The Lead
Paolo Banchero erupted for 30 points, his second straight 30-plus-point performance, and Franz Wagner filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, five rebounds and seven assists, but the Orlando Magic were unable to slow down the hot-shooting Houston Rockets in Monday’s 134-127 loss at Amway Center.
Key Stat
The Rockets were sizzling all night from long distance. They made 24 3-pointers, tied for the second-most in a game against the Magic. Jalen Green, who finished with 34 points, drilled five of them, while Kenyon Martin Jr. made four and Kevin Porter Jr., who flirted with a triple-double with 17 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, connected on three triples. On Oct. 22, 2021, the Knicks also knocked down 24 threes against Orlando. The Jazz have the record for the most triples made against the Magic with 26 of them on April 3, 2021.
Interesting Fact
Banchero joined Shaquille O’Neal and Dennis Scott as the only rookies in franchise history to score 30-plus points in back-to-back games.
Key Stretch
After a Mo Bamba layup pulled the Magic within three with 9:30 left in the fourth quarter, the Rockets responded with 12 unanswered points. Alperen Sengun started the run with an AND-1; and then Daishen Nix, Tari Eason, and Martin each hit 3-pointers.
Side Note
With just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Banchero turned his left ankle while getting fouled on a driving layup attempt. He played the remainder of the game, but did run with a slight limp.
Quote of the Day
“Rebounding has always been a part of my game since forever, so trying to stay on the glass. We have a lot of size, so we want to control the glass and take advantage of it. That’s a place where we can kind of dominate a game, whether it’s holding teams to one shot or getting extra shots for us.” – Banchero
Injury Report
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 out for the Magic. Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) and Bruno Fernando (knee) were unavailable for the Rockets
This Day in History
One of the Magic’s most memorable wins last season came on Nov. 7 with the Jazz in town. Anthony erupted for 33 points and Wendell Carter Jr. filled up the box score with 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in that thrilling victory. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, now on different teams, each had 21 points for Utah, while Royce O’Neale, also now playing elsewhere, tallied 14 points.
Rivals Report
The Rockets have struggled early in the season largely because their best two offensive players, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., have been extremely inefficient. Entering Monday’s action, both were shooting under 40 percent from the field. The good news for Houston, nonetheless, is that like Orlando they are very young with a ton of room for growth. Also, when they traded James Harden to the Nets early in the 2020-21 season, they gained a plethora of future first round draft picks, which could help expedite their rebuild.
Up Next
For the second time in 10 days, the Magic and Dallas Mavericks will square off. This meeting will take place in Orlando at the Amway Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Mavs defeated the Magic on Oct. 30 in Dallas. Luka Doncic, the league’s scoring leader, erupted for 44 points, the most points ever scored by a Mav against the Magic. Banchero led Orlando with 18 points, while Carter and R.J. Hampton, a Dallas native, each scored 15.