By Luke Sylvia
ORLANDO -- The last time Orlando Magic fans occupied the Kia Center, it was Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs. On Friday night, it wasn't the playoffs, but some things were the same:
1) The Orlando Magic played a basketball game.
2) The fans showed out.
3) Orlando got the win, looking tough to beat at home.
For most of the game, the Magic seemed one play away from taking a commanding lead and putting the game away against the Brooklyn Nets, but couldn't seem to attain the play they needed. Then, with 9:59 left in the game, the moment came -- a Cole Anthony steal created a fast break dunk for Anthony Black that made the crowd reach decibel levels that cannot be safe for the human ear. This gave the Magic a 12-point lead, and they coasted to a 116-101 victory.
Something that will get overlooked is Paolo Banchero's performance. He struggled from the field, shooting 4/12, but that isn't what's going to get overlooked -- what will inevitably be overlooked is his ability to still make the right pass, making life easy for his teammates. Orlando's first eight field goals came by way of an assist. Of those eight assists, Banchero tallied five. He finished the game with nine assists and zero turnovers. He's yet to turn the ball over through the first two games.
Asking Head Coach, Jamahl Mosley, about Paolo's ability to do things well, despite inefficiencies from the field, he praised Brooklyn Head Coach, Jordi Fernandez, for his scheme on Banchero. He went on to say that Banchero still made the right reads and his teammates knocked down their shots.
Most impressively, Franz Wagner was incredible, ending the contest with 29 points on 10/19 shooting, boasting a perfect 6/6 from the free throw line and 3/6 from beyond the arc. From the tip, Wagner was asserting himself in every way. If Franz did anything tonight, it was put peoples' minds at ease after shooting 0/7 in the preseason from three.
And we can't forget the most efficient player in this one -- Franz Wagner's brother, Moritz Wagner. He only logged 15 minutes, but he shot 7/8 from the field, and 3/4 from the free throw line.
How We Got There
Despite the lead fluctuating throughout the game, one thing remained: Magic fans chanting, "Ref, you suck!" Jamahl Mosley even got in on the action as he received a technical foul for arguing a no-call following Anthony Black driving to the hoop and ending up on the ground.
In the final minutes of the third quarter, Orlando extended their lead to eleven after a smooth Kentavious Caldwell-Pope pump fake in the corner and swing pass to Gary Harris for three. Following that play, Anthony Black disrupted a pass that resulted in the Nets recovering the ball on the floor, forcing them to call the timeout.
Though they were winning by three at the half (49-46), Banchero was struggling, as he was held to zero field goals, tallying just four points, all of which came at the charity stripe.
One bright spot of the first half was Jalen Suggs' defense on Cam Thomas, who was coming off an efficient 36-point night in Atlanta. Thomas was held to 1-7 shooting in the first two quarters, as his life was made extremely difficult.
Here's another post about Suggs' defense on Friday night, this time from Senior Writer of The Athletic, Sam Vecenie.
It's early, but the Magic are about to encounter their first tough task of the season -- a back-to-back in Memphis. Ja Morant and his Grizzlies find themselves sitting at 1-1 following a win in Utah to start the year and a loss in Houston on Friday night. Orlando will serve as their home opener of the '24-'25 season.
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