ORLANDO, Fla. -- After three seasons of struggling through a painful rebuilding process, the Orlando Magic look like they have turned the corner.
The Magic won their third consecutive game and ninth in the last 12 by rolling past the Portland Trail Blazers 102-94 on Friday night, sustaining a consistency that was missing in their recent past.
The Magic (15-11) won 20, 23 and 25 games, respectively, in the three previous seasons.
"We are a good team now, getting better," forward Tobias Harris said. "We expect to win. Confidence is there. We're a tough team to beat when we play the right way."
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Harris scored 25 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, providing the perfect complement to center Nikola Vucevic, who had 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Point guard Elfrid Payton had 19 points and six rebounds. Sixth-man Victor Oladipo scored 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter when the Magic held off a late Trail Blazers charge.
Vucevic is the oldest of the young core at age 25.
"We did a lot of good things again. We've got a ways to go, but it's coming along," first-year Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "I thought Vucevic was fantasic tonight. Tobias, he's been dependable. He's having a good year."
The Magic beat the Brooklyn Nets by 23 points and the Charlotte Hornets by 15 earlier this week.
"That's a good team," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Vucevic was very effective on the block. Harris did a little bit of everything for them. Payton had a good floor game. They played well."
Guard C.J. McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 29 points. Point guard Damian Lillard had 17 points and 10 assists but made only 4 of 15 shots from the field and committed six turnovers. Forward Al-Farouq Aminu had 16 points and reserve forward Allen Crabbe added 14 points.
The Magic scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter -- five by Oladipo -- to build a 13-point lead and kept control throughout the fourth quarter.
The Trail Blazers never got closer than six points in the fourth.They rallied late with four 3-point baskets in the final 3:20 -- including two by Aminu -- but it was too little, too late.
The Blazers were hurt by 19 turnovers that turned into 23 Magic points. The Magic also outrebounded the Blazers 48-42.
"We have to do a better job of understanding the game and not compound one mistake into another," Stotts said. "Some of it was their defense, some just our fault."
The Magic led 74-68 going into the fourth quarter.
McCollum hit the first basket of the third quarter, but that was the only time the Trail Blazers led in the second half. They trailed by as many as 11 points in the third quarter.
The Magic led 49-48 at halftime despite missing all eight of their 3-point shots. They outscored the Blazers 11-0 in fast-break points, capitalizing on 10 Portland turnovers.
Starting Magic guard Evan Fournier dislocated the smallest finger on his left hand less than four minutes into the game when he was slapped by McCollum. He jogged to the locker room and returned to the game before the end of the quarter with his finger taped.
NOTES: Magic rookie Mario Hezonja, the fifth pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, began playing recently as a backup point guard to Elfrid Payton and less as a shooting guard as coach Scott Skiles tries to find him more playing time. ... The Magic have had seven games (3-4) this season decided by three points or less, which is tied for the most in the NBA. ... The Magic honored former player Hedo Turkoglu before the game. He played eight seasons with the Magic, helping them reach the NBA Finals in 2009. ... Blazers reserve F Meyers Leonard made only one of his 19 3-point shots in the previous six games. ... Blazers PG Damian Lillard had made only 5 of 39 3-pointers in his six previous games against the Magic. ... Blazers coach Terry Stotts praised Skiles before the game. "He's one of the few coaches in the NBA who can put his stamp on a team right away. He did it in Chicago, in Milwaukee, and now here," Stotts said. ... The Blazers are 4-2 this season when Lillard and G C.J. McCollum combine for 50 points or more.
