Blue Edges Magic to Improve to 5-1

ORLANDO, Feb. 19, 2021 – The Oklahoma City Blue (5-1) edged the Lakeland Magic (3-3), 115-113, on Friday afternoon as Thunder assignment player Ty Jerome hit the final shot down the stretch to earn the win.

With seven seconds remaining, the Magic’s Devin Cannady knocked down a three to tie the game at 113. With 0.2 seconds on the clock, Jerome got into the paint and nailed a floater to seal the win. Jerome finished the game with 20 points while pulling down three rebounds and dishing three assists.

“A lot of different things are going to happen, especially in a close game,” Head Coach Grant Gibbs said. “You just have to stay present in what’s going on and put together the small pieces of every possession. I thought a lot of guys played in that manner. It took that, because the game was wild. It was really choppy. Big-time credit to Lakeland, who’s a really tough team to play against. They really compete.”

The Blue scored a season-high 39 first-quarter points, shooting 69.6 percent. Oklahoma City used two big first-quarter runs to put some space between it and Lakeland, stretching its lead to 25 points midway through the second frame.

Through the second half, Lakeland’s three-point shooting chipped away at the lead. With 4:33 left in the game, Cannady pulled up for mid-range jump shot to pull the game within five, the closest since early in the first quarter. With two minutes remaining, Jerome pushed the game back to seven. On the other end of the court, D.J. Hogg drained a three, making the score 105-109 as the two teams traded buckets.

Five Oklahoma City players scored in double figures. Thunder two-way player Moses Brown led the way with his fifth double-double of the season, tallying a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds while dishing four assists.

From the bench, Rob Edwards knocked down 5-of-7 from behind the arc, finishing with 17 points, and five rebounds. Ömer Yurtseven grabbed a game-leading 11 rebounds to go with his eight points and two blocks while Melvin Frazier Jr. pitched in 12 points and six rebounds.

For the Magic, Cannady and Hogg led their team with 17 points each.

The Blue will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 21, against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers at 10:30 a.m. CT at The Field House.