ORLANDO, FL – The Orlando Magic (42-29) lost to the Sacramento Kings (41-29) 109-107 in the final minutes of the game at the Kia Center in Orlando, ending a five-game winning streak for the Magic.
The game was a real test for Orlando, with the Kings being a talented West Coast playoff team that matches very well with what Orlando will be facing in the postseason.
The Kings jumped out on the Magic and went on a 10-0 run before the boys in blue steadied the ship, similar to the last game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Orlando managed to get back into the game and kept it close, ending the quarter down by only one point, 27-26.
For the Magic, their scoring gaps were just a matter of shots not dropping, as they leaned on Jonathan Isaac for a boost in a game where they struggled shooting.
The reserve forward entered Saturday’s contest averaging 9.9 points on 65.8% shooting in his last 7 games.
Isaac was unconscious from deep, going 3 for 4 from 3-point range and scoring a career-high 25 points, helping Orlando’s bench dominate the opponent 49-7 in bench points.
This was a game of back-and-forth scoring runs, with 19 lead changes and 13 ties.
Orlando did have key plays during the game that they would come to regret in the final minutes. Without the issues, the game wouldn’t have been as close.
Orlando committed 13 turnovers, leading to 19 Sacramento points.
Keegan Murray torched the Magic with screen 3-point shots, shooting six for seven from deep for 22 points.
For the Magic, it was another gritty game where they had to battle back from missed shots that led to easy opportunities for the Kings. Sacramento had a 10-0 run on the Magic early in the third quarter, building a nine-point lead. However, with the back-and-forth nature of the game, Orlando managed to finish the quarter only down by two points, 27-25.
The battle continued, with a push and pull between teams. There were 19 lead changes and 13 ties in the game.
De’Aaron Fox took the game on his shoulders, scoring 31 points and keeping the Kings slightly ahead of Orlando.
In the end, it came down to the final points. Ellis hit a key shot, giving the Kings a two-point lead in the final seconds of the fourth.
Orlando had the final chance with 2 seconds left on the clock. Coach Mosley drew up a play with Banchero as the focus, but the Kings managed to mark Paolo and he couldn’t score to tie the game.
Banchero finished with 22 points, Franz Wagner with 18, while the rest of the starting lineup were held to single digits.
