Magic rookie Noah Penda has been a 'pro's pro,' says star

Orlando Magic rookie Noah Penda is beginning to show why the team selected him in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

In the team's latest game against the Utah Jazz, he Frenchman surged in from the weakside to make a miraculous block on Svi Mykhailiuk's layup attempt with 3:59 left in regulation. A few possessions later, the Magic rookie soared in from the wing and corralled an offensive board over Kevin Love, dumping it off to Wendell Carter Jr., who was subsequently fouled.

In overtime, Penda blew by Keyonte George at the left wing, finding Carter again for the Magic's first basket of regulation. Not long thereafter, the 6-7, 215-pound wing tipped in the Magic's second bucket of overtime. Winning play after winning play. That's the basketball that Penda down the stretch.

"There's no doubt we have the utmost confidence in him," guard Desmond Bane said regarding Penda's impact after the Magic's 128-127 win, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede. "He made a bunch of plays: Offensive rebounds, defensive blocks, had a drive and dump-off to [Wendell Carter Jr.]."

"He's a pro's pro. He's been a pro since he was like 16-years-old. I wasn't even driving a car yet and he (was) already a pro basketball player."

Noah Penda had the best game of his career against Utah

As our own Ryan Kaminski highlighted here, Penda either tied or set new career-highs in practically every statistical category. He finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a pair of steals and blocks in 24 minutes on 6-of-11 shooting.

Rookie Orlando Magic Forward Noah Penda Breakout Game!

First Career Double-Double
Tied or Set CAREER-HIGHS in Every Stat:

13 PTS - 12 - REB - 4 AST - 2 STL - 2 BLK

Team-First Feel
Defensive Instincts
Connective Playmaking
Pushing Pace With And Without The Ball
Strong… pic.twitter.com/xI1aTyKgAI
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) December 21, 2025

"He found so many plays that he was involved in," head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "Multiple contests on 3-point shooters, protecting the basket, big time defensive rebounds, big time offensive rebounds. Just those little winning plays.

"You've got to give him so much credit because he just continues to stay ready no matter what's going on. He continues to work on his cract, and that's what we needed from guys like that, that are not always in the rotation."

Penda's 24 minutes in Saturday's win set a new season high, playing all but nine seconds in the fourth quarter and overtime. The more winning plays he makes, the more trust he'll have from Mosley at the back-end of the rotation, too.

Orlando continues their four-game West Coast road-trip against the Golden State Warriors at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Noah Penda had the best game of his career against Utah

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