The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers will face off for the second time in 10 days on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
In their first matchup on Oct. 28, the Magic defeated the Pacers 119-115 in Orlando, thanks to a historic performance from forward Paolo Banchero. Banchero scored 50 points, becoming the first Magic player to reach the half-century mark since Tracy McGrady in March 2004, and fell just one assist short of a triple-double.
However, Orlando has struggled since that win, losing Banchero to a torn right oblique that will sideline him for several weeks. Monday marked the Magic’s third game without Banchero and their fourth consecutive loss, a 102-86 defeat to the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 22 points, while Jalen Suggs added 19 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Goga Bitadze, returning from a five-game absence due to a foot injury, recorded his best game of the season with 11 points and nine rebounds. Wagner, Suggs, and Bitadze were the only Magic players to score in double figures, and the team failed to reach 90 points for the second consecutive game. Orlando managed only 85 points the previous night in a 23-point loss at Dallas and has failed to score 100 points in three of its four losses during the current skid.
While Orlando ranks 27th in the NBA in field goal percentage at 42.2 percent, they are sixth in free-throw attempts per game at 26.4. In their previous game against the Pacers, the Magic got to the foul line 38 times, with Banchero accounting for 22 of those attempts.
Indiana’s earlier loss to the Magic capped a three-game losing streak for the Pacers. They have since won two of their last three games, including a 134-127 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The 134 points marked Indiana’s highest-scoring regulation game this season. Myles Turner led the way with 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 25 points and 12 assists. Haliburton, who led the NBA with 10.9 assists per game last season, has returned to form after tallying just 11 assists in his first three games this year. He has dished out at least 10 assists in each of his last four games.
All five Indiana starters scored in double figures against Dallas, including Pascal Siakam with 23 points and Bennedict Mathurin with 16. Mathurin has scored a combined 65 points in the Pacers’ last three games, including 30 in a 135-132 overtime win over the reigning champion Boston Celtics last Wednesday.
With victories over the Celtics and Mavericks, Indiana heads into Wednesday’s contest boasting wins over both of last season’s NBA Finals participants.
