The Magic were limited to just 19 points in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game against the Heat when Orlando turned the ball over 10 times throughout the night and let Miami shoot 50% from the floor.
Jamahl Mosley‘s squad was outrebounded (44-42), outscored in the paint (52-48) and missed six free throws inside Kia Center.
And yet Orlando finished on top, 106-105, against its in-state rival on a night that saw the return of Paolo Banchero after the All-Star forward missed the previous 10 games with a left groin strain.
“It was a pretty ugly game for the most part but just being able to find a way to win against a good team, we’re going to see them again Tuesday so we’re going to have to make the adjustments, see what we could have done better and come out and try to get another one against them,” Banchero said in the locker room after the 1-point victory.
The Magic star was restricted to just 20 minutes in his first game back as he finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in limited action.
Although he shot 3 for 8 from the floor, including a 3-pointer, Banchero was just happy to be back out on the court.
“It’s going to take a couple of games,” he said about his quality of play. “My first two shots went in, so that was a good feeling. My shot feels decent. I think it’s going to take a few games but I was just excited to be out there with the guys and get a win.”
With Banchero back, fellow forward Franz Wagner (32 points) posted 30-plus points for the second time this season while guard Jalen Suggs hit a trio of triples to notch 15 of his 22 points in the third quarter.
Wagner’s 538 total points scored this season ranked 15th among all players league-wide entering Saturday’s slate of games, according to NBA.com.
“Him just being fearless no matter what part of the game it was,” Banchero said about Wagner’s performance against Miami. “Him just attacking, taking shots, we need him to take, whether it’s a 3 or a layup, we need him to take shots.
“We need him to be aggressive at all times and [Friday] was one of those nights where he just kept going, kept putting pressure on the defense, and kept them on their heels the whole game,” Banchero added.
AP Photo/John Raoux
Magic forward Franz Wagner, right, dunks over Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the second half of Friday’s game at Kia Center. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Friday’s win was Orlando’s fourth straight game decided by 5 points or less. The Magic improved to 7-5 in clutch games, which are contests where the score is within 5 points during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
While those types of games can be high-pressure situations that require precise execution down the stretch, Mosley sees it as a positive for his group in the long run.
“It’s great,” the Magic coach said. “It gives these guys, and us as coaches, an opportunity to keep learning in close games. It’d be nice to win every game by 20 [points] but the reality is in this league, you have great teams.
“And those teams play you tight, they understand the adjustments they need to make, but our ability to find a way in these close games is going to be important as the season goes on,” he added.
Before the Magic (14-9) host the Heat (14-9) again on Tuesday with a trip of Las Vegas on the line in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, Orlando heads to New York (15-7) for a Sunday matchup that features a noon start.
In the NHL, the New York Rangers host the Vegas Golden Knights later Sunday evening at Madison Square Garden. Thus the need for an earlier tip-off time between the Magic and Knicks, the latter of whom sat second in the East entering Saturday.
But when Orlando hosts Miami again next week, it knows how to win close against the Southeast Division foe that’ll it face five times in the regular season this year, a first since 1993-94.
“The important part is that basketball is a game of runs,” Suggs said. “We know at some point, especially when you’re at home, you kind of have that added juice to go on a run, and we knew that we’d have a chance to go on one and hold the lead.
“[It was] a real group effort; everybody was ready to go … now we just adjust to see if we can get them again Tuesday.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic vs. Knicks
When: Noon, Sunday, Madison Square Garden
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida/CW18