Poor Offensive Showing
Houston, TX — The Orlando Magic couldn’t find their offensive rhythm tonight after a good showing in Milwaukee on Saturday, dropping in a 97-84 loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Despite a strong effort to force turnovers, the Magic were destroyed on the boards and struggled with their shooting, allowing Houston to pull away for the win.
Injury Report Updates
Orlando was relatively clean on their injury reports tonight, missing only the two players who have undergone season-ending surgeries in Moe Wagner (torn ACL) and Jalen Suggs (knee).
Houston on the other hand had a few key players out tonight, including Fred Vanvleet (ankle), Amen Thompson (ankle), and Reed Shepard (thumb), but their role players stepped up big time in their absence.
Offensive Struggles Define the Night
The Magic’s offense was ice-cold this game, reverting back to their poor form with 32.6% shooting from the field and an equally bad 25.0% from three-point range.
Paolo Banchero led the team with 25 points, and Franz Wagner added 15 points, but they were the offensive engines of the night and the engine didn’t seem to be running well for the majority of the game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went scoreless with zero shot attempts, while Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in 8 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, but his inefficiencies led to a losing effort.
The Magic’s inability to convert scoring opportunities kept them away from winning this game.
Rockets Dominate the Glass
Houston crushed Orlando on the boards, outrebounding them 63-46, including a 20-13 edge in offensive rebounds.
Steven Adams was a force as he had a double-double in the first half alone and ended the game with 17 rebounds, 11 of them on the offensive side, while Alperen Sengun added 14 boards. This rebounding disparity fueled more opportunities for the Rockets, who led by as much as 18 points despite their own poor 39.3% field goal percentage.
Turnover Battle Not Enough
Orlando won the turnover battle handily, forcing 19 Rockets miscues while committing only 8 of their own. However, this advantage couldn’t offset their offensive woes or Houston’s rebounding dominance.
The Magic’s largest lead was just 9 points, quickly erased as the Rockets capitalized on extra possessions.
Rockets’ Balanced Attack
Jabari Smith Jr. was a boost to Houston with 20 points, including 5-of-10 from three, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green contributed 15 points each.
Sengun’s 14 points and 14 rebound double-double rounded out a balanced Rockets effort that didn’t equate to high efficiency but they were able to leverage their physicality and hustle to bully the Magic.
Looking at the Games Ahead
This loss highlights ongoing concerns for the Magic’s offense, particularly their shooting consistency, and exposes a vulnerability in rebounding and physicality that will need addressing.
As they continue their upcoming three road games, the Magic have the tough task of showing up to continue their push for the playoffs as they are currently sitting in a Play-In spot. Their next stop is New Orleans where they will face the Pelicans on Thursday evening.