The Magic face the Raptors again tonight, two days after a 129-99 loss, with Banchero, Suggs, Isaac, Penda and Nelson all out. Tristan da Silva's 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting was the cleanest offense Orlando produced, and his minutes are the lever Sean Sweeney controls.
Tonight's rematch brings no new injury news.
The Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede reported no surprises on the injury report for Friday's Cup game. That leaves the same five absences: Paolo Banchero (right ankle, estimated return Nov. 22), Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac (knees, Nov. 10), and Noah Penda (hamstring) and Izaiyah Nelson (ankle), both Nov. 18. Toronto is 3-1 and still missing Leonard (knee) and Bittle (foot). Both teams come in on two days' rest.
Da Silva was the one Magic scorer who solved Toronto.
He scored 20 in 31 minutes, made 4 of 5 threes and had zero turnovers against a defense that forced Franz Wagner into seven. Anthony Black, at -25 in 22 minutes, and Jamal Cain, at -22 in 16, had the worst margins on the roster. Moving some of those minutes to da Silva is the easiest change available. At 25 and in his second season, his next step is showing that the shooting holds up when he starts possessions instead of finishing them.
Bane has to find his shot before Banchero returns.
Desmond Bane went 3 of 14 from the field and 2 of 8 from deep. Orlando Magic Daily wrote that Toronto kept collapsing on Wagner because no other Magic player was attacking downhill. Until late November, Bane is the only other perimeter creator who can change that. If he misses again tonight, the Raptors can keep loading up on Wagner.
The coming week gives Orlando a quick chance to steady itself.
Orlando is 1-3, a half-game behind 10th-place Indiana at 2-3. After tonight the Magic host Boston on Nov. 1 and Washington on Nov. 2, then visit Phoenix on Nov. 5. The real test tonight is whether Sweeney trusts younger players with more: da Silva and 21-year-old Jase Richardson, who finished at -5 in 14 minutes, the smallest deficit of anyone on the roster.
Who is out for the Magic against the Raptors on Oct. 30?
Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson are all out. Anthony Black was cleared on Oct. 28.
When is Paolo Banchero expected back?
His estimated return from the right ankle injury is Nov. 22.
