Paolo Banchero flirts with triple-double, but Magic lose vs. 76ers

Orlando couldn't get back-to-back wins after falling to Philadelphia at home.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic are continuing their pattern after a 103-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers inside the Kia Center.

For the 13th consecutive game, the Magic have traded wins and losses, which dates back to just after the team lost in the NBA Cup to the New York Knicks in Las Vegas. While the Magic started off strong in the first quarter, the Sixers were able to keep up with their pace.

The Magic led by a single point after the second quarter, but the 76ers picked up the pace in second half. They outscored the Magic 30-25 in the third to take a lead into the fourth and stonewalled Orlando to just a dozen points in the final frame.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid guards Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Magic go ice cold in fourth quarter

The Magic only trailed by four points going into the final 12 minutes, but they couldn't figure out how to get points down the stretch. They were struggling to infiltrate the paint with Joel Embiid protecting the rim for the Sixers and shots weren't falling down at the rate they needed in order to get the win.

The team shot just under 41 percent for the game and knocked down just 4 of 29 three-point attempts. Those numbers make things very difficult to pull out victories.

Desmond Bane was the leading scorer with 23 points while Anthony Black dropped 21 of his own. Paolo Banchero struggled to score with just 14 points on 6 of 18 shooting, but managed to grab a game-high 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists for a near triple-double.

The Sixers had Tyrese Maxey scoring 29 points for a game-high while Joel Embiid had 22 points and nine rebounds. Paul George scored 19 while Dominick Barlow also dropped double digits with 11.

It's a struggle for the Magic with several of their starters banged up, but they still have to go through the motions as a team. The good news about the loss is that the Magic have won their last six games after falling short, so they are on pace to pull out a win in their next one.

The Magic will return to the court on Sunday afternoon to take on the New Orleans Pelicans for the final game before they head off to Europe for a two-game showcase. Tipoff is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET inside the Kia Center. Fans can watch them on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League.