Orlando Magic Extends Win Streak To Five With Win Over Denver Nuggets
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic went back and forth with the Denver Nuggets from the opening tip and when the dust finally settled, they prevailed with a 124-119 win against the defending NBA champions on Wednesday at the Amway Center.
The win was Orlando's (10-5) biggest to date this season for a young team that's ascending and beginning to find its way. The Magic have now won five straight games.
"We knew it was going to be this type of game," Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "That's what the growth of this team is turning into - the belief system of knowing what we're capable of doing in big games."
Neither team led by more than nine points throughout the game. There were 19 lead changes, and the game was tied 15 times. The Magic took the lead for good on a 3-pointer from Paolo Banchero that rattled in the rim before going in with 1:18 in the fourth quarter to give them a 118-115 lead.
The Magic outscored the Nuggets 42-31 in the fourth quarter.
Franz Wagner scored 15 points in the third quarter.
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Denver (10-5) had multiple chances to tie the game, but the Magic defense forced a 24-second shot clock violation with under a minute left in the game. Franz Wagner got a steal with 2.1 seconds left to play with the Magic leading 122-119 to put the game away for good.
Goga Bitadze, Jalen Suggs and Wagner each made two free throws in the final 30 seconds to ice the game.
Wagner led Orlando with 27 points, 24 of which came in the second half. Banchero scored 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and Cole Anthony had 20 points off the bench.
"They challenged him, and he stepped up," Mosley said. "He made big play after big play."
Moe Wagner and Joe Ingles each made huge contributions off of the bench, scoring 12 points apiece. Ingles led the team with seven assists.
"He's coaching on the floor," Mosley said of Ingles. "It's so great to have him. He settles so many things down for us while we're out there and he allows that second unit to really be themselves and thrive."
As a whole, the Magic's bench outscored the Nuggets 58-25.
"We have five dudes who could probably start on an NBA team," Anthony said. "We've all bought in, and we've done a great job of playing for each other and I think that's what got us in the game at the start of the fourth quarter."
Every starter for the Nuggets scored in double digits. Nikola Jokić led the team with a triple-double, scoring 30 points along with 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Michael Porter Jr. also had a big game for the Nuggets with 25 points, including five 3-pointers made.
Orlando will be back at the Amway Center on Friday when they host the Boston Celtics for its final In-Season Tournament game. Orlando is currently 2-1 in the tournament and in third place, trailing the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets.
