ORLANDO, Fla. -- Philadelphia forward Dario Saric didn't look like an NBA rookie Thursday night.

He looked like a budding star.

Saric, who is often overshadowed by rookie teammate Joel Embiid, scored a career-high 24 points, including nine in the decisive fourth quarter, to lead the 76ers to a hard-fought, 112-111 victory over the Orlando Magic.

"He was huge, just excellent tonight the way he played," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "If not for Joel, we'd be talking about Dario as Rookie of the Year."

Saric, who played on the Croatian Olympic team this summer, sparked a second-quarter Sixers rally, then sparked them again down the stretch with his fiery play. He added eight rebounds and three steals. He hit three of his five 3-pointers and five of six free throws.

He plays with confidence.

"I just feel like all the hard work is paying off," he said. "I try to get better every time I got out there, giving 100 percent all the tie. Sometimes, it comes easier than other times. This was one of my better games."

He scored 20 points Wednesday night in a loss to San Antonio. He has scored in double figures 28 times this season, second most among NBA rookies behind only Embiid.

Point guard T.J. McConnell hit the game winning pull-up jumper from nine feet with 5.8 seconds remaining. The Sixers forced the Magic into a turnover with their defensive pressure in the closing seconds.

The Sixers (19-34) snapped a five-game losing streak. The Magic (20-35) lost their third consecutive game.

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 24 points and eight assists, and he pulled down nine rebounds. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka scored 16 points. Elfrid Payton, back in a reserve role, had 15 points, and C.J. Watson added 11 points and four assists.

The Sixers got 65 points from their reserves, led by Saric. McConnell, starting point guard, finished with eight points and eight assists.

Ersan Ilyasova had 16 points as the only starter to reach double figures. Nik Stauskas scored 13 points, Sergio Rodriguez had 12 points and five assists, and Nerlens Noel finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

"I don't think we win tonight without our bench," McConnell said. "They were unbelievable. Our starters struggled tonight. This shows how we can win games when we just continue to fight. I just got a good roll on my shot."

Saric hit a driving layup with 35 seconds remaining to give Philadelphia a 110-109 lead, capping a 7-0 run. Vucevic answered with a basket nine seconds later. McConnell hit the winning basket after the Sixers won a jump ball with 11.9 seconds remaining.

"This was a bad loss. No other way to say it," Fournier said. "We should have won by 15 or 20. We just kept letting them back into the game. They came back, made some shots and we weren't aggressive enough."

D.J. Augustin sank a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter for a 95-88 Magic lead. The Sixers made an 8-0 run and tied the game at 98 with 4:45 remaining. Noel and Ibaka got offsetting technical fouls when they tangled under the basket at the end of the Sixers' run.

The Sixers led 85-84 going into the final period after Rodriguez hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the third. Saric sank his third 3-pointer of the game for the 82-80 lead.

The Magic made a 12-0 run -- including eight from Ibaka -- midway in the third period for a 76-70 lead. Ilyasova had just completed a three-point play for the 70-65 Sixers lead.

The Sixers led 55-48 at intermission after Saric closed the second period with a flurry. He scored 12 points in the final 2:39. He had seven points in a 15-second span by hitting one free throw between back-to-back 3-pointers. His first 3-pointer with 2:39 remaining gave the Sixers a 43-42 lead, their first lead since 2-0.

The Magic led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter when the Sixers started slowly. Fournier led everyone with 17 points in the first half, including 13 in the first period.

Payton, who lost his starting role to C.J. Watson, had eight points in the second period. The Sixers outhustled the Magic in the second quarter, outscoring them 10-1 with second-chance points. The Magic also had six turnovers in the second period.

NOTES: Sixers C Joel Embiid missed his ninth consecutive game with a left knee bone bruise. In two games against the Magic this season, Embiid averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds. ... Magic F Aaron Gordon missed his first game of the season with a bone bruise on his right foot. The injury may jeopardize his participation in the All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest on Feb. 18, although Magic coach Frank Vogel said hopes Gordon is ready to play Saturday in Dallas. ... Magic G/F Mario Hezonja got his first start of the season in place of Gordon, and he scored three points. Hezonja and Philadelphia F Dario Saric were teammates on the Croatia national team last summer. ... Magic reserve F Jeff Green, who missed Tuesday's game in Houston to be at the birth of his first child, returned to the team Thursday and scored three points.