Orlando, FL – Despite no starters seeing the court this evening the Orlando Magic won their last preseason game over Flamengo 109-76.
Orlando’s starting five featured Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Caleb Houstan, Chuma Okeke, and Goga Bitadze. Both Caleb Houtan and Jett Howard were on fire in the first period as they combined for 23 points as they knocked down six threes as well.
Despite Anthony Black only scoring four points in the first half he made a noticeable impact in other areas of the game. Black did a nice job of grabbing boards, dishing to open teammates, and playing with a lot of tenacity on the defensive end.
For Orlando’s second unit this evening two noticeable standouts were Trevlin Queen and the reigning NBA slam dunk contest winner Matt McClung. Queen finished with 24 points as he came in and did a nice job of moving without the ball, knocking down some jumpers, and he had a huge poster dunk in the second quarter. McClung provided a nice spark off the bench with his ability to push the pace and get inside the teeth of the defense.
I asked Magic’s Head Coach Jamhal Mosley about the possibility of Anthony Black and Jett Howard getting rotational minutes in their season opener and he had this to say, “I think that is going to be continued to be finalized with the rest of the coaching staff. That’s the one thing about this roster- but the thing is it is going to be a different person on any given night. We talk about doing it by committee and that’s going to look different throughout the year.” Trevelin Queen led all Magic scorers this evening with 24 points, and Jett Howard also chipped in 21 points as he connected on 5-9 from behind the arc. Overall a great game by the young guys, this was an opportunity for them to showcase their talents, and they didn’t disappoint.
Orlando is now 4-0 in their all time matchups with Flamengo, and have officially concluded their preseason action. The Magic will now prepare for their home and season opener here at the Amway Center, as they will host the Houston Rockets this Wednesday Oct. 25th.
