A slow start ended in somewhat of a blowout for the Orlando Magic, securing a 115-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Orlando’s second win of the season came behind a big night from Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner.
Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards has officially cemented himself within the top two on Minnesota’s roster. Edwards led the Timberwolves in scoring Monday night with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. Overall, it was a fantastic night by the second-year pro, despite the loss. Karl-Anthony Towns followed right behind with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists. The All-Star center even had four three-pointers. Also of note, Malik Beasley had 11 points, Jarred Vanderbilt had 10 points and Naz Reid had 10 points.
Magic
Cole Anthony’s monster night stuffed the stat sheet on his pursuit to help his team secure the win. The second-year pro racked up 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The 21-year-old shot 55% from three with six made three-pointers. Several of his buckets were timely for the team’s momentum down the stretch.
Rookie Franz Wagner had 28 points while also shooting 55% from the field with five made threes. Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs rounded out the rest of the team’s stat sheet with double figures. Both players scored 15 points on the night; Carter Jr. also grabbed 14 boards.
Mo Bamba also played well, scoring eight points with 10 rebounds.
Further Analysis
The Magic have plenty of room for improvement. However, on Monday night we saw flashes of what this team could be like when everybody is hitting on all of the right reads. Simply, it was a smooth game with a few clutch shots by Cole Anthony to take the life out of the Timberwolves. Anthony had a highly efficient night from deep and was the key factor in the win.
Also, seeing some of the team’s recent additions helping in a major way is what the organization has been expecting. Orlando has some key pieces now, but it’s up to the development of those players. There may be something here to be built around to compete in the playoffs and possibly more at some point in the near future.
For Our Next Tricks
After traveling to Minnesota, the Magic will head back to Orlando for a five-game homestand. On Wednesday, Orlando will play host to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.
FL Teams has partnered with “The AJ Show”. AJ covered the Orlando Magic vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game! Check out his play-by-play reactions along with smack talk from the game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InOZhvM5QDA&t=0s