ORLANDO, FL – The Orlando Magic lost to the playoff bound Toronto Raptors 102-89 at the away center on Friday night. It was the fifth loss in the row for Orlando.
The Toronto Raptors, winners of 10 of their past 12 games, came into Orlando with strong play and sharp shooting.
Orlando lost Franz Wagner erlag in the game, when he went down with a sprained ankle and didn’t return to the game. Wagner, who like Toronto’s Scottie Barnes is a prime candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, scored 13 of his team-high 28 points in the first quarter on Wednesday.
Barnes and Fred Vanvleet were the high scorers of the game with 19 points, while Mo Bamba had a double-double for the Magic with 15 points and10 rebounds.
Magic play four of their final five regular-season games at home, where they are 10-27, and are trying to end a 4 game losing streak.
The Magic felt the loss of Wagner, but were also missing the core of their inside game in Wendell Carter Jr (left wrist sprain) and the solid guard play of rookie Jalen Suggs (right ankle bone bruise).
14 turnovers in the first half of very sloppy play, ending up with 21 turnovers for the game, leading to 32 Raptors points.
Orlando did , however, stick to their character of not giving up.
The Raptors lead by as much as 22 points in the game, but the Magic managed to battle back and stay within reach thoughts the game.
A bright spot in the game was Devin Cannady, who was signed to a 10-day contract on Friday.
Cannady hit the floor with the Magic in the first quarter after a year-long recovery from a devastating leg injury last season. Cannady hit two 3’s for 6 points in the first half, and even started the second half because Anthony was delayed coming out of the locker room, scoring 9 points for the game.
The Raptors played with a steady pace, with rookie Barnes and veterans Pascal Siakam and and VanVleet steering the ship.
The first half ended in a with the Raptors up 12 on the Magic 59-56.
Toronto os known for their strength on the fast break, and they dominated Orlando 15-3 in the first half on fast break points, but Orlando slowed that down in the second half, ending up with a 15/11 ratio.
In the end, it was the turnovers that was the difference in the game, giving Toronto a another win as they head to face Miami, Atlanta, and Philadelphia in their upcoming schedule.
