The Orlando Magic finally got into the win column, and they did it the hard way.
Down Paolo Banchero for the next several weeks because of a high ankle sprain, Orlando walked into Madison Square Garden as a heavy underdog and still came away with a 111-102 road win over the defending champion New York Knicks. The start could hardly have looked worse - the Magic fell behind 12-0 in the first five minutes - but once they settled in, they took control and never really let go.
It was the kind of response Orlando needed after dropping its first two games at home. The game got physical at times, the defending champs pushed back, and the Magic still found a way to grind out a much-needed result.
Franz Wagner set the tone in Banchero’s absence. He carried the scoring load with 23 points and added 13 rebounds and nine assists, giving Orlando the kind of all-around night it needed from its top option. With Banchero sidelined, Wagner is going to have to keep playing that alpha role, and this game showed he can handle it even with the pressure turned up.
Anthony Black also gave the Magic a major lift in his season debut. After missing the first two games with an ankle sprain, he came off the bench and knocked down threes, giving Orlando a spark when it needed one. Getting him back into the mix matters for a rotation that is already thinner than it wants to be.
Tristan da Silva answered after a rough shooting night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Against the Knicks, he put up 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting and hit 5 of 9 from downtown, looking much more like the bench sniper Orlando wants him to be. He was a candidate to slide into the starting five in Banchero’s place, but his value as a sixth-man scorer showed up in a big way here.
Not everything went smoothly, though. Jase Richardson got the nod in the starting lineup at point guard, but the early results were rough.
Orlando was still on the wrong end of that 12-0 run with Richardson on the floor, and after he checked out, the Magic outscored New York 21-16 the rest of the first quarter. He finished as a team-low minus-24, which made the case that he is not ready for that kind of role yet.
How the Magic use him going forward will be something to watch, especially with the rotation shorter for the next few weeks. It would be a surprise if he is back in the starting lineup for the next game against the Toronto Raptors.
Goga Bitadze was another name left out of the mix. After playing backup center minutes in the previous two games, he was a DNP-CD against the Knicks.
The matchup likely played a role, since New York’s looks were more geared toward Karl Anthony Towns, who usually lines up on the perimeter. Even so, it is a slight concern that Bitadze was not in the rotation, and that situation bears watching when Orlando heads to Toronto for a two-game trip.
In Other News...
Magic Already Face A Sean Sweeney Problem Without Paolo
The early read on Orlando under Sean Sweeney has not been flattering, and the timing could hardly be worse with Paolo Banchero sidelined. After dropping its first two regular-season games, the Magic are still figuring out how to function in a new system while trying to preserve the defensive edge that has defined them in recent seasons.
What has stood out so far is less about shot-making than about habits that have usually been the clubs calling card. The Magic have looked softer on the glass and less imposing physically, which is a real concern for a team that has built so much of its identity around defense and rebounding. Until that side of the floor sharpens, the growing pains under Sweeney will keep drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Road Trip Just Became A Bigger Test Without Paolo Banchero
Paolo Bancheros ankle injury adds another layer of difficulty to a road swing that was already shaping up as a tough stretch for Orlando. The Magic had a rough night in the loss to Minnesota, struggling to find a rhythm on the glass and from the perimeter, and now they have to regroup without one of their most important frontcourt pieces.
The timing is especially tricky because the schedule does not ease up much from here. Orlando is headed into a pair of road matchups against the Knicks and Raptors, and those games will give the Magic a quick chance to show how much depth they have while Banchero is out. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Head To New York Needing Answers Before An 0-2 Hole
Orlando heads to New York looking to steady itself after an uneven start, with both teams still searching for that first win and trying to avoid digging an early-season hole. The matchup sets up as a good test of the Magics identity, since they have been pushing the pace while also dealing with some of the usual early questions that come with a new season, especially on the glass.
A clean look at the rotation matters here, too, because Orlandos backcourt and wing mix will be worth watching before tipoff. Jose Alvarado remains questionable with a left ankle sprain, leaving a small wrinkle in the game plan as the Magic try to sort out how they want to attack a Knicks team that is also trying to find its footing. [Read more 🡒]