It was heartbreak for Orlando against the Clippers as Reggie Jackson drilled a clutch game winning 2 in LA with 2.2 seconds remaining. For the Magic Terrence Ross hoisted a last gasp shot pull up three-pointer but was unable to connect as Orlando fell 104-106.
Cole Anthony had tied it for the Magic with a thrilling 3-pointer with 23.6 seconds left. His play in the final quarter had pushed Orlando into the position of challenging for the win, 9 of his points coming in the final 4 minutes.
In part the Magic had struggled offensively, living at the free throw line to keep in contention, making 22 of 24 attempts. By the final buzzer it was the three point accuracy of the Clippers that proved decisive, going 50% for the game on 18 from 36 attempts. Luke Kennard making 7 of his 11 attempts. Terence Mann made all 4 of his efforts from range.
Magic Top Performers
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 23 points.
Terrence Ross dropped 22 points, making all 13 of his free throws.
Whilst having a poor night scoring Wendell Carter Jr had 14 rebounds and a career high 7 assists.
Franz Wagner added 20 points as defensive attention from our opponents continues to be increasing.
Gary Harris continued his scoring since slotting into the starting lineup. He notched another double figure tally with 14 points.
Moving Forward After Heartbreak For Orlando Against The Clippers
Orlando play the second night of this back-to-back on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, a game that wraps up the five-game trip.
Orlando’s record is now 5 wins and 22 losses. The Magic stay 14th in the Eastern Conference. Of the last 10 games played the Magic have won just the 1, now being on a 4 game losing streak. The schedule has been very road heavy so far for Orlando. The home record stands at 2 wins of 10 games played, whilst on the road it is 3 wins in 17 played. In points per game the Magic score 101.6 whilst conceding 112. Offensive and defensive rankings both have Orlando at 28th.
The Lakers are 6th in the Western Conference with a 14-13 winning record. Of the last 10 games played the Lakers have won 6. Their home record is a winning one at 9 of 16 played. The Lakers play fast, the second highest pace in the NBA. They score at the NBA’s fourth highest rate, with an average 111.4 points per game. Scoring opportunities will be available as the Lakers concede at a tick more than Orlando at 112.1 points per game.
Last time out LeBron James carried his team with 33 points in a 116-95 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony Davis didn’t play because of knee soreness.
Josh Cohen’s review of the Clippers loss is available here on the Orlando Magic website.
