The Orlando Magic beat the Indiana Pacers 135-127 on Sunday afternoon at the Kia Center. Orlando had three players with 25+ points and three double-doubles, including a 28 point double-double from Paolo Banchero.
“Our ability to get downhill, get to the free throw line, the sharing it, the movement, we trusted the pass,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Our defense was not what it needed to be and I think there are games like that in this league. But our ability to sit down to get stops is what we’ve got to continue to hang our heads on, but our guys stayed with it, stayed the course, and just found a way down the stretch.”
Desmond Bane led the Magic with 31 points, while Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 34 points. The outing was Bane’s fourth 30+ point game this season. The win was Orlando’s second over Indiana in the last week, with them winning on the road on Wednesday, leaving Pacers coach Rick Carlisle still hunting for his 1,000th career win.
After the Pacers won the first quarter 36-28, the Magic would respond with a 17-0 run to take the lead. Orlando would hold the lead for much of the contest after their run.
“It was a good run for them,” former Gator and current Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard said. “We kept it close for most of the game. There are going to be times where they outscore us in certain periods like we do in other periods. I felt like we were close throughout the whole game. Got a lot of good shots throughout the game, and it wasn’t there to finish it off tonight.”
To start the second half, Indiana scored on 17 of its first 18 possessions. Despite the Pacers chipping the Magic’s lead to one multiple times in the contest, Orlando responded with a big run every time. Indiana even regained the lead 116-115 midway through the fourth quarter, but Orlando outscored them 20-11 to finish the game.
Rookie Jase Richardson logged 27 minutes and 12 points in the win, the most action Richardson has seen in a game in his young career. He outpaced Orlando’s usual backup point guard Tyus Jones by 13 minutes.
“He was in the game in the fourth quarter playing very meaningful minutes, so you know, it’s big for him,” Bane said. “It’s big for his development and we’re gonna need him. We’re gonna continue to lean on him; +14 tonight, team high.”
Anthony Black recorded a double-double with 10 assists, his career-high at the NBA level. In his 16 games as a starter in the 2025-26 season, Black has averaged 19.6 points on 46.7% shooting from the field and 39.3% from three.
“Dude is looking good,” Nembhard said. “He is looking good. I like his game a lot. He actually came on a visit back when I was at Gonzaga. Just really has a real feel for the game.”
Wendell Carter Jr. also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. It was Carter Jr.’s sixth double-double of the season, trailing only Banchero on the team.
“I can never say enough about Wendell Carter Jr.,” Mosley said. “What he does without even having to get a shot, getting a play run for him; he just does everything the right way. He’s just continuing to try to display, setting the screens, hit rollers, starting multiple positions, without that or not. And I think that just says so much about how much it means to this team and how his toughness and his level of consistency has been great for us this year.”
In his last four contests, Banchero has averaged 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Despite national criticism of his play since returning from injury, Banchero has bounced back to the player he was at the end of the 2024-25 season.
“I’m feeling good out there,” Banchero said. “I’m feeling good. Body’s feeling good. Just going out there [and] being aggressive.”
Former Magic forward and current broadcaster Jeff Turner reported earlier this week that both Franz and Mo Wagner are set to return this week to the lineup. Orlando is .500 without Franz on the season and look to add the Wagner brothers back before the team’s trip to Germany this month.
Next Up
The Magic will go on the road to face the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. Orlando has won 11 straight against Washington dating back to the 2022-23 season and will look to win two games in a row for the first time in over a month.
“Yeah, we’re going in there playing a good team,” Bane said. “They’re playing good basketball, playing with a lot of confidence, especially as of late, so it’s not going to be easy. But we’re going to have to do it together, and continue to share the ball. I think we have 34 assists, seven turnovers; that’s got to travel, that’s got to carry over. And then you’re better on the defensive end, it’ll give us a chance.”
Tip-off against the Wizards is set for 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 6.