NBA: Magic rally from 18 down to beat Timberwolves
Mo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic walks onto the floor before the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on February 01, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Quinn Harris/Getty Images/AFP
Mo Bamba had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Moe Wagner and Markelle Fultz provided key performances off the bench, and the host Orlando Magic overcame a season-high 18-point deficit to defeat the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves 118-110 on Friday night.
The Magic surpassed their previous season-high comeback of 17 points from Feb. 2 against the Indiana Pacers.
Article continues after this advertisementOrlando opened a season-long six-game homestand by outscoring the Timberwolves 58-45 in the second half and ending the Timberwolves’ six-game winning streak.
The Magic took their first lead, 94-93, on Fultz’s layup with 1:51 left in the third quarter. Orlando led by 12 with 8:32 play, only to watch the Timberwolves put together a 13-2 run to close within 109-108.
But Bamba hit a corner three and added a dunk off a feed from Wendell Carter Jr., extending Orlando’s lead to 116-108 inside the final minute. Bamba made five of the Magic’s 16 3-pointers.
Article continues after this advertisement27 and 12 for Mo Bamba helps complete the @OrlandoMagic's 18-point comeback win! pic.twitter.com/KBThymOvJa
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Carter had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Moritz Wagner totaled 18 points and six rebounds in 13 minutes, Fultz contributed 14 points and seven assists, and Cole Anthony had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota, which entered the game averaging a league-best 114.7 points per game, went 15-for-45 from 3-point range and had five players score in double figures.
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, making 4-of-11 treys, and Karl-Anthony Towns overcame foul trouble to post 21 points and 13 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell added 13 points and seven assists, and Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell each scored 12 points off the bench.
Minnesota’s Malik Beasley, two days removed from establishing a franchise mark for most 3-pointers (11) in a game as well as setting an NBA single-game record for most points (33) scored only by triples, had eight points on 3-for-10 shooting from the field.
The Timberwolves built a 58-40 lead, but Orlando ended the first half on a 20-7 run to close to 65-60 at halftime. The Magic made 7-of-12 3-pointers in the second quarter after starting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Minnesota was whistled for 16 fouls during the opening half as Towns and Naz Reid each picked up four, while Patrick Beverley (nine points) had three by the 7:55 mark of the first quarter. Orlando capitalized by making 16-of-18 free throws as Wagner made all six of his attempts.
