NBA: Magic drop Clippers in OT to end skid
Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) goes to the basket during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Moritz Wagner went for a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, Bol Bol scored another 20 points, and Paolo Banchero sank six free throws down the stretch to cap his game-high 23-point effort as the Orlando Magic snapped a long losing skid with Wednesday’s 116-111 overtime defeat of the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.
Orlando came into the game a loser of nine straight games, and appeared headed for a 10th straight defeat early against the Clippers. Los Angeles ended the first quarter with an 18-point lead, thanks in part to Paul George scoring 10 of the Clippers’ first 12 points and Terance Mann netting eight of his team-high 19 points through the opening 12 minutes.
But the Magic locked up George after the game’s first four minutes, holding him to just one more point the rest of the way. Orlando began chipping away at the deficit in the second quarter, halving it by intermission.
The Magic won the third quarter 31-29 before taking the lead briefly in the fourth quarter.
MOE WAGNER 😤@moritz_weasley now has 20 PTS & 12 REB pic.twitter.com/oitfHoBVRL
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 8, 2022
Los Angeles pulled back ahead by six points, 93-99, with 3:22 to go in regulation, but did not score another point until overtime.
Banchero took over in the extra frame. He opened overtime scoring with a mid-range jumper and a dunk, and his offensive rebound of a missed Wagner 3-point attempt kept alive a play that culminated in Wagner cleaning up with an and-one dunk.
The play gave Orlando a 106-105 lead, which Franz Wagner extended to three points with two of his 15 points on a basket with less than two minutes to go.
Ivica Zubac’s successful and-one and a Nicolas Batum 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 111-110 lead, but the Orlando defense forced a Kawhi Leonard miss and two Clippers turnovers. Banchero’s foul shooting iced the win.
Zubac and Batum each scored 16 points in the loss, with Zubac also grabbing 13 rebounds. Leonard finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Cole Anthony came off the bench to score 13 points for Orlando, which last won on Nov. 18.
