The Orlando Magic head into Saturday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors trying to steady themselves after a rough night in Phoenix and a road trip that is only getting tougher.
Orlando was beaten 117-104 by the Suns on Thursday, a loss that came with plenty of self-inflicted damage. The Magic fell behind by as many as 30 and never found much rhythm on offense, turning the ball over 25 times. Phoenix converted those giveaways into 36 points, and Orlando’s season record dropped to 2-6.
That turnover problem has become a glaring issue. The Magic are now sitting with the third-worst turnover rate in the NBA at 18.3 per game. Only the Charlotte Hornets at 19.4 and the Los Angeles Clippers at 20.1 are worse.
Against the Suns, Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner were the lone bright spots. Carter posted a season-high 27 points on 10-for-12 shooting and added 13 rebounds.
It was his fourth game with at least 20 points this season. Wagner finished with 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting and handed out a career-high 15 assists.
Saturday brings a very different kind of test. Golden State has won six straight after opening the season 0-3, and it is coming off a 120-100 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Warriors have been one of the league’s sharpest offensive teams during that run, shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range, which ranks second in the NBA, and averaging 27.8 assists, good for fifth.
That kind of ball movement and perimeter shooting is a problem for an Orlando defense that has struggled to keep teams in check. The Magic’s 116.3 defensive rating ranks 25th in the league, while Golden State’s 112.5 mark sits 16th. If Orlando is going to find an opening, it will need to do it early and keep doing it.
Both teams are also dealing with injury absences. For Orlando, Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson are out. For Golden State, Gui Santos is day-to-day with a knee issue, while Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler are out.
Orlando’s projected starters are Anthony Black, Desmond Bane, Jase Richardson, Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. The Warriors are expected to start Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg and Will Richard.
After the loss to Phoenix, Sean Sweeney pointed directly to the turnovers and the little mistakes that piled up. “We had them in a lot of different ways.
I think the illegal screening, you know, I think we had four illegal screens. Some decisions were a little bit careless with the basketball.
Some plays, I thought we tried to make the right play, just didn’t connect the dots. So, a number of them in a number of different areas. Anytime you have 25 turnovers, you know, it’s not just one thing per se, but, you know, a number of them.”
In Other News...
Magic Keep Making The Same Costly Mistakes In A Shaky Start
The early-season version of the Magic keeps running into the same problems, and they showed up again against Phoenix. Orlando had a brief second-quarter push, but the night was undone by sloppy ballhandling, missed free throws and inconsistent defense as the Suns pulled away for a 117-103 win.
Franz Wagner tried to steady things with a strong all-around effort, but the offense never found enough rhythm to keep pace with Devin Booker and the Suns. For a team trying to establish itself in a shaky start, the bigger concern is how familiar these breakdowns already look, especially when the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Wendell Carter Jr. Trade Buzz Raises A Bigger Question For Orlando
Wendell Carter Jr. has become part of the trade chatter around Orlando as the deadline approaches, with NBA insider Brett Siegel reporting that multiple teams are keeping an eye on the Magic center if the club decides to sell. It is the kind of buzz that follows a productive season, and Carter has done his part to keep his value high, averaging 14.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while remaining under contract through the 2028-29 season.
The more interesting part for Orlando is not just that Carter is drawing attention, but what his market says about the bigger picture. Siegel also pointed to the Golden State Warriors as a possible suitor, with interest tied to a potential Kristaps Porzingis deal, which only adds another layer to the questions facing the Magic as they weigh how aggressive to be at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Beat Themselves In A Loss Fans Wont Want To Relive
The Magics four-game West Coast road trip took another frustrating turn in Phoenix, where Orlando fell 117-104 in a game that felt as much about self-inflicted mistakes as anything the Suns did. Devin Booker set the tone for Phoenix with 28 points, eight assists and three steals, and the Suns made the most of the opportunities Orlando kept handing over.
For all the sloppiness, there were still signs the Magic could have made this one far more competitive. Orlando controlled the offensive glass with 15 rebounds and turned that into 15 second-chance points, but the balance never lasted long enough to offset the damage elsewhere. The bigger issue was how often the game tilted the wrong way before the Magic could settle in, leaving them with another loss they will not enjoy revisiting. [Read more 🡒]