Orlando, FL – In what proved to be a tougher matchup than most expected, the Orlando Magic finished up their last West Coast game of the season against the Houston Rockets. The Rockets, who were recently eliminated from playoff contention, ended up coming out on top and handed the Magic a 118-106 loss. With just three games remaining in the regular season, every matchup holds significant weight for the Magic’s postseason aspirations, making this defeat a tough pill to swallow for Magic fans.
Orlando’s All-Star Paolo Banchero, who is typically the team’s most reliable scoring option for, struggled to find his rhythm early on and shot just 36.8% from the field and went 0-5 from beyond the arc. Banchero’s inefficiency, coupled with Franz Wagner’s absence due to injury, left a noticeable void in the Magic’s offensive scheme and limited their ability to generate high-quality scoring opportunities.
Despite the team’s struggles from long range (29.2% from three-point range), other players did their best to step up and shoulder some of the scoring load to pick up the slack left b by the Magic stars. Jalen Suggs showcased his ability to catch fire on any given night by matching Banchero’s point total with 21, all while shooting an impressive 53.8% from the field and connecting on 40% of his three-point attempts. Markelle Fultz also provided a scoring punch, tallying 18 points, his third straight game with over 15 points. Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner were a great 1-2 punch off the bench as the first big men to come on, each complementing the other’s skill set beautifully. They played about 21 minutes a piece and a huge impact, netting 12 and 10 points, respectively.
On the defensive end, the Magic faced difficulties containing the Rockets’ offensive firepower, particularly the duo of Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. VanVleet erupted for a game-high 37 points, knocking down six three-pointers and getting to his spots with ease. Meanwhile, Smith Jr. seemingly couldn’t miss those close-range jumpers, pouring in 23 points while showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Despite the loss, the team is still clinging on to a top seed in the East. The conference is heating up as the season comes to a close, with just four games separating the second seed from the eighth, giving lots of leeway for some crazy movement on the standings before the playoffs roll around, which can be nerve-racking for Magic fans given their current for. Orlando has some pivotal games against Milwaukee and Philadelphia coming up which will ultimately end up determining the teams postseason luck.
