The Lead
For three quarters, the Orlando Magic stymied the Utah Jazz, the league’s best offensive team. The Jazz shot just 39 percent overall and 25 percent 3-point land through those first 36 minutes. But, as they often do, especially in their home arena, Utah got hot late, which propelled them to a 114-99 victory over visiting Orlando on Friday night.
Top Performers
Wendell Carter Jr. posted 22 points and nine rebounds, while his frontcourt mate, Mo Bamba, tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Cole Anthony finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, but he did commit seven of the Magic’s 18 turnovers. Terrence Ross and Gary Harris combined for 19 points off the bench. Jalen Suggs, in the starting lineup after leaving last game early with a sore right Achilles, had three steals and did a tremendous job on Donovan Mitchell, who made just six of his 19 shot attempts overall and three of his 11 3-point tries.
Key Stats
The Jazz made 13 of their 20 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter (65 percent). They also capitalized on the Magic’s misreads throughout the game, scoring 24 points off Orlando’s 18 turnovers. The rebounding battle was won by Utah, which gobbled up 50 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, leading to 21 second-chance points. Orlando trailed by as many as 18 early before rallying to tie the game in the third quarter.
Injury Report
Moe Wagner (left rib contusion), R.J. Hampton (left knee), Markelle Fultz (left knee), Jonathan Isaac (left knee), and Bol Bol (foot), acquired at the trade deadline from the Boston Celtics, were out for Orlando. Rudy Gobert (calf) and Rudy Gay (knee) were unavailable for Utah.
This Day in History
On Feb. 11, 1998, Nick Anderson posted 28 points and 11 rebounds and Bo Outlaw had 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in the Magic’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Garnett led Minnesota with 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Terry Porter scored 18 points.
Rivals Report
The Jazz have the league’s best offensive rating despite ranking third to last in assists, which is certainly an unusual combination. They are among the league’s best at driving and finishing at the basket, and only the Rockets are getting to the free throw line more than them. Defensively, they need Gobert. When he’s on the court, the Jazz’s defensive rating is about seven points lower than when he’s off.
Quote of the Night
“I think spacing, it’s all about spacing. Me and Wendell, when we play well together, it’s like a lever and a pulley…When I know he’s rolling to the rim, I just got to space out and continue to try to knock down the three-ball. And whenever he spaces out, that’s my chance to go crash and go be around the rim as much as possible. We talk about it before every game, just being mindful of each other.” – Bamba on the success he and Carter are having together in the Magic’s frontcourt
Up Next
The Magic take a short flight south for a battle with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET. The Suns, the reigning Western Conference champions, have lost only once in their last 16 games and twice in their last 20 contests. On Thursday, they earned some revenge from last year’s NBA Finals defeat, as Deandre Ayton erupted for 27 points and Chris Paul matched a season high with 19 assists in Phoenix’s blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.