Paolo Banchero Triple-Double Leads Injury-Ravaged Magic Past Nuggets
The Orlando Magic withstood a storm of injuries, as a triple-double from Paolo Banchero led them past the Denver Nuggets 122-120 on Friday at the Ball Arena.
Banchero's triple-double was the first of his career, as he finished with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Banchero hit clutch free throws in the final minute to give Orlando (20-15) the lead with 9.7 seconds left in the game.
Jalen Suggs also stepped up for Orlando with 27 points and shot 7-9 from beyond the 3-point line. Cole Anthony also had a strong performance with 23 points, and Moe Wagner had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic had 29 points and eight assists, while Michael Porter scored 22 for the Nuggets.
Jalen Suggs attempting to block a shot by Jamal Murray.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Magic were without Franz Wagner (ankle), Jonathan Isaac (hamstring), Joe Ingles (ankle), Goga Bitadze (illness), Wendell Carter Jr. (knee) and Gary Harris (calf). Anthony Black was out after the first half due to an illness, which left Orlando with just eight players in the second half.
Despite being severely undermanned against the reigning NBA champions, the Magic did more than hold its own. Orlando trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter before going on a 35-20 run to trim Denver's lead to three heading into the final stanza.
Orlando took its first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer from Anthony less than a minute into the fourth quarter. After the teams were briefly ahead by a point, Banchero knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Magic a 105-103 lead with 7:46 left in the game.
The Nuggets (25-12) clawed back and regained the lead 120-118 on two free throws from Jamal Murray with 47 seconds left in the game. Banchero drained a pair of free throws to tie the game with 34 seconds left to play.
Banchero was fouled after a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope turnover and made two more shots from the stripe with 9.7 seconds left in the game. Out of the Nuggets timeout, Orlando played smothering defense against Murray, forcing him to take a tough final shot that didn't fall as time expired.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Orlando and wrapped up a four-game West Coast road trip. Orlando swept the season series against the reigning NBA champions, as it also beat the Nuggets 124-119 at home on Nov. 22.
Orlando returns home to the Kia Center to face the Atlanta Hawks (14-20) on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
