Orlando’s Offense Comes Up Short Against Indiana

Despite valiant offensive performances courtesy of Terrence Ross and Mo Bamba, Orlando’s offense still came up short. Ross paced the Magic with 24 points and converted on two thunderous dunks in the fourth quarter to draw the Magic to 108-104. Alas, Indiana would still go on a 16-6 run to close out the struggling Magic. Aaron Holiday provided a team-leading 20 points for Indiana, even without Myles Turner and All-Star Forward Domantas Sabonis returning from a sprained ankle. Holiday made six of Indiana’s 11 3-pointers, and Doug McDermott added 19 points off the bench for the depleted Pacers. With the win, the Pacers have improved to 15-12 on the road and 20-6 when leading after three quarters. As for the Magic, they drop down to 17-35, and are now only one game back of the 16-36 Pistons.

Key Takeaways for Orlando

In addition to Ross’s 24 points, both Bamba and James Ennis played big roles in Orlando’s near comeback. Bamba notched another successful output, with 14 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Ennis was also able to post 14 points and did so with four rebounds and five assists. Cole Anthony was able to have another solid performance, with eight points, nine rebounds, and five assists, despite his woeful shooting from the field, at 3-for-12. More importantly, former Nugget Gary Harris made his Magic debut on Friday night. Harris was brought to Orlando through the Aaron Gordon trade. This was Harris’ first game since February 17th, so it was expected to see some rust. Harris didn’t shoot well, at just 2-for-10 from the field. It’s worth noting that Harris did post eight points in the third quarter off the bench.

Key Takeaways for Indiana

Even after a three-game absence, Sabonis put on a show for the 25-27 Pacers on Friday Night. Sabonis had 16 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists, and his impact was well needed without Turner in the lineup. Sabonis didn’t shoot particularly well, at 3-for-12 from the field, but didn’t need to with Holiday’s and McDermott’s outputs. Indiana’s starting backcourt of Malcolm Brogden and Caris Levert both had modest nights, at just eleven points for each guard. Funny enough, Indiana didn’t have much bench production outside Holiday and McDermott, with a combined 19 points from their other three bench contributors. The Pacers’ shooting woes were evident throughout the game, going just 38-for-92 from the field (41.3%) and 11-for-33 from three-point range (33.3%). As it stands, Indiana is the 9th seed in a competitive Eastern Conference and will need to continue to win to make the playoffs.

Up Next for Orlando and Indiana

Magic: At home vs Milwaukee Bucks (32-19) on Sunday.

Pacers: Away vs Memphis Grizzlies (26-24) on Sunday.