After falling to the Hornets less than 24 hours earlier on Friday night, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley wanted his team to throw the first punch and play with more aggression against the Nuggets on Saturday inside Kia Center.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Anthony Black provided that assertiveness as he notched a career-high 38 points to help power Orlando to a 127-126 comeback victory over Denver.
In a contest that featured 13 lead changes, the Magic trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before they stormed back by turning defense into offense and scoring 27 points off 17 Denver turnovers.
“I told them in the locker room I’m proud of how they responded after last night knowing we could play better basketball, and we did,” Mosley said after the 1-point victory. “I’m more proud of how they kept their composure the entire time and communicated at a high level of what we were trying to accomplish throughout that game.”
Three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic recorded his 16th triple-double of the season when he racked up 34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists.
Jokic’s free throws with 11.9 seconds left put the Nuggets ahead 126-125 before a pair of clutch free throws from Desmond Bane (24 points) that served as the go-ahead points with 6.9 seconds left.
Playing without Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Jalen Suggs (left hip bruise) for the sixth straight game, Orlando allowed Denver (22-9) to have five other scorers end in double figures, including Jamal Murray with 24 points.
Murray, however, missed a fadeaway jumper that would have delivered the win for his team in the final moments.
The Magic (18-14) hit the road again for a three-game trip when they head to Toronto for Monday’s game.
Black’s big night
Fresh off 24 points against the Hornets, Black scored 13 of Orlando’s first 17 points when he started 3 for 4 from beyond the arc to post 15 in the first frame. The second-year pro slowed down in the second quarter, scoring just 1 more point before the half and picking up his third foul at the 5:04 mark of the frame.
His fourth foul at the 9:50 mark of the third quarter didn’t keep him down from adding 13 points in the quarter.
Black accounted for seven of Orlando’s made 10 3-pointers. The team overall shot 10 for 29 (34%) from distance.
“He’s put the work in,” Bane said about Black. “He laid the foundation for a great season with the way he approached the summer. I’m really happy for his growth. He’s a special player and he’s only going to get better.”
Bane and Banchero
The Nuggets made life difficult for Bane and Paolo Banchero by often throwing double teams and blitzes their direction.
The pair combined for just 9 points in the first half on 10 shots from the floor, but both were key to Orlando’s success after the break.
Bane continued to attack the basket, which helped him find a groove and get to free throw line — where he shot 10 for 10 to score 20-plus points for the 16th time this season. He scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter he made 9 free throws that frame.
Banchero ended with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 36 minutes but missed a pair of triples while shooting 6 for 13 from the floor.
Second unit
Tristan da Silva missed his first pair of 3s but hit on his third long-range attempt to reach double figures early in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, da Silva had scored six of his first seven points in the paint.
His second 3-pointer put the Magic ahead by 7 points with 5:13 left in the game when da Silva ended with 17 points in 31 minutes.
Jonathan Isaac provided a spark on defense in the second quarter, recording three steals in the quarter alone. He took only two shots but got to the free throw line, where he shot 3 for 4 to end with 5 points. His fourth steal led to a Black dunk that cut Orlando’s deficit to 1 point early in the fourth.
Two-way forward Jamal Cain made the most of his five minutes as he notched 7 points in limited action.
Orlando’s bench outscored Denver’s 35-19.
Free points
In a 1-point win, the Magic missed 12 free throws.
Banchero missed all four of his free throw attempts while Orlando as a group shot 25 for 37.
Meanwhile, Denver ended 27 for 30 at the line.
Rookie watch
Both Jase Richardson and Noah Penda entered the game late in the first quarter.
Richardson missed three 3s but still fought his way to the free throw line to notch 4 points with 3 rebounds in 17 minutes.
Penda grabbed 4 rebounds but didn’t take a shot in 10 minutes.
Black helps out
Before the game, Black’s foundation “AB Cares” joined forces with community-minded influencer and lifelong Magic fan William Carrasquilla to distribute meals to members of Orlando’s unhoused community near Lake Eola Park.
The event was made possible through the support of PepsiCo. and Jimmy John’s.
Inside Kia Center, Black met with Carrasquilla, an Orlando native who’s been quietly serving the city’s unhoused community for several years on his own.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com