ORLANDO, FLA- Courtesy of an extremely efficient shooting effort as a collective team, the Orlando Magic (19-29, 13th in East) defeated the Indiana Pacers (24-26, 9th in East) 126-120 on January 25th at the Amway Center. In reference to the win, the Magic churned out their highest-scoring game since January 4th, when Orlando defeated Oklahoma City 126-115.
As a team, Orlando shot 46-82 (56.1%) from the field and 15-28 (53.6%) from three-point range, both of which are among the top-three highest shooting percentages in any of the Magic’s games this season. Likewise, eight of Orlando’s eleven players scored double-digit points against Indiana, including three players that had 18+ points.
Following a 23/5/2 stat line in Orlando’s 113-98 win versus Boston, 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero continued his excellent play on Wednesday, recording a team-high 23 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals while shooting 6-14 (42.8%) from the field in 36 minutes. As a result of his performance versus Indiana, Banchero has now scored 20+ points in 26 of his first 41 games, and has continued to strengthen his case as the NBA’s 2022 Rookie of the Year Award Winner.
“I’ve never seen anybody come into the league like he’s come into the league, just how locked-in, focused, how mature he is” Orlando’s Veteran Guard Gary Harris said of Banchero. “I’ve never seen a rookie like him. It’s been fun to share the court with him.”
It’s worth noting that Orlando did receive offensive reinforcements outside of Banchero. First off, Star Forward Wendell Carter notched 18 points and ten rebounds on 7-10 (70.0%) shooting from the field in 28 minutes, his twelfth double-double of the season. Furthermore, 2022 All-Rookie First Team Selection Franz Wagner enjoyed a well-rounded stat line of 13 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 34 minutes, while Harris pitched in 22 points on 8-9 (88.9%) shooting from the field and 6-6 (100.0%) shooting from three-point range.
“My teammates did a good job of finding me,” Harris said. “When the ball moves like it did — I mean, we had a season high in assists (34) today. When the ball is popping, you’ve got to step it up and shoot the ball with confidence.
With the majority of their entire roster healthy, the Magic’s rotation was incredibly deep, with all eleven players recording considerable playing time. Despite coming off the bench, Cole Anthony (8/2/5), Jalen Suggs (8/1/2), and Bol Bol (9/8/1) all played well, helping the Magic reach a season-high 34 assists. In addition, Jonathan Isaac played in his second game of the 2022-2023 season after recovering from multiple injuries, and posted five points, two assists, and two steals in just eight minutes.
“Lousy first quarter. We’ve got to get off to better starts,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “They hit us with a lot of shots, drives to the basket, and we were on our heels. The second night of a back to back is not an excuse because we’ve been good all year in those situations.”
The Pacers received excellent two-way play from Guard Buddy Hield, who finished the game with 21 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals while shooting 7-13 (53.8%) from the field and 7-10 (70.0%) from three-point range. Similarly, Chris Duarte recorded 16 points, five assists, and six steals on 4-9 (44.4%) shooting from the field.
Following their win against the Pacers, the Magic will travel to the Miami-Dade Arena to play the Heat (27-22, 6th in East) on January 27th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Meanwhile, the Pacers will return to Indiana to welcome MVP Candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (31-17, 3rd in East) to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 27th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.