The Orlando Magic will attempt to put up an improved performance when they conclude a four-game road trip with a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Orlando is 1-2 on the trip and fell apart in the second half on Monday night when it lost 120-97 to the Golden State Warriors. The 23-point margin of defeat was the Magic’s worst of the season.
Orlando was outscored by 22 points in the second half, including 31-14 in the fourth quarter.
The Magic committed 18 turnovers and shot 41.4% from the field for the game, including a lackluster 7 of 27 from 3-point range.
“I think we got outworked,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said of the disappointing setback. “That’s the first thing I’ll say, and that’s not our style of basketball.”
Third-year guard Anthony Black continued his recent stellar play with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He scored 22 and 20 points in the first two games of the excursion.
Black is aiming for an improved performance by the team when it faces the Trail Blazers.
“There’s no time to dwell on anything,” he said. “It’s another game (Tuesday) and another opportunity to come out and play and another opportunity to get a win.”
Mosley had a similar take when looking ahead to the Trail Blazers.
“We’ve got to play a very good Portland team that’s just as physical and can turn you over,” he said. “We need to learn from this game and be better (Tuesday).”
Magic star Paolo Banchero had 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and is averaging 23.8 points over the last four games despite being just 1 of 19 from 3-point range.
Prized offseason acquisition Desmond Bane scored 20 points against the Warriors. Bane has topped 30 in four of the last 10 contests.
Banchero scored 28 points and Bane 22 when Orlando recorded a 115-112 home win over the Trail Blazers on Nov. 10. Shaedon Sharpe scored 31 and Deni Avdija added 27 for Portland.
The Trail Blazers had a three-game winning streak halted Monday night when they lost 110-102 to the visiting Detroit Pistons.
Portland trailed by 21 in the third quarter and led just once in the game — at 100-99 with 4:13 remaining — before Detroit’s 11-2 finishing kick sent the Trail Blazers down to defeat and looking toward Orlando.
“We have another one (Tuesday),” Portland interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “I’m proud of their effort. It’s kind of a quick turnaround.”
Splitter was encouraged by the Trail Blazers’ rally against one of the NBA’s top teams. He noted that Pistons star Cade Cunningham fouled out with 8:32 to play, creating a real chance at landing a comeback victory.
“We always have a chance. Of course, Cunningham got his sixth foul and we got the momentum,” Splitter said. “We worked pretty hard on defense to get to that spot, and then three offensive rebounds (for Detroit) and a couple turnovers (by us) and that was the game, basically.”
Sharpe contributed 25 points and had a career-high five steals. But it was a different number that jumped out to Splitter as he looked at the box score.
“The eight turnovers,” Splitter said of Sharpe. “He’s got to be more focused and more ready. We’re going to watch it, we’re going to talk to him. He’s got to grow from this.”
Portland had 19 turnovers overall and Detroit committed just 10.
–Field Level Media
