After a thrilling overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks, the Orlando Magic's aspirations of closing out their two-game homestand on a high note were dashed by a 113-92 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. The Magic, facing the top team in the Western Conference, encountered significant challenges, exacerbated by the absence of key rotational players Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Joe Ingles, Gary Harris, Jonathan Isaac and Admiral Schofield.
Let's dive into three reactions from Orlando's disappointing loss to the Wolves.
Shorthanded Magic lose Cole Anthony to thigh injury
The injury woes continued for Orlando when Cole Anthony, who had previously battled a right quad contusion, tweaked his right thigh, restricting him to just seven minutes on the court. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley addressed Anthony's situation on the postgame podium, noting “that that right thigh contusion kind of flared up on him again.”
The loss of Anthony, a crucial spark plug off the bench, severely impacted the already shorthanded Magic.
Coach Jamahl Mosley explains why Cole Anthony only played 7 minutes in tonight’s loss to the Timberwolves. #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/scIU6rTKeu
— Julian Ojeda (@jowepafm) January 10, 2024
“When you’re down bodies you need as many as you can have in those moments and so it’s tough,” Mosley said, “but you have to give our guys credit in that second half, the eight guys that came out there and played they gave it everything they had.”
Markelle Fultz is slowly finding rhythm
Fultz, making strides in his return to the court after a two-month hiatus due to injury, is cautiously working his way back into the team's rhythm. In Tuesday's game, Fultz played a total of 12 minutes, contributing four points,two assists and three rebounds.
This performance, though modest, signals a positive direction for Fultz, who had previously gone scoreless in his first game back against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. His deliberate approach, characterized by picking his shots carefully, resulted in a total of seven field goal attempts in Tuesday’s loss, indicating a measured return to form.
Markelle Fultz gets his first bucket since his 2-month absence. #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/JL1ApM6v2o
— Julian Ojeda (@jowepafm) January 10, 2024
Mosley shared his perspective on Fultz's comeback, emphasizing the need for a broader evaluation period to fully gauge his progress.
“I think we’ll have to look at a couple more games before I can fully assess what that looks like,” he said of Fultz after the game. “I know they talk about it analytically it’s a small sample size, and this is a very small sample size and basically 27 minutes of play.”
Paolo Banchero goes cold, Jalen Suggs shines
Paolo Banchero, who had been on a remarkable run in recent games with averages of 32.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists, marking him as the first Magic player in franchise history to achieve such numbers over a six-game span, faced an unexpected downturn against the Timberwolves. Struggling to get comfortable from the opening tip, Banchero finished with 18 points on 8-for-22 shooting, a stark contrast to his recent level of play.
His difficulties were especially evident in the first half of the game, when he scored only seven points on 3-for-13 shooting, contributing a sizable Magic deficit that once reached 30 points. This performance was uncharacteristic for Banchero, who also recorded four turnovers and ended the game with a -34 plus-minus, further reflecting the challenges he faced on the court against basketball's best defense.
In contrast to Banchero's struggles, Jalen Suggs emerged as a key player for Orlando. Suggs finished with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals, showcasing his skill as one of the league’s elite 3-and-D players. His contribution included four triples, a testament to his growing confidence and ability as a long-range shooter.
Suggs remarked on the Magic's recent challenges after the game, refuting the assumption a rash of injuries have begun taking their toll.
“No. I don’t think it’s taking its toll. I think that’s like Mose [Coach Mosley] said: ‘It’s part of this business we’re in,'” he said. “We sign up knowing we’re playing 82. Hopefully playing some as you get past April and into playoff basketball. For as tough as this is, for the days that you’re tired, you know, you can’t take it for granted because I’ve had the days where I couldn’t get on the court. I couldn’t get better. I couldn’t be around the team. No, it’s not taking a toll. It’s part of life. It's part of battling every day and [you] just kind of have to stay at it.”
Orlando, now standing at a record of 21-16 and holding the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, are looking forward to an opportunity to regain its momentum. The Magic are set to embark on a four-game road trip, beginning with a tough game against the Miami Heat on Friday night at 5:00 p.m. (PT).
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