Magic PG Cole Anthony Reveals Reason Behind Loss vs. Pacers

Cole Anthony spoke after the Orlando Magic's loss against the Indiana Pacers.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 11, 2024

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is in unfamiliar territory after losing consecutive games for the first time since mid-January. The second of those losses came Sunday in a 111-97 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

While the Magic started off strong, building a double-digit lead in the first half, the advantage was short-lived. The Pacers cut their deficit to three by halftime and blew the game open in the third quarter by outscoring the Magic 39-21 in the frame.

Cole Anthony Pacers — Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

“We stopped moving that rock, we started trying to get into a lot more isolation and there’s times where that would work and there’s times where it won’t," point guard Cole Anthony said. "That’s two games straight we’re shooting under 40% from the field.”

The Magic shot 37.5 percent from the field and scored under 100 points for the second consecutive game. Anthony mentioned that it is difficult to beat playoff-caliber teams when shots aren't falling, and he's right. But the best way to combat missed shots is to keep passing the ball in order to get a better look.

The Magic also struggled to defend in the third quarter against the Pacers, who have the second-best offense in the NBA. Ultimately, Indiana saw Orlando struggling and put a foot on the gas.

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Orlando tried clawing back in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late for the Magic.

The Magic are back in action on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Mar 11, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.