Elfrid Payton helps Magic hold off 76ers

PHILADELPHIA -- Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton insisted that his outlook had not changed, despite his early-season struggles.

His stat line most certainly did, however.

Payton scored 12 of his season-high 20 points in the final 7:45 as the Orlando Magic held off the Philadelphia 76ers 105-97 on Saturday night.

Payton missed all four of his shots from the floor and was scoreless in Friday night's victory over Toronto, and began Saturday's game averaging seven points a night while shooting just 31.6 percent from the floor.

He went 8-for-10 from the floor to lead seven players in double figures, lifting the Magic (3-5) to its second straight victory. Then he said he had the "same confidence" and was "playing the same way."

He also said he has been able to "just continue to trust my work and ... able to get to the rim."

Payton made his first shot, a 12-foot jumper 2:29 into the game, and went 4-for-5 in the first half.

"It was nice to see something finally go in," he said, "and get a little rhythm out there. It just carried on throughout the game."

"I'm happy for him," coach Scott Skiles said. "He's been struggling. I'm glad he was able to put the ball in the hole."

Forward Evan Fournier added 17 points for the Magic. Guard Victor Oladipo had 15, while center Dewayne Dedmon finished with 12 and guard Mario Hezonja 11. Forward Aaron Gordon and center Jason Smith contributed 10 apiece.

The Sixers, who trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, closed to 85-83 on a 3-pointer by backup guard Isaiah Canaan with 6:54 left in the game, but Payton grabbed a defensive rebound and went the length of the court for a layup with 6:08 remaining.

Payton added another layup with 3:38 left, two free throws with 2:11 remaining, a jumper with 1:21 left and two more foul shots with 26.8 seconds to play, each time after the Sixers cut the gap to four.

Canaan finished with a season-high 23 points and rookie center Jahlil Okafor added 19 for Philadelphia, which fell to 0-6. Guard Nik Stauskas had 18.

The Sixers, however, shot just 14-for-26 at the foul line.

"I look there first," coach Brett Brown said. "We just really let ourselves down not having the ability to make free throws."

Sixers forward Nerlens Noel was assessed a Flagrant Foul-Level 2 and ejected with 1:51 left in the third quarter for swinging his arm at Smith's head, after being elbowed in the chest.

"I got hit in my ribs," Noel said. "I tried to be as smart a player as I could. I reacted, but I pulled away, being the smart player and my team needed me in. I pulled away from my reaction that I did instinctually. I just walked away from it, and even got hit a second time."

Smith said it was "just a little bit of contact," and added that he was "just playing aggressive basketball out there."

Brown said he was told by the referees that an offensive foul was called on Smith for his elbow, and that Noel was assessed the flagrant foul after elbowing Smith in the head.

"At that point you say, 'I'll look at the tape and make a comment after that,'" Brown said. "If that is true, then the right decision was made."

The Sixers moved to a 13-4 lead out of the gate behind Okafor, who victimized Dedmon for six early points on a dunk, a left-handed layup and a spin move from the left block.

Orlando's reserves scored 11 points in a 13-0 flurry bridging the first and second quarters to give the Magic a 27-17 lead. The cushion grew to 36-26 with 7:41 left in the half but Philadelphia reeled off 12 straight points, including two 3-pointers by Canaan and another by Stauskas.

The Magic scored eight of the half's last 10 points, four of those by Dedmon, to take a 51-44 lead at the break.

Okafor notched 12 points in the half to lead all scorers, while Payton, Hezonja and Gordon paced Orlando with eight apiece.

The Magic extended their lead to as many as 15 in the third quarter, and held an 81-73 cushion by the end of the period.

NOTES: Philadelphia F Jerami Grant left the game in the third quarter with a left corneal abrasion. ... Sixers G Tony Wroten, who has yet to play this season after undergoing surgery to repair his right ACL in February, said his knee is "feeling great" and that he hopes to return at some point this month. Wroten has only played two-on-two to date. ... Philadelphia G Kendall Marshall is also sitting out while recovering from surgery on his right ACL, but could not offer a timetable for his return. "I'm feeling good," he said. "I'm getting to where I want to go, but I guess it's just getting over that last hump. I think soon enough I'll be out there." ... Magic C Nikola Vucevic missed his second straight game with a bone bruise of the right knee.