Sports

Magic finish preseason with 114-99 win over 76ers

Orlando, FL– The Orlando Magic wrapped up their preseason and made their 2024-25 season debut on Friday with a 114-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in front of a sellout crowd of over 18,000 fans.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 21 points in just 24 minutes of play, while Jalen Suggs added 12 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 10 points along with six rebounds.

Jett Howard and Gary Harris on the floor as the Orlando Magic played the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday October 18th, 2024 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fl. Photo Courtesy of the Orlando Magic

Jett Howard provided a spark off the bench, knocking down three three-pointers in the second quarter and finishing with 11 points.

Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley praised Howard for his hard work during the offseason and training camp.

On the Philadelphia side, Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 17 points. The team was missing some key players, including Joel Embiid, who did not play, and Paul George, who was sidelined due to a knee injury earlier in the week. Tyrese Maxey suffered a thumb contusion just five minutes into the game, and Head Coach Nick Nurse opted to keep him out as a precaution.

Sixers center Andre Drummond dominated the boards, collecting 20 rebounds and scoring 12 points.

Orlando committed 17 turnovers, which led to 25 points for Philadelphia, but despite the miscues, the Magic showed resilience in their preseason win.

Coach Mosley’s strategy for the game was to focus on conditioning, experiment with different lineups, and give younger players valuable minutes. Franz Wagner, Banchero, and Suggs each played over 24 minutes, while Carter Jr. logged 21 minutes, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played just over 15.

Rookies Anthony Black and Howard both saw over 16 minutes of action, with the remaining minutes spread across the roster.

Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony, both recovering from injury and illness, had their minutes carefully monitored.

Orlando initially struggled with their shooting, but as ball movement improved, their efficiency increased.

Banchero has been open about his offseason training in his hometown of Seattle, and his work was evident in his play. He noted that the entire team worked just as hard, regardless of where they were located.

“After my second year, especially playing in the playoffs, it showed me different ways I can be effective,” said Banchero. “I’m just trying to get better at that, but you can’t do that without experience. Those first two years taught me a lot, and now I’m coming into my third season with an improved mindset.”

Though the game didn’t count in the standings, winning was an important lesson for this young team to build on as they embark on their journey this season.

“It’s big time for us to do that,” said Coach Mosley. “We let our foot off the gas in the second quarter, but they challenged themselves in the locker room to come out stronger. You saw that in the third quarter when we held them to just 16 points. We moved the ball, shared it, and defended the way we did in the first quarter. That’s what made me most proud of this group.”

The Magic officially begin their 2024-25 season on Wednesday, October 23rd, on the road against the Miami Heat, followed by their home opener at the Kia Center on October 25th against the Brooklyn Nets.

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