The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers will face each other again on Wednesday in Indianapolis, just 10 days after their first meeting.
The Magic won the first game 119-115 on Oct. 28 in Orlando, thanks to a remarkable performance from forward Paolo Banchero. Banchero scored 50 points, becoming the first Magic player to score that many points since Tracy McGrady in March 2004.
He was also one assist away from becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to get a triple-double in a 50-plus point game.
Since that win, the Magic have struggled, losing Banchero to a torn right oblique, which will keep him out for several weeks. Monday marked their third game without Banchero, and it ended in their fourth consecutive loss, 102-86, against the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder.
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 22 points in the loss, while Jalen Suggs scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had six assists. Goga Bitadze, who had missed five games due to a foot injury, returned and had his best game of the season, posting 11 points and nine rebounds.
However, the Magic only had three players score in double figures, and they were unable to reach 90 points for the second game in a row. Orlando has failed to score 100 points in three of its last four losses.
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley noted that while they can’t always control if the ball goes in, they need to continue taking good shots with confidence.
He mentioned that the team is attacking the basket and drawing free throws, but their field goal percentage of 42.2% is among the worst in the NBA.
On the positive side, Orlando has been good at getting to the free-throw line, ranking sixth in the league with 26.4 attempts per game. In their game against the Pacers, the Magic got 38 free throws, though Banchero was responsible for 22 of them.
The Pacers, who lost to the Magic in their last meeting, had a three-game losing streak at the time but have since won two of their last three games, including a 134-127 victory at Dallas on Monday. This was Indiana’s highest point total of the season in a regulation game. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 25 points and 12 assists.
Haliburton, who led the NBA in assists last season, struggled early this year but has now returned to his usual form. He has registered at least 10 assists in each of his last four games. In Dallas, all five Indiana starters scored in double figures, with Pascal Siakam contributing 23 points and Bennedict Mathurin adding 16.
Mathurin has been playing well recently, scoring a total of 65 points in the last three games, including 30 in a thrilling 135-132 overtime win over defending champion Boston.
With wins over both the Celtics and Mavericks, Indiana comes into Wednesday’s game on a positive note, with confidence from their strong performances against last season’s NBA Finals teams.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said his team is gaining valuable experience, noting that last year they were able to win many close road games. He believes that the team is starting to understand how to handle these types of situations.
