NEW YORK - The Magic arrived at Madison Square Garden still searching for their first win, and they had to do it the hard way: no Paolo Banchero, a new coach at the controls, and a road date with a Knicks team that had the same winless record.
Orlando handled it anyway.
Behind a big fourth quarter, the Magic pulled away late for a 111-102 win Sunday night, giving Sean Sweeney his first victory as Orlando’s coach. The finish was all Magic, as they outscored New York 40-27 in the final period and finally seized the lead for good with 7:25 left when Franz Wagner converted an and-one.
Wagner led the charge at the end, scoring 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. He also spent much of the night trying to keep Orlando afloat while the offense found its rhythm, and even with an inefficient start - he opened 1-for-10 from the field - he still had eight assists by halftime. Once he got downhill and started drawing contact, the game tilted.
Anthony Black’s return gave Orlando another boost. Making his season debut after a right ankle sprain, Black stepped right into the action and made a major imprint.
He scored nine of the Magic’s first 13 points and hit his first three attempts from deep, then buried his fifth 3-pointer to put Orlando up 98-91 with 3:22 remaining. Black finished with 18 points, three rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes before fouling out with 14.1 seconds left.
His presence came after Sweeney said before tipoff that the team would be careful with Black’s minutes. That plan changed fast once Black started firing.
Orlando’s start, though, was rough. The Magic fell into a 12-0 hole to open the game and didn’t score until 7:18 remained in the first quarter.
Banchero was out with a right low-grade high ankle sprain, and Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane and Wagner combined for a sluggish opening stretch. Bane and Wagner were scoreless in the first quarter, while Bane didn’t get on the board until he drilled two 3-pointers in the final 2:07 of the first half.
The shooting kept Orlando in the game. The Magic knocked down 43% of their 3-point attempts, including a strong second quarter in which they went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc.
But the sloppiness was there too: 15 turnovers, and too many second chances allowed to New York. The Knicks grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and used that edge to stay in control for long stretches.
New York still got plenty from its top scorers. Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points, while OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 22. Even so, the Knicks shot just 9-for-38 from 3-point range, a 24% mark that undercut their offense.
Sweeney’s opening lineup featured Jase Richardson alongside Suggs, Bane, Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. with Banchero out. Richardson, in his first NBA start, responded with two made 3s in 17 minutes.
Carter dealt with foul trouble early, picking up his third foul with 31.7 seconds left in the second quarter and his fourth about four minutes into the third.
The game also ended with concern for Suggs, who exited with 2:09 left after appearing to injure his right knee on a transition play. He was helped off the floor and went straight to the locker room. Suggs finished with four points, six rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes.
Orlando’s bench, meanwhile, gave Sweeney a more balanced night than the first two games of the season. With Black back and Richardson starting, the rotation narrowed to four reserves in the first three quarters: Black, Tristan da Silva, Jamal Cain and Nikola Vucevic.
Da Silva gave the second unit a needed lift from deep after a rough shooting night Friday against Minnesota. He hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points in 26 minutes.
The win moves Orlando to 1-2. The Magic now get a couple of days off before continuing their three-game road trip with games at Toronto on Wednesday and Friday. The Knicks dropped to 0-3.
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 🡒]