Tag: Orlando Magic

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NBA (Basketball)

Once again, the Magic and Heat faced off, and once again, Miami made a late comeback to secure the win

Alec Burks and Tyler Herro in the 2nd half

Another Heat-Magic game, another late comeback. This time, Miami came out on top.

On Saturday, Orlando made a late push to defeat Miami. On Thursday, at the same arena, the Heat managed to find a way to beat the Magic in the final moments.

Tyler Herro’s jumper with just half a second left gave Miami an 89-88 win on Thursday night. This game came less than a week after the Heat lost to the Magic, having blown a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“Just got to my spot,” Herro said.

Miami was down 71-61 going into the fourth quarter on Thursday. It was the first time in 74 games that the Heat came back from a double-digit deficit entering the final quarter of a regular-season game and won, the last time being on Oct. 26, 2019, against Milwaukee.

“I don’t know if it was our best win this year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But it was definitely our toughest win this season.”

The previous game between Orlando and Miami ended with a big run by the Magic. On Thursday, the Magic started the rematch with another strong push.

Jamahl Mosley reacts in the 2nd half

The Magic scored the first 14 points of the game against the Heat, following their 37-8 run in the fourth quarter on Saturday — a huge rally that helped them recover from a 25-point deficit.

If you combine the Magic’s 4th-quarter run on Saturday and their strong start on Thursday, it totals a 51-8 run over about 17 minutes of game time, separated by a few days. The 14-0 run was Orlando’s biggest to start a game since they took a 15-0 lead against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 4, 2001.

Miami cut the deficit to 31-22 by the end of the first quarter. The Heat trailed for most of the game but found a way to win, mostly thanks to 23 turnovers by Orlando that led to 25 points for Miami.

“That’s the game right there,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

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NBA (Basketball)

Heat aiming to bounce back from recent loss to Magic

Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors

After blowing a 25-point lead to the Orlando Magic on Saturday, the Miami Heat have a chance to get revenge when they play again on Thursday.

“We owe them one,” said Miami guard Tyler Herro after the Heat’s 110-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

In Saturday’s game, Orlando lost Mo Wagner to a torn ACL after he drove to the basket in the first quarter. The Magic were already without their star Paolo Banchero and Mo’s brother Franz, both dealing with oblique injuries.

There’s some good news for Orlando, though, as Banchero started some light conditioning work last week, but there is still no clear return date for him.

The three injured players score over 66 points per game for Orlando, but the Magic have still managed to win their last two games and are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Wagner’s injury added to what became one of the most exciting games of the season. Orlando made a franchise-record comeback, outscoring the Heat 37-8 in the fourth quarter to win 121-114. Orlando then followed up with a 108-104 victory over the Celtics after trailing by 15 points at halftime.

“It’s a fighting group, it’s a gritty group, it’s a confident group that believes in themselves,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. “They’ve given themselves a chance to be successful. It’s by committee, we say that a lot. That’s who this group is. They’re going to do it by committee every night.”

Orlando Magic (NBA)

Orlando’s defense has been a key factor, as they allow the second-fewest points in the NBA at 103.9 per game and are tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the most blocked shots in the league, with 7 per game.

“That is this group,” Mosley said. “I don’t think there is any other way to put it. I think that’s what they have shown. They continue to prove it. They believe in one another.”

Orlando’s depth has also played a role in their success. First-round pick Tristan Da Silva scored 18 points, including a crucial 3-pointer in the win over Boston. Trevelin Queen came up from the G-League and tied his career high with 17 points.

“He’s not afraid of big moments, not afraid to take on challenges,” Mosley said of Queen. “That’s who he is. It’s why we talk about him going back and forth to Osceola, because that’s the environment that we have created.”

The Heat have been hovering around .500 this season. Star guard Jimmy Butler, averaging 18.5 points per game, has been out with an illness and missed the past two games. ESPN reported on Wednesday that Butler would like to be traded before the Feb. 6 deadline.

Terry Rozier also missed the Heat’s win over the Nets with a knee injury.

Miami’s defense has been solid, allowing 109.4 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. Herro has been the team’s top scorer, averaging a career-high 23.9 points per game.

“I think we haven’t played bad basketball,” said Herro. “We continue to show pieces of good offense and good defense in different sections of the game, but we have to stay focused and consistent in our game and our identity for a full 48 minutes.”

Orlando has won both games against the Heat this season. Thursday’s game is the fifth of a seven-game homestand for Orlando.

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NBA (Basketball)

Orlando Magic Injury Crisis Deepens With Moritz Wagner Out With Knee Injury

Moritz Wagner Injured (Photo: Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic’s worst fear was realized on Sunday afternoon when center Moritz Wagner suffered a left knee injury during the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat at the Kia Center.

Wagner underwent an MRI on Sunday, and the results confirmed that he had torn his left ACL, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

The 6-11 center will require surgery and will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season, the team confirmed in a statement.

This is a devastating blow for both Wagner and the Magic, adding to a growing list of long-term injuries for the team.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley was already managing without key players like star duo Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both of whom are out indefinitely due to torn right abdominal muscles.

Additionally, Gary Harris, who has been sidelined for the last 11 games with a left hamstring strain, has further depleted the team’s depth. Jalen Suggs also missed Saturday’s game due to a right ankle sprain.

Despite these setbacks, the Magic (18-12) managed a remarkable 25-point comeback against the Heat to snap a three-game losing streak. However, the challenges are far from over.

Orlando will host the defending champion Boston Celtics on Monday, followed by another matchup with Miami at home on Thursday.

Moritz Wagner NBA
Moritz Wagner NBA

The Magic then face the New York Knicks the next night and finish their seven-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets next Sunday.

Wagner had been one of just two players to appear in all 30 of the Magic’s games this season, alongside Anthony Black. Last season, Wagner played in 80 regular season games, setting a career-high.

This season, the 6-11 center, who re-signed with the Magic over the summer on a two-year, $22 million deal, was averaging 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 18.8 minutes per game.

As of Sunday’s games, he ranked second in the NBA for points scored off the bench (372) and 15th in field goal percentage.

Wagner led or tied the team in scoring once and in rebounding four times. He scored in double figures 23 times, surpassed 20 points twice, and reached over 30 points once, including a career-high 32 points against the New York Knicks on December 15.

Beyond his statistics, Wagner’s impact was often felt in intangible ways. His energetic reactions and unapologetic display of emotions on the court often energized his teammates and frustrated opponents, making him a vital spark off the bench for Orlando.

With the long recovery process ahead for Wagner, the Magic will have to cope with the absence of yet another key player, leaving them with 52 regular season games to navigate without one of their most influential contributors.

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Magic and Knicks ready for another matchup to strengthen their rivalry

Orlando Magic (NBA)

The Orlando Magic and New York Knicks had clear goals when they last faced each other. Their long-term goals will be more important when they meet again on Sunday night, with the Magic hosting the Knicks in the first game since the NBA Cup for both teams.

The second game between the Magic and Knicks in just 12 days was set after both teams were eliminated from the NBA Cup. Orlando lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 114-109 on Tuesday, while New York lost to the Atlanta Hawks 108-100 the following night.

The two teams will play each other four times this season, all between December 3 and January 6. Orlando is in third place, and New York is in fourth, just one game behind. This extra game could play a big role in determining playoff positions and tiebreakers.

Both teams are expected to look different in this game than they might in a potential playoff matchup. The Magic have already been playing without star forward Paolo Banchero due to a torn right oblique muscle. Then, on December 6, forward Franz Wagner injured his right oblique against the Philadelphia 76ers and is expected to be out for about a month.

Banchero, who was expected to miss four to six weeks when injured on October 30, has not yet returned to practice but is doing some limited basketball activities.

“He’s doing the same ball-handling, a little light movement on the floor and then just trying to find ways to get the cardio up without applying too much pressure,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley after Friday’s practice.

Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks

The Magic may get forward Jonathan Isaac back, as he practiced on Friday after missing three games due to a strained right hamstring.

The Knicks’ starting lineup has remained mostly the same. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart have started every game, while Karl-Anthony Towns has started 23 games.

However, the Knicks have struggled to adjust on defense, despite adding Bridges and Towns in offseason trades. The Knicks are averaging 117.0 points per game this season, up from 112.8 last season. But they are allowing 110.9 points per game, which is a higher number than last season, when they gave up 108.2 points per game, the second-lowest in the NBA and the lowest in the East.

On Wednesday, the Knicks led at halftime but fell behind in the third quarter when the Hawks outscored them 34-18 while shooting 54.2 percent, including 66.7 percent from 3-point range.

“It’s true what they say and I’ve seen it; they say offense wins games and defense wins championships,” Towns said. “So it’s important that we go back and focus on the other side of the court and be the best version that we can be.

Obviously, it’s great we have a head start for us right now, statistically, where we need to be offensively to be that team. But the defense has to catch up and match that standard.”

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Despite injuries, the Magic are determined to face the Bucks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals

Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)

The NBA Cup quarterfinals begin on Tuesday night, with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Orlando Magic.

The Magic are coming off a 115-110 win over Phoenix on Sunday, staying unbeaten at home this season with a perfect 10-0 record.

Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 26 points, including 14 in the final quarter, while Goga Bitadze contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds.

“It was by committee. Each person that played stepped up, gave to the group,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s what we said this team is, we’re gonna defend, pull for one another and try to play the right way for one another.”

The Bucks are returning home after a two-game road trip to Boston and Brooklyn. They ended a two-game losing streak with a 118-113 win over the Nets on Sunday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 11 rebounds. Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 and 20 points off the bench, and Damian Lillard scored 15 points while also contributing 11 assists.

“They had that stretch where they were about to get away from us, and Giannis took the game over,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s what makes him so great, he sensed that. Stayed aggressive, made the right plays.”

Antetokounmpo leads the NBA with 32.5 points per game and is the Bucks’ top rebounder with 11.6 rebounds per game. Lillard leads the team in assists with 7.5 per game.

Franz Wagner, who is out with a torn oblique, leads Orlando with 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Bitadze is the Magic’s top rebounder (7.3) and shot blocker (1.6).

Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets

On the injury front, Wagner went down on Dec. 7 and will be re-evaluated in January. He joins Paolo Banchero (torn oblique) on the sidelines.

After Sunday’s game, Mosley gave an update on Banchero: “He’s responded to the things that we’re having him do, but we’ll take it one day at a time and see how he responds each day.”

Mosley did not give a timeline for Banchero’s return.

Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris missed Sunday’s game due to hamstring injuries. Harris will also miss Tuesday’s game, while Isaac is listed as questionable.

Despite their injuries and a 3-6 start, the Magic have moved to first place in the Southeast Division, largely because of their strong defense. The Magic entered Monday ranked third in the NBA with a 105.7 defensive rating.

Milwaukee is more balanced, ranking 10th in offensive rating (113.9) and 14th in defensive rating (113.0). They are particularly strong from beyond the arc, ranking third in 3-point shooting percentage (39.4 percent) entering Monday.

The Bucks are now fully healthy, with Khris Middleton making his season debut on Friday in Boston. The three-time All-Star scored 11 points in 20 minutes on Sunday.

The Bucks lead the all-time series 73-55. They had a 14-game win streak over Orlando until last season, when the teams split their four games. The Magic have not won a season series against the Bucks since a four-game sweep in the 2011-12 season.

The winner of this game will head to Las Vegas on Saturday to compete in the NBA Cup semifinals against the winner of Wednesday night’s New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks matchup.

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NBA (Basketball)

Jalen Suggs leads Magic to victory over Suns, keeping their perfect home record intact

Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns

Jalen Suggs scored 26 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to help the short-handed Orlando Magic defeat the Phoenix Suns 115-110 on Sunday night.

With this win, the Magic remain the only undefeated team at home in the NBA, now at 10-0. Orlando earned the victory despite being without star forwards Paolo Banchero, who has been out for over a month, and Franz Wagner, who suffered a torn oblique in Orlando’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

The Magic relied on teamwork to cover for these absences, with four players scoring in double figures. Goga Bitadze added 21 points and 16 rebounds, Cole Anthony contributed 14 points, and Moritz Wagner chipped in 10 points. Orlando has now won two of its last three games.

For the Suns, Devin Booker led with 25 points, Tyus Jones added 21 points, Bradley Beal scored 18 points, Royce O’Neal finished with 16 points, and Grayson Allen had 13 points. The Suns have now lost three straight games.

Franz Wagner dribbles in the game

The Magic led 109-106 with 2:20 left after Suggs made a layup. Suggs and Bitadze each made two free throws to extend Orlando’s lead to 113-106 with 1:05 remaining, and the Magic held on from there.

Phoenix had a strong start with a 14-0 run, taking a 23-13 lead with 4:40 left in the first quarter. The Suns pushed their lead to 34-22 after Allen’s three-point play with 1:29 remaining, but Orlando responded with a 7-0 run, finishing the quarter down 34-29.

Jones scored 16 points and Beal had 11 points, helping Phoenix take a 62-57 lead into halftime. Anthony led the Magic with 10 points in the first half, shooting 4-of-7 from the field.

The Suns played without star Kevin Durant, who missed the game due to an ankle injury. Phoenix is now 1-9 without Durant this season.

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Magic take on Suns in their first game without Franz Wagner

Franz Wagner dribbles in the game

The Orlando Magic have already been without one key player and, starting Sunday night, will have to manage without another.

The Magic will play against the Phoenix Suns without forward Franz Wagner, who tore his right oblique in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Wagner joins Paolo Banchero, who has been out since October 30 with a similar injury. Banchero could return later this month. Wagner will be re-evaluated in four weeks, as the team announced on Saturday.

With Banchero sidelined, Wagner became the primary option for the Magic and has had a breakout season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. He also set a career high with nine consecutive games of 20 or more points.

Orlando has won seven of its past nine games with Wagner stepping up and holds a 13-7 record without Banchero.

“This is a great challenge for us,” Wagner said Friday night, before the details of his injury were known. “We’re a young team trying to find our way in this league and trying to find ways to win even with different circumstances.”

The Suns have lost their last two games and will be without star Kevin Durant, who is out with an ankle sprain.

Phoenix has a 1-8 record without Durant on the court.

Franz Wagner (NBA)

Durant has played 13 games this season, averaging 25.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

Devin Booker is the only member of the Suns’ “Big Three” to play in all 22 games so far. The four-time All-Star guard is averaging 24.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, and shooting 90.4 percent from the free-throw line. Guard Bradley Beal missed two weeks in November but has returned and is averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 14 games.

Sunday’s game will be the third of a four-game road trip for the Suns. The Magic will be happy to be back home, where they are undefeated with a 9-0 record. Orlando has had the most road games in the NBA so far this season (16 games, with a 7-9 record).

“I think we have battled through the entire time,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Friday after the loss to the 76ers. “Through this entire road trip, we never stopped fighting. We played hard for 48 minutes to give ourselves a shot in every game.”

Orlando has the No. 1 defense in the NBA, allowing 103 points per game. With Wagner out, point guard Jalen Suggs and center Moritz Wagner, Franz’s brother, will likely need to take on more of the scoring load.

The Magic defeated the Suns 109-99 on November 18 in Phoenix and have won three of the last five matchups between the teams.

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Paul George and the 76ers defeat the Magic to even up the two-game series

Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers

Paul George scored 21 points and added nine assists on Friday, helping the 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 102-94 to split their two-game series in Philadelphia.

The Sixers had lost 106-102 to the Magic on Wednesday without George (knee), but they played a sharper game in this matchup, even without Joel Embiid (knee) again.

KJ Martin stepped up with a season-high 20 points, making 9 of 10 shots off the bench for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele each contributed 16 points as well.

Franz Wagner led Orlando with 30 points, while Jalen Suggs added 22 points. Moritz Wagner also chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds. However, the Magic struggled with their shooting, making just 13 of 46 three-point attempts (28.3%) and turning the ball over 21 times.

The 76ers were ahead 59-57 with around three minutes left in the third quarter, but they finished the period with a 12-2 run.

Kelly Oubre, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds, started the run with a 3-pointer. Martin’s dunk made it a seven-point game, and Maxey and Jared McCain combined for the final seven points of the period. By the end of the third quarter, Philadelphia led 71-59.

Paul George warms up before the game

The Sixers pushed their lead to 78-61 early in the fourth, thanks to George’s contested 3-pointer. But Orlando went on a 10-point run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Moritz Wagner and Cole Anthony.

Philadelphia responded with six straight points, four of them from George, pushing the lead back to 84-71.

Suggs kept Orlando in the game late, hitting three 3-pointers and two free throws in the final 4 1/2 minutes. However, he missed two tough three-point attempts in the last 35 seconds, and the Sixers closed out the win with free throws.

Franz Wagner had 15 of Orlando’s 27 points in the first quarter, giving the Magic a two-point lead. Philadelphia then scored the first 10 points of the second quarter and went into halftime ahead 50-41, despite 20 points from Franz Wagner. He shot 7-for-15 in the first half, while his teammates made only 7 of 28 shots.

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The 76ers aim to prevent a two-game sweep by the surging Magic

Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers

After a loss to Orlando on Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers will look to bounce back on Friday when they face the Magic again at home.

Orlando began its two-game visit to Philadelphia with a 106-102 win. Franz Wagner led the team with 35 points, while the Magic made it difficult for 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey to have a good shooting night.

The 76ers played without two of their top three players, as Joel Embiid and Paul George sat out to rest their knees. This left coach Nick Nurse with only one All-Star on the court, along with a group of role players who are also dealing with injuries.

“(Finding continuity without key players) is very difficult,” said Nurse, who hopes to have George (and possibly Embiid) back for Friday’s game.

“I hope that we are going to get these guys together at the same time here fairly shortly. And then start working on the continuity. But to your question, it is difficult. Guys are in and out and we’re trying to figure it out.”

Orlando also played without its best player, Paolo Banchero, who is still out with an oblique injury. Despite that, the Magic relied on Wagner’s 35-point performance to earn their seventh win in the last eight games.

“I really did like their composure,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley about his team’s calmness in the final moments. “The communication between each of the guys about where the matchups were, how we were guarding, the different situations we were gonna be in.

Joel Embiid and Jake LaRavia in the 2nd half

I just think that they did a great job of listening and paying attention to what the coaches were saying, but also with communicating with one another.”

Wagner is having his best season so far, averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals, even though he’s playing about the same amount of minutes as in the past two seasons. His teammates and coaches have been suggesting he could be an All-Star, but Wagner prefers to ignore the attention.

“(I try to) focus on the stuff that really matters,” Wagner said. “Obviously it’s really cool to be playing well and to have a good season. Everybody has their own motivation. That’s just kind of an add-on for me.”

Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s main scorer, Maxey, is going through a bit of a shooting slump.

Maxey made only 7-of-19 shots (0-for-7 from 3-point range) against Orlando on Wednesday. This is the fourth time in the last five games that he’s shot below 42%.

“They trapped every ball screen,” said Maxey, who is 1-of-14 from 3-point range in the last two games. “That’s hard, but that’s why Jared (McCain) got downhill. They played drop on him. He got downhill and scored (24 points), he made some 3s. I thought we did a good job, man. I got in the paint, I got guys open shots — we made some, we missed some. I’m overall happy with the way we played offense.”

The Magic are 3-1 so far on their five-game road trip, which has included games in New York against the Nets and Knicks, and now Philadelphia. After Friday’s game, they will return to Orlando for seven of their next eight games.

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Franz Wagner scores 35 points to lead the Magic to a win over the Sixers

Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers

Franz Wagner scored 35 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 106-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

Wagner made 12 of 23 shots from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 10 for 10. This was his seventh 30-point game of the season. Jalen Suggs added 17 points, making 4 of 8 three-pointers, while the rest of the Magic team struggled with their three-point shooting, going 4 for 21.

For Philadelphia, rookie Jared McCain scored 24 points, leading the team. The 76ers played without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (knee), while Orlando was still missing Paolo Banchero (oblique).

Tyrese Maxey (16 points), Kelly Oubre Jr. (15 points), and Guerschon Yabusele (15 points) also contributed for the 76ers, who will face the Magic again on Friday night.

The game was tied at 53-53 at halftime and at 74-74 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was just as exciting.

The Magic started the final period strong, scoring 10 of the first 12 points, including three baskets by Wagner.

Franz Wagner (NBA)

Orlando led 97-87 with 4:07 left, but Philadelphia made a strong push. McCain’s 3-pointer and Maxey’s layup helped the 76ers score 13 of the next 17 points. However, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made two free throws with eight seconds left, putting the Magic ahead 103-100.

Maxey tried a running 3-pointer on the other end, hoping for a foul, but there was no call and the shot missed. Wagner then made two free throws to seal the win.

Wagner had 11 points in the first quarter, helping the Magic lead 34-22 after the opening period.

Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac (14 points) hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 15 points. But the 76ers responded and cut the lead to 44-42 with a layup from McCain. The Magic extended their lead to seven points, but McCain and Maxey helped the 76ers tie the game at halftime.

The Sixers took a six-point lead early in the third quarter, but Wagner scored six straight points to tie the game. From then on, the teams stayed close, with the lead never more than three points apart for the rest of the period.

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The Knicks claimed the top spot in their NBA Cup group, while the Magic also moved on to the next round despite a defeat

New York Knicks and Orlando Magic

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for the New York Knicks with 23 points and 15 rebounds on Tuesday night, as they defeated the Orlando Magic 121-106 to win the NBA Cup’s East Group A title. This victory also secured their spot in the quarterfinals.

Josh Hart contributed a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Knicks finished their group play with a perfect 4-0 record and will host the East Group C champion Atlanta Hawks in the quarterfinals next week.

Other notable performances for New York came from Jalen Brunson, who scored 21 points, Mikal Bridges with 19 points, and OG Anunoby and Miles McBride, who each added 18 points. This win marked their eighth victory in the last 10 games.

For the Magic, Franz Wagner scored 30 points, while Moritz Wagner had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando finished Group A with a 3-1 record, and despite the loss, their strong finish ensured they secured a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They will face the East Group B champion Milwaukee Bucks next week.

Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns (NBA)

The Magic were at risk of losing the tiebreaker for the wild-card spot if they lost by 37 or more points, but they mounted a strong comeback in the final stages. After trailing by 37 points late in the third quarter, Orlando ended the game with a 40-18 run to make the score more respectable.

Jalen Suggs added 14 points, and Cole Anthony contributed 10 points off the bench for Orlando.

The game started with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Franz Wagner scoring all of Orlando’s points in a 14-6 run, but the Knicks quickly took control, scoring the next 11 points. Towns’ layup gave New York the lead at 15-14, and they never trailed again.

The Knicks extended their lead to 36-27 by the end of the first quarter and were ahead by double digits for most of the game. By the third quarter, they had stretched their lead to 103-66.

Orlando fought back in the final period, scoring 16 of the last 18 points, but the Knicks held on to secure the win and the group title.

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Franz Wagner and the Magic maintain their dominance over the Nets

Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets

Franz Wagner scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and made eight assists while having a tough time shooting on Sunday, as the Orlando Magic extended their winning streak to six games with a 100-92 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Orlando has now won 12 of their last 13 games and defeated the Nets for the third time this season in a game that featured 60 personal fouls between the teams.

After scoring 29 points for the second time against the Nets this season on Friday, Wagner struggled with his shooting, making only 4 of 17 field goals. However, he made 12 of 14 free throws, including two after taking a hit to the face from Nic Claxton, which led to Claxton’s ejection with 18 seconds remaining.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 points, including a key 3-pointer that gave Orlando the lead and started a 17-9 run to close the game.

Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 14 points for the Magic, who shot 45.9 percent (34 of 74) from the field despite missing 21 of 28 3-point attempts. Moritz Wagner and Jalen Suggs each scored 12 points, and Goga Bitadze added 12 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets

Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 25 points but appeared to injure his ankle or hamstring in the final minute. Brooklyn also lost Ben Simmons to a bruised left knee. Dennis Schroder scored 20 points but struggled with his shooting, making only 6 of 19 attempts. The Nets shot 38 percent (30 of 79) from the field and missed 23 of 31 3-point shots, including 11 in a row at one point.

The game was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than five points. The first half saw 14 lead changes and 11 ties, and the teams were tied at 50 at halftime. Caldwell-Pope gave Orlando a 69-59 lead with two consecutive baskets late in the third quarter, and the Magic took a 75-69 lead into the final period.

The Nets fought back from a 10-point deficit, using a 20-9 run to take a 79-78 lead on a 3-pointer by Schroder with 9:48 left in the game. Caldwell-Pope hit another 3-pointer to break an 83-83 tie with 6:22 left, and Bitadze’s dunk with just over four minutes remaining pushed Orlando’s lead to 96-86, helping them secure the win.