The Orlando Magic have to tremble for the playoffs again. The Magic lost 126:128 against the Indiana Pacers and thus conceded an embarrassing defeat.
Indiana had lost 16 games in a row before the evening in Orlando and was therefore bottom of the Eastern Conference. Their last win came on February 12, but that was to change in Orlando. Led by a strong Pascal Siakam (37 points, 13/26 FG), the Pacers took the Magic by surprise and it was Siakam who secured victory for Indy in the end.
The Cameroonian missed a jumper with the score at 128:126 for the Pacers, but the All-Star was wide awake at the other end and, together with center Jay Huff, blocked Paolo Banchero’s drive to send the game into overtime in the final seconds. The Magic’s power forward had scored 39 points himself (13/27 FG, 9/12 FT), but lost out in this situation.
The Magic’s problem, however, was their defense, where the absence of Jalen Suggs (illness) made itself felt. The Pacers shot almost 55 percent from the field and converted almost 46 percent of their threes. In addition, Orlando was repeatedly caught off guard on the fast break (26 PTS in transition), with the result that the Magic trailed for almost the entire second half.
The Magic’s comeback comes too late
With 3:30 minutes remaining, Siakam even stretched the gap to twelve points from the free throw line before the Magic mounted a comeback. Orlando scored two And-1s through Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. and only Andrew Nembhard was able to stop the bleeding somewhat with a three. Nevertheless, the Magic’s final 13:3 run was not enough and Jamahl Mosley’s team remained eighth in the East with its fifth straight defeat, while the competition from Toronto and Atlanta won.
Tristan da Silva was one of the bright spots for the home side with 21 points (9/16 FG, 3/8 threes) and five assists, while Moritz Wagner was once again not used. In addition to Siakam, forward Jarace Walker (20) and playmaker T.J. McConnell (13, 14 assists) also shone for the Pacers.
The next game for Orlando is the following night, when the Magic host the Cleveland Cavaliers and national player Dennis Schröder.
