Tag: Orlando

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In Orlando, the Magic aim to bounce back as they host the San Antonio Spurs

Orlando Magic (NBA)

The Orlando Magic are hoping to stop their recent slide when they host Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

The Magic have struggled lately, losing 10 of their last 12 games, including five out of six on their recent road trip, which ended with a 112-90 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

The Spurs haven’t been much better, losing eight of their past 11 games. They come into this game after a 117-116 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, in Fox’s second game with San Antonio. Fox, who joined the Spurs from the Sacramento Kings through a trade, had put them ahead 116-114 with a step-back jumper in the final seconds, but Miles Bridges hit a game-winning three-pointer for the Hornets with 1.4 seconds left.

Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson expressed frustration about the 16 offensive rebounds the Spurs allowed, which resulted in 27 second-chance points. “I put that under the physicality umbrella, and pretty, pretty disappointing,” he said.

Fox had 22 points and six assists in the loss to the Hornets, following a 24-point, 13-assist performance in his debut with the Spurs on Wednesday, a 126-125 win over the Atlanta Hawks. “He makes tough shots, big shots. He doesn’t shy away from the moment. That’s definitely something that we expect from him and that’s big time,” Johnson said.

“When there’s players that have been in those situations numerous times, there’s a certain level of calm and confidence that they play with, and I think it exudes to their teammates.”

San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors

Orlando, on the other hand, struggled against Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr., who combined for 58 points, outscoring Orlando’s starting lineup by 10. Wendell Carter Jr. led Orlando off the bench with 19 points, matching his season high.

The Magic are starting a stretch of 10 home games in the next 11. “It’s a great opportunity for us to steal a couple games, get our mojo back, our swagger back,” Carter said. “With us being back in the Kia Center, I know our fans are waiting for us back there, I think it’ll be a good thing. Especially these next three going into the (All-Star) break, I think it’ll set our tone for that back half of the season. I think there’s going to be a lot of emphasis on these next three.”

Wembanyama leads the Spurs in scoring with 24.4 points per game and in rebounding with 10.9, while making a huge impact on defense, averaging 3.88 blocks per game. If he keeps this pace, it would be the highest by any player since Alonzo Mourning’s 3.91 blocks per game in 1998-99.

Franz Wagner has been leading Orlando this season, averaging 24.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. Paolo Banchero has contributed significantly, averaging 22.3 points and 7.2 rebounds over his 19 games.

Goga Bitadze has had a breakout season, leading the team in rebounds with 8.1 and adding 9.1 points per game, both career highs.

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Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero guide Magic to victory over Kings in Orlando

Franz Wagner dribbles in the game

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero scored a combined 54 points, leading the Orlando Magic to a 130-111 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, spoiling Zach LaVine’s debut with his new team.

Wagner hit five 3-pointers to finish with 31 points, while Banchero added 23 points and nine assists. The Magic ended a four-game losing streak with this win.

Domantas Sabonis contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who started LaVine just two days after trading for him from the Chicago Bulls. LaVine finished with 13 points but struggled, shooting 4-for-13 and missing all four of his 3-point attempts. Sacramento shot 37 percent from beyond the arc, hitting just 10 of 27.

The Magic, playing their fifth straight road game, briefly trailed before a strong 37-point first quarter gave them an early lead. Wagner and Banchero combined for 18 points in that period.

Leading by just two points at halftime, the Magic exploded for 42 points in the third quarter. Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit 3-pointers early in the period to help Orlando extend its lead.

Zach LaVine (NBA)

Anthony finished with 14 points, while Goga Bitadze added 14 points as well. Anthony Black scored 15 and Tristan da Silva had 11 for Orlando, which shot 56.8 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from 3-point range, hitting 16 of 31.

Wendell Carter Jr. contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and two steals. The Magic will finish their Western road trip with a game in Denver on Thursday night.

For Sacramento, DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, while Keon Ellis added 12 points and Malik Monk had 10. Newly acquired Sidy Cissoko was not in action for the Kings, who traded him to the Washington Wizards along with two second-round picks for Jonas Valanciunas.

Devin Carter came off the bench for Sacramento, scoring nine points with four assists and two steals. The Kings lost for the fifth time in their last seven games.

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Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets aim to showcase their strength against the Magic in Denver

Denver Nuggets (NBA)

The Denver Nuggets have been dominant when playing on the second night of back-to-back games, and they will look to continue that success when they host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

This marks the 11th time this season that Denver has played on consecutive nights, and they have performed well, with a 9-1 record in those games. The only loss came against Houston on Jan. 15, when Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon were not playing.

Denver is coming off a 144-119 victory against New Orleans on Wednesday night. The Nuggets have won four straight games, with Michael Porter Jr. leading the way in their last two victories over the Pelicans.

Porter scored 36 points on Monday, then followed that with 39 points on Wednesday, tying his career high. Porter has made 12 of his last 21 three-point attempts and has been playing strong amid trade rumors surrounding him.

Coach Michael Malone stated this week that the team is not trading Porter.

“We know what Michael gives us from the offensive end — the shooting, the efficiency,” Malone said. “Two games in a row he put up amazing numbers, and doing so at a very efficient manner to go with 12 boards (on Wednesday). It’s great to see him playing at a high level as we approach the All-Star break.”

Porter ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game. Jamal Murray is second with 20.2 points, and Jokic leads the team in scoring (29.7), rebounds (12.8), and assists (10.3).

Orlando Magic (NBA)

Thursday’s game will be the second and final matchup of the season between the Nuggets and Magic. Denver won the first game 113-100 in Orlando on Jan. 19, a game in which the Magic were without guard Jalen Suggs due to a back strain. Suggs missed Orlando’s 130-111 win against Sacramento on Wednesday night with a quad contusion.

Franz Wagner, who also missed the Jan. 19 matchup, scored 31 points in Orlando’s win over the Kings. Wagner leads the Magic with an average of 25.1 points per game, followed by Paolo Banchero at 22.6 and Suggs at 16.2.

Wednesday’s win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Magic and marked their first victory on their six-game road trip, which will wrap up on Thursday night.

Orlando has struggled with a 6-15 record since their last back-to-back wins on Dec. 21-23, but they remain optimistic.

“The spirit can be better,” Banchero said recently. “That’s part of the reason why I think we’ve lost some of these games. But [as] I said, it’s on us to take initiative and fix it. No one outside the locker room is going to fix it. We have to depend on each other and look out for each other in these moments.”

Thursday’s game will also be the first time Kentavious Caldwell-Pope plays in Denver since signing with the Magic. Caldwell-Pope helped the Nuggets win the 2023 NBA title and played for them for two seasons before leaving for Orlando last summer.

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Zach LaVine promises Kings fans he’ll be “right there with them” before his debut.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine drives to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum guards during the first half of an NBA basketball game

Zach LaVine had a message for fans as he prepared for his Sacramento Kings debut on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.

He’s excited about the opportunity, doesn’t take it lightly, and is ready to do everything he can to help the team win.

“They take time to come here to watch the game, spend their hard-earned money to watch and cheer on the team,” LaVine said at his introductory press conference, just days after being traded from the Chicago Bulls. “I’m going to be right there with them and do everything I can for the city.”

LaVine, who was drafted 13th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, expressed his affection for his new team.

He worked out for the Kings before being drafted. His family is originally from California, and he owns a home in Newport Beach.

In 2018, he signed a four-year, $78 million offer sheet with the Kings, which the Bulls matched.

Additionally, both LaVine and Kings interim coach Doug Christie are from Seattle.

“I’ve been a fan of (the Sacramento Kings) for a long time,” LaVine said. “I thought I was going to sign here six years ago. I’ve had a good relationship with a lot of guys who played here, and I understand the culture here from me being from the West Coast.”

Sacramento Kings (NHL)

LaVine, a two-time All-Star, was traded to Sacramento (25-24) as part of a three-team deal with Chicago and the San Antonio Spurs, who received former Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox.

The Bulls got Kevin Huerter from the Kings and Zach Collins from the Spurs. Jordan McLaughlin moved from Sacramento to the Spurs, Sidy Cissoko went from the Spurs to the Kings, and Tre Jones was sent from the Spurs to the Bulls. The Kings also acquired six future draft picks — three first-round picks and three second-round picks.

Kings general manager Monte McNair praised LaVine as an “incredible talent,” a strong shot-maker, and “somebody who puts his stamp on the court.”

LaVine is currently averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 34.1 minutes per game across 42 games. He ranks fifth in 3-point shooting percentage this season and holds the highest field-goal percentage from beyond the arc among players with at least 100 3-pointers made this season.

LaVine is reuniting with DeMar DeRozan, who played three seasons with the Bulls. They are excited to play together in the Western Conference.

“It just shows you how crazy this business works and how it comes around full circle,” DeRozan said. “I am excited for the guys who will play with him and I am excited for the fans to see what he is capable of doing.”

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Zach LaVine is set to make his debut for the Kings against the Magic in Sacramento

Zach LaVine (NBA)

The Sacramento Kings are hoping their second major in-season move works out as well as the first one.

Since Doug Christie took over as interim coach for the fired Mike Brown, the Kings have gone 12-6. Now, Sacramento has made another big move by trading for two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine on Monday.

LaVine is expected to play in his first game for the Kings when they face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Kings acquired LaVine in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls. In the deal, Sacramento sent star point guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. The Kings also got second-year forward Sidy Cissoko from the Spurs in the seven-player, seven-pick trade. Sacramento received six of those draft picks.

LaVine missed his last three games with Chicago due to personal reasons. He now joins a Kings team that has lost four of their last six games after a strong stretch of 10 wins in 11 games. Before Monday’s games, Sacramento was tied for the second play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Despite the changes, Kings star Domantas Sabonis believes the key to keeping their success going is staying focused on the task at hand, even with the challenges.

“It’s been a crazy year, a lot of change,” Sabonis told the Sacramento Bee. “It (stinks), but we’ve just got to somehow come together, be professional and keep this thing moving forward.”

Before his absence, LaVine was playing well, averaging 26.4 points in his last five games, shooting 48.9% overall and 38.6% from three-point range.

LaVine has faced Orlando twice this season with Chicago, scoring a total of 19 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

Zach LaVine (NBA)

While the Kings are returning from a six-game road trip, the Magic are still on their own six-game journey, having lost the first four. They’ve failed to score 100 points in their last three losses to Portland, Utah, and Golden State.

Despite losing 104-99 to the Warriors on Monday, the Magic showed some fight. They were ahead 92-90 in the final minutes but couldn’t close it out. Cole Anthony had 26 points in the loss.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t think the final 14-7 run by the Warriors was the main reason for the loss.

“We always talk about it coming down to those final possessions. It’s never that,” Mosley said. “It’s a 39-point third quarter (by Golden State), where you let go a little bit, your communication breaks off, you don’t knock some shots down, you look at a 15-0 free-throw count.”

Orlando has struggled at the free-throw line during its four-game losing streak, being outscored 84-67. The Magic have attempted just 90 free throws, while opponents have shot 110.

Mosley made it clear that the Magic aren’t lacking aggression.

“We had 52 points in the paint, attacked the basket 47 times, and (shot) 10 free throws,” he said after the Golden State game.

This will be the first meeting between the Magic and Kings this season. The two teams will face off again in Sacramento on March 29.

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Struggling Warriors aim for a crucial win over tired Magic in San Francisco

Golden State Warriors (NBA)

The Golden State Warriors are hoping to end what was considered the easiest part of their schedule with a winning record when they face the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

At 20-20, the Warriors were aiming to move up in the tight Western Conference standings when they started a nine-game stretch on January 18, where they wouldn’t leave California. Eight of those nine games were at home.

So far, they’ve managed wins against the Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Oklahoma City Thunder, but have lost to the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns.

With 12 of their next 14 games on the road after the Magic game, the Warriors are still at a .500 record and are now closer to the bottom of the West than the top.

As the trade deadline approaches, some are wondering if a loss to the Magic could lead to the Warriors becoming sellers.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr made it clear even before Friday’s 130-105 loss to the Suns that changes are needed. “We’re not in a position where we can just say: ‘We’re good. Let’s stand pat.’ That’s the reality of where we are,” Kerr said. “If there’s something that makes sense, (general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.) is going to do it.”

Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers

In their first meeting of the season with the Magic, the Warriors will face a team that’s somewhat similar. Orlando’s record is 24-26, slightly worse than Golden State’s, but they’re in a better position in the standings with the East having fewer winning teams.

Unlike the Warriors, the Magic are in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season. This game will be their fourth stop on a six-game road trip, but they’ll soon play 10 of their next 11 games at home.

After losing to Miami, Portland, and Utah in the past week, the Magic have been encouraged by the return to health of star Paolo Banchero, who missed 34 games with a torn right oblique.

Banchero has played in 11 straight games, including a 44-minute effort in Monday’s loss to Miami. He’s now been playing alongside Franz Wagner, who missed 20 games due to his own oblique injury.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley knows the remaining three games of their road trip are important for gaining momentum ahead of their home-heavy schedule.

“We always talked about: Are you playing your best basketball in March and April? That’s what we’re working toward,” Mosley said. “But understanding you are not going to be there right away. It’s going to take some time. But are you progressing there? That’s most important.”

The teams will meet again in Orlando later this month. In the last two seasons, the team that won the first game went on to complete the sweep.