After suffering two road losses by a combined 56 points, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero described his team as “beat up” and eager to return home. However, with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets visiting, relief was not in sight on Sunday.
Missing three starters and three reserves, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley noted that his team played a “very good first half, toe-to-toe, regardless of the circumstances.” Unfortunately, the Nuggets capitalized on a 39-25 third quarter, sealing a 113-100 victory.
“I just feel like our second half didn’t match our intensity, the focus, and just the attention to detail that we had in the first half,” said veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
“Ultimately, I think we ran out of a little bit of gas there in the third quarter,” Mosley added.
The Magic now sit at 23-21, placing seventh in the Eastern Conference after their third consecutive loss. Orlando typically holds opponents to about 104 points per game but has struggled, going 5-14 when opponents score 105 or more. In this losing streak, they’ve allowed 122, 121, and 113 points
“We’re going to have a lot of film to watch, so we’ll see what’s going on on the defensive end,” Anthony Black remarked. “That’s not who we are the last three or four games, giving up 120s, 115s.”
To avoid further decline, Mosley emphasized the importance of perspective: “I think you zoom out in these circumstances. Understanding where you are in the standings and what’s going on with the team helps them get the right perspective. We’re getting healthy bodies back soon. Yes, it’s three in a row, and I’m not making excuses, nor am I happy about it. But you can’t let one game pile onto ten.”
Jokic showcased his typical poise, achieving a triple-double with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, along with 14 rebounds and 10 assists in three quarters. All five Denver starters scored in double digits.
Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with a double-double, posting 16 points and 14 rebounds. In his first matchup against his former team, Caldwell-Pope added 12 points.
Tristan da Silva, who exited in the second quarter due to a facial cut, returned with stitches and finished with 14 points.
Banchero, in his fifth game back from injury, had a rough night, scoring 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting. Despite being on a minutes restriction, Mosley noted that the young All-Star was “trying to make all the right plays.”
Overall, the Magic’s ongoing shooting struggles left them overmatched against Denver’s potent offense. While they forced 19 turnovers from the Nuggets, they shot just 36.9 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three-point range.
Denver dominated in the paint, outscoring Orlando 52-42, outrebounded them 63-49, and made more free throws (26 on 31 attempts) compared to Orlando’s 12-of-16.