Magic will host Maine in G League Eastern Conference finals Sunday
If you have an Ant, or even an Aunt problem, the Osceola Magic have a way to make them disappear. The Osceola Magic got rid of their own Ant problem on Thursday night at Silver Spurs Arena in an G League Eastern Conference Semifinal game to advance to Sunday’s Conference championship game against the Maine Celtics by stumping the Indiana Mad Ants, 129-114.
Sunday's game against the Celtics, who the Magic beat twice in Maine this season, tips off at 7 p.m.
The Ants cut it the Magic's 30-point halftime lead to 10 points with 5:58 left in the game. Mac McClung then hit clutch back-to-back 3-pointers to keep the Ants at bay.
"These fans have embraced us, but nobody here feels great just with what's happened so far," McClung said after the game. "You have to have the poise of knowing where the momentum's at right there. The guys put me in position to make those shots and they believe in me."
Indiana never got closer than 10 points the rest of the game. McClung ended with a game-high and playoff franchise-high 39 points along with six 3-pointers and six assists.
Ethan Thompson hit six 3-pointers for 29 points. Anytime the Mad Ants started to make even a small dent in the deficit, Thompson just hit another 3-pointer to get closer to exterminating the Ants.
"We were, as a group, prepared to play," Thompson said. "My focus was to play with a lot of energy, and I felt like I was in a zone, especially early on. "We have a lot of players who have been in a lot of big moments, so they know what to do when it's time to execute."
The Magic started the game by racing out to a 12-2 lead to force the Mad Ants to take an early timeout at the 9:27 mark. By the time Indiana had to call another timeout with 3:22 left in the first quarter they were down 16. Thompson scored 15 points on three 3-pointers in the first quarter alone with McClung adding 10 of his more to stake the Magic to a 47-26 lead.
The Magic kept up the pressure in the second quarter – not allowing the Mad Ants to score until the 8:54 mark with the score 54-28. Thompson even had a 4-point play after he was fouled hitting a 3-pointer that made the lead 72-46. The half ended with the Magic up, 80-50.
"We just made shots," McClung said.
"I thought we were just defending at a super-high level," Coach Dylan Murphy said. "Protecting the paint, affecting shots, rebound and run and play fast. We just hit a bunch of threes early, but we knew they're a talented team and we knew they were going to fight. I thought we did a really good job of making them super uncomfortable."
The Mad Ants cut the Magic lead to 19 points at the end of the third quarter as they tried to comeback.
"Then Ethan drove through two guys, kicked it out to Mac who hit a three, that was good to see," Murphy said. "I don't know what's left to say about Mac's play. He made all the right plays tonight."
The Magic were missing their starting center in Colin Castleton, who signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
