Magic
Magic's three-point blitz and 80 bench points hold off Grizzlies rally, 122-118
Orlando beat Memphis 122-118 at FedExForum behind 20 made threes and 80 bench points. The Magic led by as many as 18 but had to survive a fourth-quarter push from the Grizzlies, who won the final period 31-28. It's a preseason game, so it has no bearing on the standings, but it's an early look at both teams' depth.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 14 d ago01The story of the nightA back-and-forth that Orlando controlledMagic jumped out 36-26 in the first quarter, their best quarter of the night, built on quick ball movement and…
Magic jumped out 36-26 in the first quarter, their best quarter of the night, built on quick ball movement and perimeter shooting. Memphis answered with a 35-28 second quarter to cut the gap to three, 64-61, giving Memphis its only real stretch of control all game, with a biggest lead of just 1 point. Orlando pushed back in the third, outscoring the Grizzlies 30-26 to take a 94-87 edge into the fourth. Memphis made one last push, winning the fourth quarter 31-28, but it wasn't enough to erase the seven-point cushion. Orlando's first-quarter burst and its response to every Memphis rally decided the game.
02Da Silva and the Magic bench carry the scoring loadTristan da Silva led all scorers with 19 points off the Orlando bench, going 4 of 10 from three.
Tristan da Silva led all scorers with 19 points off the Orlando bench, going 4 of 10 from three. Jamal Cain added 15 on a clean 6-for-9 shooting night, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 on 5-of-7 shooting in just over 15 minutes. Paolo Banchero struggled to find his shot at 2 of 7 but still finished with 11 points and 5 assists. For Memphis, Ty Jerome paced the offense with 17 points and 4 assists, Cameron Boozer added 16 on 4-of-7 shooting, and GG Jackson came off the bench for 15. Taylor Hendricks was efficient too, scoring 12 on 5-of-7 shooting.
03Won from deep and off the bench, survived on turnoversMemphis won the paint, 48-40, and out-scored Orlando in fast-break points, 12-8.
Memphis won the paint, 48-40, and out-scored Orlando in fast-break points, 12-8. But the Magic won where it counted most: the three-point line and the bench. Orlando shot 20 of 45 from deep against Memphis's 17 of 45, and Orlando's bench produced 80 points to Memphis's 69. The biggest gap was ball security — Orlando turned the ball over 14 times to Memphis's 7 — yet Orlando still escaped with the win because Memphis couldn't consistently convert that advantage into extra possessions. Orlando also out-rebounded Memphis 65-55, giving its shooters more cracks at the basket than their efficiency alone would have earned them.
04What it means heading into the regular seasonThis was a preseason game, so it won't show up in any standings, but both teams got useful reads.
This was a preseason game, so it won't show up in any standings, but both teams got useful reads. Orlando's reserves — da Silva, Cain, Knox II and Vucevic — combined for a huge night and suggest real scoring depth beyond the Banchero-Wagner-Bane trio, who combined for just 26 points on low efficiency. For Memphis, Cameron Boozer and Ty Jerome look ready to contribute scoring right away, and Taylor Hendricks and GG Jackson gave the bench a jolt. The turnover gap, 14 to 7, is something Orlando's coaching staff will want to clean up before the games start counting.
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