The Orlando Magic looked to bounce back from an underwhelming performance on Friday night against the Memphis Grizzles. The team only managed to put up 75 points and looked to the offense to catch fire in chance of beating the Grizzles on the second night of a back-to-back.
Through the first three quarters, it looked as if it was going to be a repeat of the previous game. The Magic, who were down by as much as 20 points in the third quarter, needed a catalyst in order to snap a nine-game losing streak at home. That catalyst came in the form of Cole Anthony, who nailed a game-winning three-pointer with one-tenth of a second to go.
Career Night
The rookie point guard truly made a name for himself on Saturday night. Anthony sunk a heroic last second buzzer beater over Kyle Anderson to top the Grizzles. Anthony scorched the Grizzles all game, dropping a career-high 26 points.
“I was honestly in my head like ‘I just really want an iso,’ not even going to lie to you, I wanted iso,” he said. “I just knew if I got someone on an island it wasn’t going to be safe.”
Anthony shot 6-for-15 from the field and was extremely efficient from the charity stripe, sinking 10 of his 11 free throws. The Magic’s “X-factor” simply came to get buckets and make a statement on Saturday night. Needless to say, Cole Anthony is here to stay and Magic fans have a bright future to look forward to.
Young Guns
R.J. Hampton and Moritz Wagner were also huge contributors in the win. Hampton, who came off the bench, made efficient work of his 30 minutes. The 21-year-old dropped a career-high 18 points and shot 7-for-14 from the field with seven boards. Furthermore, Wagner brought the intensity that the Magic needed in this one. Moe Wagner got the start on Saturday night and proved why he deserves to stay there. He scored 24 points and was the veteran presence that the young Magic team needed.
Up Next
The Magic look to continue the momentum as they travel to Detroit and take on Saddiq Bey and the Pistons on Monday night.