Magic Grit & Grind, But Fall vs. Grizzlies
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (14-25) couldn't repeat the result from the night before, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies (25-13) in a 123-115 defeat at Amway Center on Thursday.
The game started off slow with both teams flexing stout defensive schemes against one another, but the Grizzlies slowly began to have their offense match up to par.
The Grizzlies outscored the Magic 43-23 in the second quarter, building a 22-point halftime lead. Memphis led by as much as 25 points, but the Magic wasn't going to go away easy.
Trailing by 17 with just over five minutes to go, the Magic put together an 17-6 run to make it a two-possession game where Orlando was down by just six points. But Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. had other ideas.
Morant and Jackson won the game tonight for the Grizzlies with each of them scoring 30+ in the win. Magic rookie Paolo Banchero also chipped in 30 of his own, a team-high for Orlando.
The Magic proved once again that its opponents can't count them out and have to play 48 good minutes against them. It's an outstanding quality to have as a young team and it will only help Orlando as it navigates through its rebuild.
The Magic now embark on a five-game road trip to the west coast, which begins Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
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