Magic Overcome 15-point deficit to win for seventh time in last eight games

Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Paolo Banchero had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Cole Anthony had 15 points off the bench as the Orlando Magic overcame a 15-point second half deficit to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. On Wednesday, a 116-110 win over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.

Down by 15 with eight minutes and a turnover in the third quarter, the Magic used a 17-2 run over the next few minutes to tie the game. Moe Wagner made back-to-back buckets early in that stretch, while younger brother Franz made three of them, including a dunk off a steal to tie the score at 79. Orlando’s first lead of the night came when Anthony tripled in the 7th. :11 left in the final frame.

Markelle Fultz sank a pair of shots down the stretch, including one mid-range with 1:59 left that extended Orlando’s lead to six. After a layup by Kevin Porter Jr. that led to four, Banchero muscled his way to the basket for a layup with 48 seconds left to seal the win.

Orlando was the more aggressive team. They made 33 free throws, 16 more than Houston, and scored 50 points, 10 more than the Rockets. The Magic also kept their turnovers low with 11, while the Rockets saw it 17 times, resulting in 21 Magic points.

Gary Harris (right hamstring soreness), Wendell Carter Jr. (right plantar fascia strain), Jalen Suggs (right ankle soreness), Chuma Okeke (left knee surgery) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee injury recovery) were out for the Magic. Garrison Matthews (illness) and Ja’Sean Tate (ankle) were unavailable for the Rockets.

On December 21, 2015, Nikola Vucevic had 26 points, Tobias Harris had 20, and Evan Fournier had 16 as the Magic beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Lance Thomas led New York with 24 points, while Carmelo Anthony, who was still in the prime of his career, collected 23 points.

The Rockets have a lot of intriguing young talent, but there are still question marks about how they all fit together. Can a Porter/Jalen Green backcourt work long term? They are both goal-oriented guards, and neither has been effective this season. Alperen Sengun is another talented offensive player, but can Houston rely on him defensively during close games? And it’s far too early to draw any conclusions about Jabari Smith Jr. He’s a good outside shooter, but can he become a great outside shooter?

At that time, when he was a senior (in high school), he knew he was the best player. He knew everyone was afraid of him. So he just took advantage of it. I’ve always noticed that. It didn’t scare me, but it opened my eyes to what he was like and the competitor he is. It was an interesting experience. I was fourteen or fifteen (years old) then. I was a young kid. Banchero is the Porters’ trash-talking talent when the two went against each other in high school

The Magic return home to play at the Amway Center two days before Christmas and another two days after Christmas. The San Antonio Spurs are the first opponent, and tip-off is Friday at 7 p.m. Despite being very young and without a true superstar, the Spurs have been very competitive as of late. They have won four of their last six games, including Monday against the Rockets. Devin Vassell led seven Spurs in double figures with 26 points, while Jeremy Sochan, the ninth pick in the 2022 NBA draft, had 12 points and seven rebounds.