The Orlando Magic dropped their second consecutive game Thursday night, falling to the Golden State Warriors 121-115 at Kia Center. The loss dropped Orlando to 29-32 on the season, keeping them in the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
Despite a dominant performance from Paolo Banchero, who finished with 41 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, the Magic could not withstand Golden State’s third-quarter surge. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with a season-high 56 points, including 22 in the third quarter, as Golden State erased Orlando’s 66-52 halftime lead.
“I think third quarters have been tough for us the last few games,” Banchero said postgame. “We’ve let teams get back into the game going back to like the Memphis game, they came back in the third quarter. I think it’s just us, you know, not being able to withstand the runs. I think when a team goes on a run, you have to either lock in and get stops or execute on [the] offensive end and get good looks — I don’t think we did either in the third quarter, and so they came storming back. When you let a player [Stephen Curry] like that get going, it’s really hard to come back.”
Curry’s 56-point outburst included 12-for-19 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. The Warriors outscored the Magic 40-21 in the third quarter, flipping a 14-point deficit into a five-point lead entering the final period. Golden State shot 61.9% from the field and 72.7% from three in the quarter, knocking down eight three-pointers in the stretch.
Stephen Curry’s scoring barrage fuels Warriors’ third quarter surge vs. Magic
“Great player, had a heck of a night,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “I think that third quarter, I have to go back and look at it, see exactly where we let go of the rope, what allowed them to get on that run. Obviously, it was [Stephen Curry] him making shots, but they had to be generated from somewhere and it wasn’t just all in the half court. So, I have to go back and look at how we were handling possessions as well as what allowed them to get out on that run.”
The Magic struggled offensively in the third quarter, shooting 42.9% from the field and just 33.3% from beyond the arc with only two made threes. Mosley emphasized the importance of maintaining ball movement throughout the game.
“We just gotta move it,” Mosley said. “I mean, the first half, the ball was popping, the ball was moving, sharing it, getting out in transition, getting stops out and running. In that third quarter, I think we stalled out a little bit, and I think at the end of the day for what we needed to do, you’ve got to keep doing the things that got you success in that first half. That was simple — we shared it, we moved it, we got it around the horn, and then, whether the ball goes in or not, it has energy with it. I think that’s the one thing we’ll continue to look at.”
Paolo Banchero reflects on recent struggles amid second 40-point performance of season
The Magic have now lost three of their last four games during their seven-game homestand, including a one-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies due to a late-game timeout confusion and a 40-point blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Banchero acknowledged the team’s recent struggles and the need for adjustments.
“You just gotta go watch the games, see what’s the recurring themes and figure it out,” Banchero said. “We got good teams coming in here, so can’t just expect teams to lay down when you get a lead. I think we saw that with Memphis, saw that tonight with Golden State – these teams got playoff pedigree. This team tonight has champions on the team, they’re not gonna lay down, the game’s never over – they understand it’s a long game. Like I said, you let a couple [of] easy looks go in, that’s the start of an avalanche.”
Banchero’s 41-point performance marked his second 40-plus point game of the season, making him the third player in Magic history to record multiple 40-point games in consecutive seasons, joining Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal. The second-year forward had 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in the first half, shooting 10-for-12 from the field before cooling off in the second half.
“I mean, I feel that responsibility every night – come out, set the tone, be aggressive, and just play my game,” Banchero said. “But I think I could’ve had a better second half. I could’ve done some other things better, but yeah, would’ve liked to just get the win.”
The Magic will continue their homestand with back-to-back games against the Toronto Raptors (18-41) on Sunday and Tuesday before closing out the stretch against the Chicago Bulls (23-36) next Thursday.
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