The Lead
Jalen Suggs racked up a career-high 26 points to go along with nine assists and Paolo Banchero tallied 22 points, as the Orlando Magic rallied from 16 down to outlast the defending-champion Golden State Warriors in a thrilling 130-129 victory on Thursday night at Amway Center.
Clutch Plays
Suggs made a pair of huge threes in the final two minutes, including one that broke a tie with 37.7 seconds left. Playing in just his fourth game of the year, the 21-year-old then stole a Stephen Curry pass and immediately got fouled, making one of his two free throws. Klay Thompson pulled the Warriors within one with a corner triple, but subsequently missed a potential game-winning baseline floater as time expired.
Key Stats
The Magic took 46 free throws, their most since also attempting 46 on March 20, 2017. They made 33 of them, 23 more than the Warriors. They also grabbed 11 more rebounds. Both teams shot it well from 3-point range – Golden State 44.2 percent and Orlando 43.3 percent.
Interesting Notes
The Magic’s bench outscored the Warriors’ reserves 45-23. Chuma Okeke led the second unit with a season-high 16 points, while R.J. Hampton scored 15 and two-way contract player Kevon Harris had 12. Orlando totaled 43 points in the third quarter and 34 in the fourth.
Interesting Fact
This was the Magic’s fifth straight win over the Warriors at Amway Center.
Quote of the Day
"Somebody that size to be that skilled is really impressive ...Really talented prospect. It will be really fun to watch him develop.” – Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr on Banchero
Injury Report
Terrence Ross (left knee contusion), Cole Anthony (right internal oblique muscle injury), Markelle Fultz (toe), Moe Wagner (sprained right midfoot), Gary Harris (left knee rehabilitation), and Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) were unavailable for the Magic. Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring) and Andre Iguodala (hip) were out for the Warriors.
This Day in History
In the regular season opener on Nov. 3, 2004, Steve Francis scored 26 points and converted on a game-winning layup with two-tenths of a second left while drawing a foul against the Milwaukee Bucks. Grant Hill tallied 20 points, while Dwight Howard, in his first game with the Magic, had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Michael Redd led the Bucks with 19 points, while Keith Van Horn, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 1997, recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Rivals Report
The Warriors seem fine in their own building in San Francisco, where they are 3-1. That’s not been the case away from the Bay Area, however. They are now 0-5 outside of the Chase Center. Is this just some early season disorganization coming off a championship run, or is it something more pressing that could linger throughout the year and prevent them from contending once again? It’s certainly hard to gauge, but what’s clear is they probably need at least one or two of their unproven young talent to step up and make a big impact throughout the year.
Up Next
The Magic’s seven-game homestand continues Saturday at 5 p.m. when they welcome to town the Sacramento Kings. Like Orlando, Sacramento has held sizeable leads in a few of their losses, including on Wednesday in Miami where they led by seven in the fourth quarter. Their most consistent player so far this year has been Kevin Huerter, who’s averaging 18.9 points and shooting a scorching 51.8 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter was traded to the Kings over the summer from the Hawks.