The Orlando Magic delivered a franchise-record shooting performance Thursday night, but it was veteran guard Jevon Carter who drew strong praise from head coach Jamahl Mosley after the 131-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Orlando drained 27 3-pointers in the win, setting a new franchise mark. Carter, playing in just his second game since signing with the team following the trade deadline more than two weeks ago, delivered his best performance in a Magic uniform. The 30-year-old finished with 14 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-for-8 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and added a free throw, posting a team-high plus-34 rating.
Carter joined Orlando after being waived by the Chicago Bulls at the start of February. The Magic quickly moved to add the veteran guard, valuing his defensive intensity and experience.
Mosley said Carter’s impact was immediate.
“He’s about the right things. He’s about winning, he’s about team, he’s about playing the right way and you saw as soon as he stepped on the court, it was pick up full court, talking in the huddles, getting guys in the right spots, stepping in with confidence to a shot,” Mosley said.
“But again, he’s about all the right things. He’s about winning, he’s about toughness. He fits exactly what we do here with the Magic – hard nose defense, creating your offense on the other end.”
Paolo Banchero highlights Jevon Carter’s energy in Magic’s historic win
Star forward Paolo Banchero, who led Orlando with 30 points, six assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block, echoed that sentiment. Banchero shot 10-for-21 from the field, 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in 32 minutes.
“Just his energy – his energy, his voice, obviously his play, he’s active on defense, shot maker on offense, he tries to make the right play as a point guard,” Banchero said. “I think he really fits into just kind of what we do… him being a guy that’s been in the league [for] a little minute he has a great perspective and just encouraging him to continue to use his voice out there.”
Carter credited unselfish play for the team’s historic shooting night.
“Just getting downhill, being unselfish, getting off of it, being aggressive, you know what I’m saying, just taking the shots that was there [and] not really thinking about it, passing them up. And just playing together,” Carter said.
He described the outing as a product of preparation and work.
“It was fun, I pride myself on hard work, you know, hard work always pays off. That’s a motto I live by. You know it was definitely a lot of fun being out there with the guys, really, really getting back into the swing of things.”
With the win, Orlando improved to 29-25, moving within a half-game of the Philadelphia 76ers (30-25) for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic continue their West Coast road trip Saturday against the Phoenix Suns (32-24) at 5:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV, with Carter’s early impact adding another layer of depth as the playoff race intensifies.
