Orlando, FL – The Orlando Magic (29-32) played a strong game against the Golden State Warriors (32-27) at the Kia Center on Thursday night but lost 121-115 despite a legendary 56-point performance by Stephen Curry.
This was the second time in Curry’s career that he scored over 50 points against the Magic, having previously tallied 51 on Feb. 25, 2016.
Orlando, aiming to rebound from a 40-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the week, started the game impressively.
The Magic built a 17-point lead in the first quarter, outscoring the Warriors 34-23. Orlando’s strong start was fueled by a dominant first half from Paolo Banchero, who scored 24 of his 41 points before halftime. For the game, he shot 16-of-27 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range.
During that first quarter, Stephen Curry scored only five points, offering little indication of what was to come.
By halftime, Curry had 21 points, including a 50-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.
The third quarter proved decisive, as Golden State went on a 40-21 run, with Curry adding another 21 points, bringing his total to 43 through three quarters.
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley felt his team eased up, and plans to review the game film to identify defensive lapses.
“I think in that third quarter, I’ll have to go back and look at it,” Mosley said, “and see exactly where we let go of the rope; what allowed them to get on that run. Obviously, it was him making shots, but they had to be generated from somewhere, and it wasn’t all just in the half court. I’ll have to go back and look at how we were handling possessions as well as what allowed them to get out on that run.”
Curry is currently on a streak of three consecutive games with 45 or more points.
The Magic battled back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to two with under two minutes remaining, before Curry hit a crucial three-pointer with 1:31 left.
Franz Wagner finished with 27 points for the Magic, who shot 50.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range. Cole Anthony, a game-time decision after hyperextending his left knee on Tuesday against the Cavaliers, was the only other Magic player to score in double figures, with 11 points.
The Magic’s seven-game homestand continues Sunday when they host the Toronto Raptors at 6 p.m. This will be the first of two consecutive games against the Raptors, with the second taking place on Tuesday.
