ORLANDO, Fla. -- So much has been made about the process in this first season of the Orlando Magic under Frank Vogel.There are just no shortcuts in the climb toward respectability for the Magic. And after slow starts in their first four games, Orlando put together its most complete game this season in a 102-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.Led by Evan Fourniers 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, the Magic were effective on offense and held DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in check during the second half to come up with their second straight win.It was better tonight obviously, Fournier said. We were pretty good defensively. The last four games we started the game super flat and had a 10-point deficit by the first quarter.The Magic never trailed Sacramento by more than eight points. Orlando brought the offensive pressure for a change by building its lead to 13 points with Aaron Gordon, Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green all hitting timely shots.There are no guarantees early in the season but these guys are working to gel to come together as a group on the court and to try to do what I am asking them to do, said Vogel, whose team improved to 2-3. That takes a little time, its a process.Late in the second quarter, Vogel turned to his bench of veterans that includes Green, D.J. Augustin, C.J. Watson and Bismack Biyombo to reclaim the lead for good. Bismack was a force with his interior defense, blocking two shots and changing several others, while Augustin and Green both came up with big baskets to give the team a spark.But as big as the baskets were, the Magics defense was even bigger in the second half. Cousins seemed unstoppable in the first half with Ibaka guarding him, but in the fourth quarter Vogel put Nikola Vucevic on Cousins to limit his effectiveness in the paint. Cousins finished with 33 points but only managed eight in the critical fourth quarter once Vucevic was switched on him.Gordon was also huge against the more physical Gay in the second half. Gay only had four points in the second half.This is one of the few complete performances that Ive seen being with the Orlando Magic so that is very inspiring and reassuring that this team can be great, said Gordon, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds.Sacramento coach Dave Joerger liked the fight in his team, but felt the continued issues with turnovers was the determining factor. The Kings (2-4) committed 14 turnovers after coming in averaging 15 per game.They just got too many second chances with our turnovers and too many second chances on the offensive glass, said Joerger, whose team lost its third straight to start a five-game trip. Thats the story of the game.TIP-INSKings: The Kings signed veteran free agent G Jordan Farmar to a contract on Tuesday in hopes of adding some flexibility to the backcourt. ...The NBA announced Wednesday that F Matt Barnes has been fined $15,000 for directing inappropriate language at game officials during the Kings 108-96 overtime loss at Miami on Tuesday.Magic: The Magic have made at least one 3-pointer in 743 consecutive games dating to March 17, 2007. Its the fifth-longest streak in the NBA.WORKING LATERealizing that he needed to work on his free throw shooting, Bismack said he came up to Amway Center by himself late Wednesday night to put up some extra shots.I always try to do that every other day, just listening to the sound of the ball and doing my game preparation, he said. I just love doing that. I enjoy the environment of the gym by myself and sometimes I talk to myself.UP NEXTKings: Sacramentos early five-game road swing continues Saturday night in Milwaukee.Magic: Orlando will play host to the struggling Washington Wizards on Saturday night. Kevin Garnett Jersey Large . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Custom Timberwolves Jersey China .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. http://www.customtimberwolvesjersey.com/ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Custom Timberwolves T-shirts . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Authentic Custom Timberwolves Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. BALTIMORE -- Mookie Betts is at his best when facing the Baltimore Orioles -- especially in cozy Camden Yards.Feasting again on Baltimore pitching, Betts homered twice and drove in five runs to carry the resurgent Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.Betts hit a three-run drive in the fifth inning and added a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh. Hes batting .426 with 12 homers and 18 RBI in 11 games against the Orioles this season.Exactly one-quarter of his 28 home runs this season have come in Baltimore, where the left-field foul line is a mere 333 feet from the plate. Yet the right-handed hitting Betts insists theres no plausible explanation for his success in this ballpark.Im going to continue to say I dont know why, he said. Im just trying to put good swings on it and enjoy it.Red Sox manager John Farrell certainly gets a kick out of watching it.He feels comfortable in this ballpark and obviously sees the ball well, Farrell said.Betts had three homers and eight RBI in a 16-2 win over Arizona on Sunday, so its not as if hes only picking on the Orioles.Im sure there are some numbers to dictate that its more us, manager Buck Showalter said, but hes been having that type of year against most everybody.The victory lifted Boston into a tie with Baltimore in the AL East, one game behind division-leading Toronto.We all are well aware of what is at stake, where we are in the standings and who is around us, Farrell said.The Red Sox were in first place on July 21, then lost 13 of 20 before their current streak of five wins in row.Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez had a no-hitter before leaving in the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness. The Red Sox hope they caught it early enough to keep the lefty in the rotation without missing a turn.Matt Barnes kept the Orioles hitless until Steve Pearce reached on a dribbler that got past the mound with one out in the seventh.Baltimore ended up batting around and tying the game at 3. After Matt Wieters hit a two-run single, Brad Ziegler (1-3) walked Adam Jones with the bases loaded before sstriking out Jonathan Schoop.ddddddddddddhe deadlock didnt last long. David Ortiz led off the eighth with a single against Brad Brach (7-2) and Betts lined an 0-1 pitch into the front row of seats beyond the left-field wall.Craig Kimbrel, the sixth Boston pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 21st save.Rodriguez and Yovani Gallardo were locked in a scoreless duel until the fifth. After Andrew Benintendi hit a leadoff double and Xander Bogaerts drew a one-out walk, Gallardo struck out Ortiz with a 2-2 fastball. Betts hit the next pitch over the left-field wall.PAPELBON RUMORFarrell confirmed that the team has had discussions with reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who was recently released by Washington. Papelbon pitched for Boston from 2005-11, primarily as a closer, but would not hold that same role if he returned, Farrell said.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: 3B Aaron Hill was scratched shortly before game time with right forearm tightness. ... RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) will come off the DL next Tuesday. ... There is no timetable for RHP Koji Uehara (right pectoral strain) to throw off a mound, but he is doing better than anticipated, Farrell said. ... OF/C Blake Swihart underwent successful surgery on his left ankle Monday and is expected to be ready for spring training in 2017.Orioles: Showalter expects reliever Darren ODay (rotator cuff strain) to spend the minimum time on the DL and return on Aug. 27. ... LHP T.J. McFarland (inflamed left knee) gave up four hits and three runs in 1/3 inning for Class A Frederick in his first rehab game.UP NEXTRed Sox: LHP David Price (10-8. 4.29 ERA) starts in the finale of the series Wednesday night. Price has gone at least eight innings in eight of his 25 starts.Orioles: After the game, Showalter announced that RHP Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93) would start Wednesday in place of RHP Chris Tillman, whos experiencing shoulder discomfort and was moved back to Saturday vs. Houston. ' ' '
