Beede's Breakdown: How Magic found identity again in win at Kings

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Feb 6, 2025

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Hours before the Magic battled the new-look Kings late Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero laid out exactly how Orlando would get out of its 4-game skid.

“It just starts at the top,” Banchero said at shootaround earlier in the morning. “It starts with me. It starts with Franz [Wagner]. Getting us out of this slump, it’s just one of those things where you’ve got to see a couple shots go in, get a win and go from there and build some momentum.”

Banchero backed up his message when he (23 points) and Wagner (31) combined for 54 points in the 130-111 win against Sacramento (25-25), who earlier in the week acquired Chicago’s two-time All-Star Zach LaVine in a three-team trade.

Orlando played its style of basketball when it scored 28 points off 19 Sacramento turnovers and racked up 56 points in the paint to capture a much-needed victory.

After failing to crack 100 points in three straight contests, the 130 scored Wednesday night are the second-most scored by Jamahl Mosley’s squad in a single game this season (133 at Chicago, Nov. 27).

The Magic (25-27) have a quick turnaround when they travel to Denver on Thursday night — just hours after the NBA’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.

Third quarter 3s

Monday night at Golden State, the Magic were tied at halftime before they gave up 39 points in the third quarter en route to a 5-point loss.

Against the Kings, however, Orlando went on a scoring spree thanks to the long-range sharpshooting of Wagner, who buried 4 triples in the third frame alone.

As Sacramento’s defense crashed on Banchero’s drives to the basket, he kicked it out to Wagner and other shooters waiting in the wings. Banchero racked up 9 assists on the night as Orlando worked inside-out for offensive ball movement.

Led by Wagner’s five 3-pointers, the Magic shot 16 of 31 from beyond the arc (51.6%), which marked a season-high percentage from distance.

Lineup change

Perhaps the best move Mosley made pre-game was inserting Cole Anthony into Orlando’s starting lineup and shifting second-year guard Anthony Black to the bench.

Anthony earned the start after Jalen Suggs (left quad contusion) was ruled out for a fifth consecutive contest.

But as Anthony (14 points) helped attack the paint with Orlando’s starters, Black was able to play with a different style of aggression on the floor with the Magic reserves compared to recent showings.

The second-year guard took advantage of his trips to the free throw line (6 of 6 FT) and led Orlando’s bench with 15 points after just 4 total in the last three games.

Rookie watch

Tristan da Silva also bounced back in a major way off the bench.

The No. 18 pick didn’t miss from the floor (5 of 5) and hit his lone 3-pointer of the night.

In 18 minutes, da Silva totaled 11 points with 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

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