The Orlando Magic reintegrated a major piece of their crew into their lineup throughout Friday’s 112-108 highway loss to the Utah Jazz.
Unfortunately for the Magic, it wasn’t sufficient for them to safe a profitable highway journey, with Orlando’s comeback try at Vivint Arena falling brief.
Big man Bol Bol was again within the rotation after not being in motion for over per week and sitting out 5 video games. He entered the league’s COVID-19 well being and security protocols on Jan. 3, leading to lacking 4 video games, earlier than getting cleared Monday.
Bol rejoined the crew Tuesday and was out there for his or her 109-106 highway win over the Portland Trail Blazers however was a wholesome scratch for the primary time this season.
Coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned Thursday that the Magic needed Bol to get a apply in earlier than reinserting him into the lineup.
Bol (4 factors, 2 rebounds in 18 minutes) got here off the bench as a reserve Friday for the primary time since late October, checking in halfway via the primary quarter for his first recreation motion of 2023. Paolo Banchero (19 factors, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls), Wendell Carter Jr. (19 factors, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block), Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris and Franz Wagner was the beginning lineup for the fifth consecutive recreation.
“I’ve been feeling good so far,” Bol mentioned Thursday. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I feel pretty fine, honestly.”
Unlike Tuesday, the Magic didn’t pull out sufficient late-game heroics to drag out the win.
Trailing 88-83 getting into the fourth and 101-89 with 5:56 remaining, the Magic went on a 15-4 run over the following 2½ minutes to deliver their deficit right down to 105-104 after a Banchero steal and dunk in transition.
Mo Bamba (5 factors, 4 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal in 12 second-half minutes) made a hook shot over Walker Kessler (13 factors, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks) to provide the Magic a 106-105 lead with 1:18 remaining, Orlando’s first lead of the fourth.
Collin Sexton (18 factors) and Jordan Clarkson (23 factors, 12 rebounds) transformed buckets on back-to-back Jazz possessions to provide Utah a 109-108 lead with 32.5 seconds remaining.
Orlando arrange Wagner (26 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 steals) for a 3-pointer however he missed, with Fultz fouling Sexton to ship him to the free throw line with 19.4 seconds left.
Sexton missed each free throws however Kessler outrebounded Bamba for the offensive board earlier than Banchero fouled Kessler, who made each free throws to place the Jazz up 111-108 with 11.8 seconds left.
Lauri Markkanen (28 factors, 12 rebounds) blocked Wagner’s 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining and made a free throw to seal the win for the Jazz.
The Magic struggled with defending with out fouling and shutting out defensive possessions with rebounds.
The Jazz had 17 offensive rebounds for 22 second-chance factors and went 29 of 40 on free throws in comparison with Orlando’s 10-of-16 free-throw capturing. Utah shot 26 free throws within the second half in comparison with Orlando’s 6.
Markkanen had extra free throws (17 of 21) than the Magic had as a crew.
Jalen Suggs was out there after being listed as questionable due to proper ankle soreness. Suggs began the third rather than Harris, who left the sport with a hand harm in line with the Magic’s broadcast.
R.J. Hampton (G League task), Kevon Harris (transferred to G League as a part of his two-way contract), Jonathan Isaac (G League task) and Chuma Okeke (left knee surgical procedure) weren’t out there.
Isaac performed in his first official basketball recreation in 892 days on Wednesday.
He performed for the group’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, in Wednesday’s 129-117 win over the Westchester Knicks at RP Funding Center in his first recreation since Aug. 2, 2020 — when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Isaac had 15 factors (6-of-12 capturing), 5 rebounds, 1 help and 1 block in quarter-hour at Lakeland.
He’ll play with Lakeland once more on Saturday whereas his NBA crew is on a five-game highway journey that ends Sunday in Denver. Lakeland hosts the Greensboro Swarm Saturday (7 p.m., Bally Sports Sun/Bally Sports+), the second night time of back-to-back video games towards the Swarm.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com