Lopsided victory over Memphis ends Magic’s 3-game slide
The Magic closed out their March on Saturday searching to return to their standard of basketball by facing the Grizzlies on the second night of a back-to-back at Kia Center.
They found it with a 118-88 romp over the Grizzlies.
Orlando led 58-34 at halftime and finished with seven players in double figures, led by 15 points each from center Wendell Carter Jr. along with guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. The Magic shot 22-of-44 on 3-pointers.
Playing with no rest between games had been a challenge this season for Orlando, which had dropped three in a row heading into its matchup with Memphis (24-50).
Jamahl Mosley’s squad (43-31) entered the contest 4-9 on the second night of a back-to-back, and the unavailability of key players has impacted those games.
Orlando was without guard Gary Harris (right plantar fascia injury maintenance) and forward Jonathan Isaac (right hamstring injury maintenance) against Memphis.
Harris played 24 minutes less than 24 hours earlier during Orlando’s 3-point loss to the Clippers. Friday’s contest was the veteran’s first after he missed two games due to the right plantar fascia strain.
Isaac, who missed his 21st game of the season Saturday, previously sat out seven games (Dec. 29-Jan. 9) due to a right hamstring strain, and his availability in both games of a back-to-back has varied throughout the season.
Against the Clippers, he played 16 minutes while grabbing 5 rebounds and recording 2 blocks with 3 points.
Although the Magic were without Isaac and Harris, point guard Markelle Fultz returned to the court. Fultz wasn’t available Friday against the Clippers due to left knee injury maintenance.
He previously missed 27 games in a row due to left knee tendinitis.
While Fultz came off the bench, it was second-year pro Caleb Houstan who replaced Harris in Orlando’s starting lineup.
A 3-and-D player, Houstan entered Saturday’s contest having made at least one 3-pointer in his last five games (5 of 6 for Orlando).
Despite the impact of role players such as Houstan, Fultz, Harris and Isaac, the success of the Magic heading into the postseason ultimately will depend on the play of first-time All-Star Paolo Banchero (13 points vs. Memphis) and forward Franz Wagner (13).
Banchero averaged 21.4 points in 13 games during March heading into Saturday but he was not pleased with his level of play, especially Friday vs. Los Angeles.
The second-year forward averaged 3.8 turnovers in that same stretch while shooting 32.8% from 3-point range. In comparison, Banchero shot 38.1% from 3 in February while averaging just 2.7 turnovers.
“I’ve just got to be better overall — in all aspects,” he said Friday night. “I don’t like how I’m playing right now, so I’ve just got to work on it.”
Mosley appreciated Banchero taking responsibility for his recent play and feels confident about his ability to bounce back in the final eight games of the regular season.
“He has such a high level of maturity about himself,” Mosley said pre-game Saturday. “He also has a level of responsibility that he puts on himself more than probably anyone else does.
“He knows what he’s capable of doing and when he doesn’t feel like he’s doing it, he’s going to do the things that are necessary to get himself back on track.”
Orlando will wrap up its season-high 8-game homestand Monday against Portland before a quick 3-game trip.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
