Before the Orlando Magic’s 113-108 Saturday highway win over the Los Angeles Clippers, coach Jamahl Mosley addressed the “small pieces” of Markelle Fultz’s sport that “go unnoticed.”
“His level of communication with his teammates, getting guys in the right position. Constantly playing with a sense of joy for the game. Those are the little things he provides this team,” Mosley mentioned.
“The pace in which we’re playing has changed because of how he pushes the basketball.”
Fultz (career-high 28 factors to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals) displayed this all through Saturday when it was wanted, serving to the Magic full the fourth-quarter comeback to present them the primary win of their four-game journey.
His 4 first-quarter steals set the tone defensively and helped the Magic rating straightforward factors in transition. The Magic completed with a season-high 14 steals.
But when he subbed in at 4:44 remaining with the Magic having a 93-91 lead after trailing 82-74, Fultz took his play to a special stage.
The sixth-year guard scored 12 of his 28 factors within the sport’s closing 4:36.
Fultz put stress on the rim late, changing layups, attending to the free throw line or aiding his teammates for scoring alternatives like his alley-oop to Wendell Carter Jr. to present the Magic a 104-99 late lead.
“I’m so proud of this young man,” Mosley mentioned. “He by no means walks within the constructing with out a smile on his face. You see there’s such a stage of pleasure in his coronary heart for taking part in the sport of basketball. That’s what reveals up.
“You can take the number out, and just the way he plays the game. The way he has passion for his teammates. No matter what it takes to get a win, he’s going to try to do. That’s what so special about him and how his teammates feel about him.”
Carter completed with 27 factors (11-of-19 capturing, 4-of-8 on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds, 3 steals and a couple of blocks.
Carter blocked Russell Westbrook on the rim with 1:34 remaining, which led to Fultz grabbing the defensive rebound, pushing the ball in transition earlier than changing the layup to present the Magic a 106-99 lead.
“Down the stretch, being able to get a big stop when it counted and make shots and gets baskets when they count,” Mosley mentioned. “Our guys did a great job of that. They withstood the run.”
Paul George (game-high 30 factors) scored 5 consecutive factors to chop into the Magic’s lead.
But Franz Wagner hit a step-back 3 over Robert Covington to present the Magic a 109-104 benefit with 40.7 seconds remaining. Fultz sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 17.5 seconds remaining.
“It was huge,” Mosley mentioned of Wagner’s 3-pointer. “The great part about Franz is his teammates trust him to step into that moment and make the big shots. That’s how these guys have played all year when it comes to the trust factor of one another.”
Cole Anthony had 18 factors (7-of-14 capturing) and eight rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench, giving the Magic a lift early within the fourth so they may retake the lead earlier than the late performs from Carter, Fultz and Wagner sealed the win.
Second-year guard Jalen Suggs wasn’t obtainable due to a concussion.
The Magic (29-42) will play the Lakers (34-37) Sunday night in Los Angeles on the second day of a back-to-back to shut out their four-game journey.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com