingly enough for Wednesday’s background, was in Philadelphia last Feb. 26 to a 76ers team that ended up with the NBA’s second-worst record.

Orlando was playing a second game in as many nights in their first back-to-back of the season. The Magic fell 98-90 on Tuesday in Chicago in a game in which their starters played big minutes and were in the game until the final horn. They would not be denied their first victory on Wednesday night.

A day after playing their first of 17 back-to-back sets of games for the season, the Magic will be off on Thursday. They will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Amway Center.

The Magic are still without standout guard Victor Oladipo, who has yet to play this season because of a knee injury and a facial fracture below his right eye. Oladipo will rejoin his teammates on Friday at the Amway Center, but he still isn’t allowed to fly because of the lingering swelling in his face following surgery.

The Magic also didn’t have power forward Kyle O’Quinn for a fourth consecutive game because of a sprained ankle. O’Quinn, who rolled his ankle in the opening loss in New Orleans, got in an on-court workout before the game and has hopes of playing on Friday.

Orlando shot the ball exceptionally well early in the game and had a huge advantage on the inside with Vucevic, yet it was only tied at 52 with the Sixers because of an old problem. The Magic turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter and 14 times in the first 18 minutes of the game to negate much of their offensive efficiency. Orlando finished with 24 turnovers, mistakes that led to 20 points for the Sixers.

At one point of the first half, Orlando had made 17 of 31 shots (54.8 percent), but it mattered very little because of the crippling 14 turnovers early in the game.
  But all that mattered at the end of the night was Orlando’s pinpoint execution of the final play and Harris’ confident shot from 21 feet out. The victory allowed the Magic to finally celebrate and to breathe a sigh of relief.

``Yeah, they mobbed me a little bit, but everybody is just so excited,’’ Harris said of the locker room celebration. ``Whether we won this off a game-winner or in overtime, we would have been extremely to get this first win tonight.’’

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Harris Hits Game-Winner at Buzzer in Magic's Thrilling Win

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic and Tobias Harris did not reach a contract extension by Friday’s 11:59 p.m. deadline on Friday night, meaning the high-scoring forward will play out this season and become a restricted free agent on July 1.

Harris stressed that while he hoped his long-term future in Orlando would be locked up prior to this season, he won’t allow the lack of a contract extension to distract his focus of making the Magic a winner.

``I’ve said from the day that I’ve gotten here that I would love to stay here. This is home to me, a team that I love being a part of, I love the coaches and the organization,’’ Harris said. ``If we don’t get a deal done until the end of the season, it doesn’t change anything about the way that I feel. I’m all about my team and I’m all about going out there and trying to win games. That’s my focus.’’

Harris had 25 points and eight rebounds in Orlando’s opening loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, but he struggled mightily on Thursday – the day before the deadline to reach a contract extension. He missed his first four shots, made only four of 12 in the game and scored 14 points in another loss.

Orlando acquired Harris in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in February of 2013 and he averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in his first 27 games with the Magic. Harris was bothered by ankle troubles most of last season and saw his scoring average dip to 14.6 points in 61 games.

Harris worked hard on his body and his game in the offseason and reported to training camp in tremendous shape. He led the Magic in scoring in the preseason and hoped that he and the organization could hammer out a contract extension similar to the four-year deal that center Nikola Vucevic reached.

Harris said his motivation for the season will be to win games and not play for a bigger contract in the offseason. Because he will be a restricted free agent, the Magic will have the right to match any offer sheet that Harris reaches from another team.

``I think as a player, I have to continue to prove myself and I love the motivation because I love competing. I’ll do anything that I can for my team,’’ Harris said. ``What gives me motivation is winning games. Going up against the best players in the NBA and trying to do the best that I can, that motivates me. It’s a daily task to wake up in the morning and do everything that you can to be the best that you can be. I’ll be mentally focused every game on wanting to win.’’

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: Orlando’s Evan Fournier and Vucevic took some added extra motivation into Saturday night’s game against Toronto in that they wanted to get the upper hand on Raptors’ center Jonas Valanciunas, someone that both of them have competed against for years.

Fournier, a native of France, has played against Valanciunas, a Lithuanian, since he was 14 years old in international competitions. Vucevic, who was born in Switzerland but considers Montenegro home, played against Valanciunas briefly three years ago in some Euro League play and he’s always closely monitored the play of the Raptors’ big man.

``I played against him a lot of the time in Europe. We used to play every summer with Lithuania against France and they beat us a lot of times,’’ Fournier said. ``But we won the bronze medal against Lithuania this summer (in FIBA World Cup play), so it was great to beat him finally.’’

During the 2012 NBA Lockout, Vucevic chose to play Euro League ball to stay in shape and make some money as he was a rookie who had just been drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers months earlier. He played against Valanciunas then and he’s tracked the 7-footer’s career throughout his time in the NBA.

``I follow most of European players around the league and how they do. I kind of know them by playing them here and then I connect with them because of our time in Europe,’’ Vucevic said. ``I follow how they do and I always look to see how (Valanciunas) does in games.’’

Fournier, one of 10 players in the NBA with French ties, said the international appeal of basketball can be seen on just about every team in the NBA now. He grew up hoping to someday play in the NBA and he said he owes so much to some of the international players who blazed the path ahead of him.

``The NBA is more open now thanks to guys like (Dirk) Nowitzki and Tony Parker. I feel like they showed us the way and opened a lot of things for us,’’ Fournier said. ``Now, it’s our job to do it for the young guys. I always wanted to be here in the NBA. Some kids want to play on the greatest club team in Europe. But the NBA is the best league in the world, so this is special for me.’’

ETC: NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson attended Saturday night’s game as a spokesman for Florida Hospital’s sponsorship of Prostate Cancer Awareness Night. Thousands of Magic fans were given blue paper mustaches to wear in hopes of raising awareness for the disease. Robertson, 77, battled his way through prostate cancer years ago and has pushed for men to get regular checkups and screening. According to the American Cancer Society, one in seven men will be diagnosed with center in their lifetime. Said Robertson: ``My prostate cancer was detected after a routine annual screening by my physician. I was not in pain and did not feel ill. I would not have known about the cancer had I not done the screening and followed up with my physician about my test results.’’ … Raptors coach Dwane Casey asked Robertson to address his team on Saturday to talk about his experiences as one of the game’s all-time greats and a trailblazer for younger players today. Said Casey: ``I was nervous introducing (Oscar), just giving him his props over the years, what he has accomplished, not only as a player but as a man. Donating his kidneys to his daughter, fighting prostate cancer and being a spokesman for prostate cancer, just all those things he's accomplished as a person and what he has meant to the NBA. It was great for our players, an education for them. A lot of them that haven’t seen him play, a lot of their parents haven’t seen him play, but he’s the reason, like it or not, that some of them are in the position they are today.’’ … Magic power forward Kyle O’Quinn missed his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle. O’Quinn suffered the injury in Tuesday’s opener and hasn’t practiced or played since. The hope is he can get in some individual work on Sunday, practice on Monday and play Tuesday when the Magic are in Chicago.

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Harris Will Be Restricted Free Agent Next Summer

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Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.