Aiming to secure a winning record in a three-game road trip that concludes with Friday’s visit to the Chicago Bulls, the Orlando Magic will look to build upon a clutch performance that boosted them Wednesday.
Paolo Banchero swished the go-ahead layup with 7.5 seconds left to lift the Magic to a 112-110 win at Indiana.
Orlando trailed by 10 points in the third quarter but rallied behind Banchero (29 points, 10 rebounds) and a deep attack that included Desmond Bane (18 points) and Anthony Black (15).
“We just had to battle it out and play to the final buzzer,” Banchero said.
Monday’s 107-106 loss in Toronto to open the trip saw the Magic stumble in that regard; they squandered a 21-point second-quarter lead while tallying just 12 points in the fourth quarter.
While Orlando remains without top scorer Franz Wagner (high ankle sprain), the team is getting closer to full health after welcoming point guard Jalen Suggs (hip) back to the lineup after a seven-game absence.
Suggs contributed 11 points and three assists at Indiana.
“Great to see him back out there, great to have him out there,” Banchero said of Suggs. “Just his energy out there, he’s just a huge part of the team. So when he’s out there, I just think we’re better.”
Chicago knows too well about the impact injuries can have on cohesion. The Bulls’ top two scorers – Josh Giddey and Coby White – recently were sidelined by a left hamstring strain and right calf tightness, respectively, and will sit out Friday.
Center Zach Collins (right toe sprain) also is out for at least another week.
On Wednesday, shorthanded Chicago stopped a two-game skid with a 134-118 win against New Orleans to improve to 1-2 on a five-game homestand.
Sparked by Isaac Okoro’s season-best 24 points and double-doubles from Tre Jones and Jalen Smith, the Bulls placed eight scorers in double figures. Each starter contributed at least 14 points.
“That’s how we’ve been winning,” Jones said. “Guys down (now), we need everyone on the team; depth is one of our main things. Having that many guys in double figures, we need that to continue to stack these wins. Definitely a good way to go out in the year and head into a new year on a good note.”
The winner of Friday’s game will earn at least a split of the season series. The visiting Bulls topped the Magic by 12 on Oct. 25 behind 21 points from Giddey before Orlando defended its home court with a 125-120 victory on Dec. 1. Bane scored 37 points, a season-high total he has achieved three times, in that win.
Orlando has won seven of 10 the series with Chicago but has been susceptible to one of its former players lately.
Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who spent parts of nine seasons with the Magic before joining the Bulls in a midseason trade in 2020-21, has posted a double-double in seven of his past 10 games against Orlando. He is averaging 17.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game over that span.
