Postgame Story

Josh Cohen

R.J. Hampton racked up a career-high 21 points, Mo Bamba also had 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds, Markelle Fultz set a new career high in assists with 15 of them, and the Magic matched a franchise record with 23 made 3-pointers in Sunday’s 125-111 victory over the Miami Heat at Amway Center in the season finale.

Devin Cannady, whom the Magic re-signed Sunday after his 10-day contract expired, drilled the final 3-pointer with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter. Chuma Okeke and Bamba each buried five threes and Hampton and Cannady each knocked down four of them. The other time Orlando made 23 threes was on Jan. 13, 2009 at Sacramento. It was the fifth time ever the Magic hit 20 or more triples.

Franz Wagner (right ankle), Cole Anthony (left toe), Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Jimmy Butler (not with team), Kyle Lowry (rest), Bam Adebayo (health and safety protocols), Tyler Herro (knee), P.J. Tucker (calf), Markieff Morris (hip) and Dewayne Dedmon (ankle) were unavailable for Miami.

Shaquille O’Neal recorded 39 points and 13 rebounds, Dennis Scott tallied 18 points, and Penny Hardaway posted 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals, as the Magic rolled past the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 10, 1996. Dan Majerle, who played just one season in Cleveland, led the Cavs with 25 points, while Terrell Brandon had 19 points.

The Heat are the top Eastern Conference playoff seed for the fourth time in franchise history, with 2013 being the last time they were in that spot. Should Miami be the favorites to come out of the East? Certainly, in their favor over any of the other contenders, including Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn, is depth. They are legitimately eight, nine guys deep, and that bench of theirs could propel them in at least one or two series. Herro is a lock for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Adebayo is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, and Erik Spoelstra is in the running for Coach of the Year.

As part of the Orlando Magic's continuing commitment to the Central Florida community, the team distributed 13 $50,000 grants and four $100,000 focus area grants totaling $1,050,000 to 17 grantee organizations through the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) in a surprise ceremony on April 10 at the Amway Center. Over the past 32 years, more than $27 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations through the OMYF.

"On behalf of the entire DeVos family, we are so honored to be able to give back to this great Orlando community each year on this very important day. The foundation of our family has always been one surrounded in community work. I truly am honored to be able to share in the excitement of all of these very deserving organizations." – Magic Chairman Dan DeVos

With the 2021-22 season a wrap, the Magic now turn their attention to the NBA Draft, which will take place June 23. Leading up to that will be an extensive prospect evaluation process. The Magic could pick anywhere between one and six, with the lottery happening on May 17 to determine the order. Several of the Magic’s current players have said they plan to stay in Orlando for a big portion of the summer to continue working on their craft.

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Magic Match Team 3-Point Record in Season-Finale Win Over Heat

Markelle Fultz, making his second straight start, recorded 12 points, five rebounds, and six assists and Chuma Okeke, also in the starting lineup with Orlando so shorthanded, tallied 20 points, but the Magic had no answer for the Charlotte Hornets’ fast-paced offense in Thursday’s 128-101 loss at the Spectrum Center.

The Hornets blew the game open in the second quarter behind a 20-2 run. Montrezl Harrell, acquired by Charlotte at the trade deadline from Washington, scored six of his 14 points during that surge, while LaMelo Ball had five of his 26 points.

Charlotte totaled 27 fast break points, a category they rank second in the league in behind Memphis. They also took 27 free throws, 14 more than Orlando. The Magic had 16 turnovers, slightly above their season average.

Franz Wagner (right ankle), Cole Anthony (left toe), Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Gary Harris (personal reasons), Jonathan Isaac (left knee), Admiral Schofield (knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Mo Bamba left in the first quarter with a right ankle sprain. Gordon Hayward (foot) was unavailable for Charlotte.

On April 7, 2019, the Magic clinched their first playoff berth since 2012 with a victory in Boston. Terrence Ross scored 26 points off the bench, Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 12 rebounds, Evan Fournier tallied 24 points, and D.J. Augustin dished out 13 assists. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 23 points.

Expect the Hornets this offseason, even if they somehow make the playoffs, to add a defensive ace or two to their roster. While electric offensively with Ball running the show, their 24th-ranked defense made them very inconsistent. Charlotte had some of the wildest streaks throughout this season. In one stretch in late November, they won eight out of nine. In another stretch in late January-early February, they lost 11 of 13.

“I think that my body has been doing a great job of responding. Of course, just listening to the training staff and doing what I need to do as far as recovery – my body has done an unbelievable job. I’m just happy to be where I’m at today and be able to finish out the season strong.” – Fultz

The Magic’s 2021-22 season comes to an end Sunday when they host the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. It remains to be seen if the Heat will have anything at stake for this matchup. They can clinch the No. 1 seed in the East with a win over the Hawks on Friday. If they do end up entering the playoffs as the top seed in the conference, it would be the fourth time doing so in franchise history.

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Shorthanded Magic Unable to Keep Pace With Hornets

Markelle Fultz, making his first start of the season, posted 16 points, two rebounds and six assists, Mo Bamba recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds and Jalen Suggs, back after missing the last 10 games with an ankle sprain, had four points and two assists, as the Orlando Magic hung on for a 120-115 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Amway Center.

Ignas Brazdeikis, one of eight Magic players to score in double figures with a season-high 20 points, connected on a floater with 28.5 seconds left to put Orlando up five. After Darius Garland drilled a 3-pointer on Cleveland’s ensuing possession, R.J. Hampton buried a pair of game-sealing free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining.

Bamba made all five of his 3-pointers in the first quarter. It’s the second time this season he drilled five triples in a quarter, also doing so in the second period of Orlando’s Jan. 19 game at Philadelphia. He’s one of only eight players in Magic history to knock down five threes in a quarter and the only one to do it twice.

Franz Wagner’s return to the lineup following a one-game absence due to a sprained left ankle was cut short after spraining his other ankle seven minutes into Tuesday’s game. Cole Anthony (left toe), Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Jonathan Isaac (left knee), Admiral Schofield (knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Evan Mobley (ankle), Jarrett Allen (finger), Dean Wade (knee) and Collin Sexton (knee) were unavailable for Cleveland.

During their late-season playoff push in 2019, the Magic put up 149 points, their third most in franchise history, in a blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks on April 5, 2019. Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross each scored 25 points, while Aaron Gordon filled up the box score with 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Trae Young led the Hawks with 22 points.

Even if they make the playoffs, nobody expects the Cavs to have much of a chance at knocking off any of the higher-seeded Eastern Conference teams in the opening round. The fact that they are even in this position says plenty about how far they’ve come in a short period of time, however. Going from being a bottom five defensive team last season to top five this year speaks volumes about the direction they are headed.

“We’ve talked about during the backside of this being able to look at different combinations, different guys out there together. Now, this is one of those opportunities where you have Franz out there, Jalen out there, Markelle out there – just with different guys and different combinations, what that will look like moving forward.” – Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley

The Magic’s last road game of the season will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Charlotte Hornets. While they’ve already secured a play-in tournament spot, Charlotte is hoping to jump to eighth in the standings, which would give them two cracks at qualifying for the playoffs. Entering Tuesday’s game against the Heat, the Hornets had won eight of their last 11 games.

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Markelle Fultz Starts, Jalen Suggs Returns in Magic’s Victory Over Cavs

Playing without most of their normal starters, the Orlando Magic shot just 35 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in a 118-88 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday at Amway Center.

The Knicks, trailing by one with just under four minutes left in the second quarter, closed the half on a 13-2 run. Evan Fournier started the surge with a baseline jumper, Mitchell Robinson followed with a dunk, and RJ Barrett buried a 3-pointer during that tide-turning stretch.

Moe Wagner led five Magic players in double figures with 18 points, while Ignas Brazdeikis matched his season high with 13 points and Markelle Fultz finished with 11 points, three rebounds and six assists. Immanuel Quickley recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks, while Barrett scored 27 points and Obi Toppin matched his career high with 20 points.

Franz Wagner (left ankle), Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee), Admiral Schofield (knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. A sprained left big toe limited Cole Anthony to just three minutes. Julius Randle (quadriceps), Nerlens Noel (foot), Kemba Walker (personal reasons), Derrick Rose (ankle) and Cam Reddish (shoulder) were unavailable for New York.

Anthony Bowie tallied 24 points, Scott Skiles posted 22 points and 12 assists and Bison Dele scored 21 in Orlando’s overtime win over San Antonio on April 3, 1992. Antoine Carr led the Spurs with 30 points, while Terry Cummings recorded 24 points and 24 rebounds.

This was obviously a disappointing year for the Knicks. Most thought they’d at minimum be in the play-in tournament. Where they go from here will be an interesting topic around the league this summer. One thing they must be excited about is the emergence of Barrett, who since the All-Star break is averaging 25 points. Toppin has also played well of late, with double-digit scoring games in seven of his last eight games.

“Staying aggressive doesn’t necessarily mean scoring the ball, but just constant pressure on the defense when I have the ball in my hands, trying to make plays, keep us organized. And then on the defensive end, same thing – bringing that energy, trying to get better ball pressure, guarding screens, communicating to my teammates. (We need to) continue to build for what we’re trying to build for the future.” – Fultz

The Magic wrap up their three-game homestand against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Cavs, currently two games behind the Bulls for sixth, are hoping a strong finish to the regular season will keep them out of the play-in tournament. Even more important for them, though, is getting Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley back from their injuries. Allen, a first-time NBA All-Star this season, has missed the last 14 games with a fractured finger, while Mobley sprained his ankle against the Magic last week.

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Shorthanded Magic Go Cold in Loss to Knicks

Ignas Brazdeikis, playing big minutes after Franz Wagner left the game in the opening minute with a sprained left ankle, matched his season high with 13 points, Mo Bamba filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists and Devin Cannady, in his first game after signing a 10-day deal, tallied nine points, but the long and fast Toronto Raptors were too much for the Magic to contend with in Friday’s 102-89 loss at Amway Center.

The Raptors took a 13-point lead into halftime after trailing by three just several minutes earlier. Pascal Siakam scored six straight Toronto points during their 20-4 run to close the period. After Markelle Fultz, who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists, sparked Orlando’s early fourth-quarter rally, late buckets from OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes helped Toronto pull away.

Wagner didn’t return after spraining his left ankle while defending Barnes in the post on the game’s first possession. Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Malachi Flynn (hamstring) and Yuta Watanabe (quad) were unavailable for Toronto.

This wasn’t the first time the Magic and Raptors squared off on an April 1. In 2001, then in Toronto, Tracy McGrady scored 24 points against his former team and Darrell Armstrong had 22 as the Magic edged the Raptors. Vince Carter led Toronto with 28 points and 11 assists, while Charles Oakley and Antonio Davis each scored 18 points.

Why is no one talking about the Raptors? Since the start of the calendar year, they are 30-15, second-best in the Eastern Conference. During this time, they are second in the league in second-chance points and fourth in both points off turnovers and fast-break points. An argument could be made that Pascal Siakam has been a top 10 NBA player since the All-Star break, averaging 23.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists over those 19 games.

Earlier on Friday, the Magic signed Cannady, a 6-foot-2 combo guard, to a 10-day contract. Playing in 16 games with Lakeland this season after returning from an ankle injury he suffered while on a two-way deal with the Magic last year, the Princeton alum averaged 15.8 points while shooting 46.8 percent from 3-point range. Last season, he was named the G League Finals MVP after helping Lakeland capture the franchise’s first ever championship.

“It means everything. First and foremost, obviously, thanks to the Magic organization for sticking with me, staying by my side through the injury, believing in me, investing in me in Lakeland, and to get me back healthy. Once I was healthy, putting the product on the floor obviously got me here in the first place. Just being back feels great. My reception here was like a family, a warm welcoming. It was awesome.” – Cannady

The Magic’s three-game homestand continues Sunday when they take on the New York Knicks at 6 p.m. Although officially eliminated from playoff/play-in contention, the Knicks have won nine of their last 14 games. During this stretch, they are fourth in defense and 12th in offense. RJ Barrett, about to wrap up his third NBA season, is averaging 25.7 points since the All-Star break, 18th most in the league.

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Magic Unable to Keep Pace With Raptors

Franz Wagner posted 28 points and Markelle Fultz stuffed the stat sheet with a season-high 19 points, three rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks, but the Orlando Magic, despite leading by as many as 12 in the first half, fell 127-110 to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena.

The Wizards went on a 10-2 run midway through the fourth quarter to build a double-digit lead. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope started the surge with a 3-pointer, Daniel Gafford slammed home a dunk and Kristaps Porzingis tipped in a miss during that stretch.

For just the fourth time since the All-Star break, a Magic opponent shot 50-plus percent from the field. The Wizards dished out 35 assists and they had nine blocks, their second most this season. Orlando did outscore Washington in the paint 52-48.

Wendell Carter Jr. (left wrist), Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Bradley Beal (wrist), Kyle Kuzma (knee) and Vernon Carey Jr. (hip) were unavailable for Washington.

One of Orlando’s big wins down the stretch of the 2018-19 season came against the Pacers in Indiana on March 30. Aaron Gordon stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Nikola Vucevic scored 19 and Terrence Ross had 16. The Magic won 11 of their last 13 games that season, securing the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Luka Doncic and Porzingis certainly weren’t a bad duo, but it never felt like the two of them together were going to lead the Mavs to a title. Will a Beal-Porzingis tandem, assuming Beal stays in the nation’s capital, produce better long-term results for the Wizards? Interesting about Porzingis is that he’s averaging over 20 points since the trade to the Wizards despite shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range.

“You got to earn everything here. They don’t care who you are – if you’re a big-time player or if you’re a nobody. If you are going to get an opportunity, you got to show yourself and prove yourself every time. It’s not something that you establish when you walk somewhere. You are just always going to get everyone’s best shot. I think that’s something we carry with us everywhere we go, just trying to prove ourselves no matter where we are at.” – Fultz on what it means to grow up playing basketball in the Washington metropolitan area, also known as the DMV

The Magic start a three-game homestand on Friday at 7 p.m. against the Toronto Raptors. This will be the Raptors’ only trip to Orlando this season. Since Jan. 1, Toronto has the Eastern Conference’s second-best record at 28-15. They’ve won nine of their last 11 and are just a half-game back of Chicago for fifth place in the East. Recently, they won all five games of a West Coast trip, something they hadn’t ever done before in franchise history.

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Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz Have Strong Performances Despite Loss to Wizards

Wendell Carter Jr., back following a two-game absence, filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Ignas Brazdeikis, getting big minutes, matched a season high with 13 points in the Orlando Magic’s 107-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday night.

With the Magic playing all their reserves down the stretch, the Cavs went from down two midway through the fourth to up 10 with a minute and change left. Lauri Markkanen buried a 3-pointer to start the run and Darius Garland, who finished with 25 points and 12 assists, connected on back-to-back shots, including a step-back 28-footer with 2:25 remaining.

The Magic scored 62 points in the paint, 17 more than their season average, and dished out 31 assists, tied for their fourth most this season. They held the Cavs to just 31.7 percent 3-point shooting. Turnovers were a problem, however, as the 17 they had led to 27 Cleveland points. Also, the Cavs took 10 more free throws than the Magic.

Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Jarrett Allen (finger), Dean Wade (knee), Collin Sexton (knee) and Rajon Rondo (ankle) were unavailable for Cleveland. Evan Mobley left the game early with a sprained left ankle.

Late in the 1999-00 season, the Magic made a strong playoff push with a seven-game winning streak. In the middle of that torrid stretch was a blowout victory over the Boston Celtics on March 28, 2000. Ron Mercer scored 23 points, Chucky Atkins had 21 and Bo Outlaw recorded one of his two career triple-doubles with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Dana Barros led the Celtics with 19 points.

Are the Cavs just a nice story, or are they a legitimate threat to any of the teams sitting near the top in the Eastern Conference standings? They really miss Allen, as they are just 5-6 since he fractured a finger on March 6. If Cleveland does make the playoffs – which is still iffy – and the 6-foot-11, 243-pound center is back, could they shock some people in the opening round? Believers in Cleveland will point to their defense. Before Allen’s injury, they had the league’s fourth-best defensive rating.

“It’s super exciting. It’s their first time meeting in the March Madness tournament...It’s always a lot of fun just knowing the school you went to is doing a really good job right now. It’s always fun to see that kind of stuff.” – Carter Jr. on his alma mater, Duke, playing rival UNC in the Final Four

The Magic will square off against the Wizards in the nation’s capital on Wednesday at 7 p.m. This will be the first time Orlando will play against Washington since they acquired Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline. The 7-foot-3 Latvian, an All-Star earlier in his career with New York, is averaging 21.4 points and 8.2 rebounds since coming over from Dallas.

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Magic Unable to Ward Off Cavs After Erasing 20-Point Deficit

Franz Wagner posted 19 points and nine rebounds, Mo Bamba recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds and Markelle Fultz had 16 points, but the Orlando Magic, who led by seven with a little over a minute left in regulation, were unable to hold off the Sacramento Kings in Saturday’s 114-110 overtime loss at Amway Center.

Davion Mitchell, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, connected on a game-tying layup with 12.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter after stripping the ball from Cole Anthony in the backcourt. In the extra session, Donte DiVincenzo hit a tying 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining and Harrison Barnes, on Sacramento’s ensuing possession, drilled a go-ahead triple with 12 ticks left.

The Kings took 17 more free throws than the Magic. The two teams combined for 34 offensive rebounds. Sacramento led by as many as 13 in the first half, while  Orlando led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter.

Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle, wrist), Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. De’Aaron Fox (hand), Domantas Sabonis (knee), Richaun Holmes (personal reasons) and Terence Davis (wrist) were unavailable for Sacramento.

In what may have been the most important regular season game in franchise history, the Magic, behind 24 points and 16 rebounds from Nikola Vucevic and 19 points from Isaac, beat the Heat in Miami on March 26, 2019. With the win, the Magic jumped over the Heat for eighth place in the East. Orlando ultimately made the playoffs, while Miami did not. Dion Waiters led the Heat with 26 points, while Dwyane Wade, playing in his last NBA season, scored 22 points.

On paper, a Fox-Sabonis tandem sounds impressive. Fox is electric. Sabonis is crafty. Neither shoot the 3-ball well, but they could become a great pick-and-roll duo. The blend comes with concerns, though. For one, neither are great defenders, and the Kings have been abysmal on that end the last several years. Also, isn’t Fox best playing at a fast pace and Sabonis best playing at a more methodical pace? The Kings need to figure out the right supporting cast around these two that will hide each of their flaws while accentuating their respective strengths.

“The philosophy that we used down in Lakeland is very similar to Orlando here, and that helps with the transition a lot because terminology is kind of similar, the way things are ran, the programs are kind of similar. And it’s great that the G League and the NBA team is so close together. It makes everything a lot easier for that transition. It’s just one big organization that can follow one another, trust one another, and make the transition a lot easier.” – Jeff Dowtin Jr., who signed a 10-day contract with Orlando earlier this week

The Magic head out on the road for two, starting with a trip to Cleveland to take on the Cavs on Monday at 7 p.m. The Cavs, currently tied for sixth in the East with the Raptors and just one game back of the Bulls for fifth, are trying to lock up a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament. Just 4-8 in their last 12, Cleveland has missed Jarrett Allen, who is nursing a fractured finger. A first-time NBA All-Star this season, he is expected back before the regular season ends.

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Magic Come Up Short in OT Loss to Kings

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Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.