Orlando, FL - Poised for a two-game win streak at home, the Magic were looking forward to building off of the momentum following Thursday’s win against the reigning champs. A brilliant first half that saw Orlando take a 20-point lead against the struggling Sacramento Kings and at the time it seemed like as sure a win as any. 

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero simply had their way in the paint, combining in the first half for 30 points. Sacramento had no answer for Orlando’s length, as Bol Bol and Wendell Carter feasted down low with extremely efficient paint performances. 

After the devastating loss, I asked Coach Mosley why he decided to resort to the famed Wagna-Carta pick and roll so often—and how he manages to use it so effectively. Franz Wagner scored an efficient 31 points because of it.

“Whether there was a big in it or a small in it, there was ability for Wendell. When he rolls, he creates such a problem. Franz is getting to the basket and being able to finish down there… Franz does a great job of getting downhill to attack.” - Coach Mosley

Banchero’s 33 points and 16 rebounds marked two career highs, putting everything he had on display tonight from a physicality standpoint. This performance was the perfect balance of finesse and bully-ball, as Banchero knew exactly when to utilize his two dominant factors. 

The #1 overall pick was also the clear primary creator in the loss to the Kings, being entrusted with the ball in crucial possessions and capitalizing each and every time. It seems with each game, Banchero solidifies himself more and more as a future All-Time great. I asked Banchero what he saw from the defense that differed from the past few games, leading him to score 26 paint points. 

“I know I had an advantage, using my size to get to the rim. My 3-pointer hasn’t been falling, so teams have been trying to bait me into those mid-ranges, those threes. So for me, I just didn’t wanna let them off the hook. I wanted to close the space, force the issue.” - Paolo Banchero

The self-awareness Banchero possesses will prove very valuable as the years pass, as one of the easiest ways to find your way on a losing team is failure to adapt. Understanding what you’re being given and still managing to dominate games at such a young age is nothing short of impressive, even as the first overall pick.

The true story of last night was the third quarter. A run started by none other than the man of the hour himself, De’Aaron Fox, caused a mass disarray for Orlando’s bench unit. Orlando was outscored 36-12 during the period, with perimeter defense being the most noticeable pitfall. It was during this quarter when the tone of the game changed, making it an absolute dogfight heading into the 4th quarter and overtime.

Nothing much needs to be said about Fox’s stunning game winner from the logo. Failure to put pressure on the ball and fear of fouling likely killed Orlando’s chance of getting a decent contest. Big-time players make big-time shots.  There’s really nothing else Magic fans can do about this except tip their caps to De’Aaron Fox and move on to the third game of the 7 game home stretch.

Orlando takes on Houston tomorrow night at 7:00pm. The rematch between Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero may be in jeopardy, as Smith missed last night's game due to illness. Let’s bounce back at home against the 1-8 Rockets.