Wendell Carter Jr. Playing Through Pain in Magic Playoff Push
ORLANDO - For an Orlando Magic team that has been ravaged by injuries, few players have been hit harder by the injury bug than center Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter Jr. has missed 26 games this season due to a broken left hand and right knee tendinitis. With those injuries, the veteran center has gone from being in the starting lineup to bouncing in and out of the starting five for Orlando (22-18).
Wendell Carter Jr. with the ball.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After his knee injury caused him to miss five straight games, the 24-year-old center made his case to rejoin the starting lineup and proved how valuable he can be in the Magic's 98-94 win over the New York Knicks (23-17) on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Carter Jr. matched a season-high 17 points and had three rebounds plus a block.
The win over New York snapped a three-game losing streak for the Magic. With the season near its midway point, Carter Jr. noted he'll have to focus on managing the pain in his knee as the season progresses.
"I've realized being able to play through soreness, through a little tendinitis is part of the game," Carter Jr. said. "I've never had this pain ever so it's kind of new for me, but after going to doctors and things like that [and] them saying it's nothing serious, I just took it as play through it [and] help this team. We're trying to get to the playoffs."
The Magic outscored New York 25-16 in the fourth quarter, and Carter Jr. scored six points, including a hook shot that got assisted by Markelle Fultz and extended the lead to 97-92 with 44 seconds left in the game. Fultz, who has also been battling knee tendinitis that forced him to miss 27 straight games, had six points and seven assists in the win.
"It's just good to be back out there," Carter Jr. said. "First, the hand and the knee bothering me, I had a tough stretch mentally staying locked into what was important. To be back out there free-flowing, carefree and mind-free, it always feels good."
For second-year forward Paolo Banchero, who led the team with 20 points in the win, having Carter Jr. and Fultz back brings leadership that's a difference-maker for Orlando.
"It's great to have those guys back," Banchero said. "I think we're a different team when they're on the court, and I think it showed today with their veteran leadership."
Orlando will look to stay in the win column when it faces the Atlanta Hawks (15-25) tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET at the State Farm Arena.
