NBA: Magic defeat Warriors, sweep season series
Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic slam dunks against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of the game at Chase Center on January 07, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP
Paolo Banchero scored 25 points in 31 minutes, Franz Wagner chipped in 24 points and the Orlando Magic ran their winning streak over last year’s NBA finalists to four with a 115-101 defeat of the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in San Francisco.
Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony contributed 16 points apiece, while Wendell Carter Jr. added 13 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Magic complete a 2-0 season-series sweep of the defending champs after having swept a pair at Boston last month.
Anthony Lamb put up a career-best 26 points for the Warriors, who got Andrew Wiggins back from injury and saw Andre Iguodala make his season debut, but were unexpectedly forced to go without Klay Thompson due to soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.
Paolo Banchero dropped a team-high 25 PTS and 4 threes in the Magic win in Golden State 👀 pic.twitter.com/LWIlhgIcnb
— NBA (@NBA) January 8, 2023
In the opener of a nine-day, five-game trip, the Magic trailed only briefly early on, but led just 71-65 in the third minute of the third quarter before taking command.
Carter and Fultz combined for all the scoring in a 9-2 burst that opened up the game’s first double-digit advantage, and the Magic went on to lead by as many as 15 in the third period and then 18 in the fourth.
Banchero shot 4-for-9 on 3-pointers and Wagner 3-for-7, helping the Magic go 13-for-32 (40.6 percent) from beyond the arc and trump Golden State’s 18-for-58 (31 percent).
Fultz also found time for game highs of seven assists and six steals. The visitors outscored the Warriors 24-10 off turnovers.
In winning for just the fifth time away from home this season, the Magic recorded their largest road margin of victory.
Returning from a 15-game absence due to an adductor strain and subsequent illness, Wiggins finished with 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting in 19 minutes. Iguodala, who hadn’t played since Game 6 of last year’s Finals, put in a scoreless 12 minutes, grabbing two rebounds.
Jordan Poole had 21 points and Donte DiVincenzo 15, while Kevon Looney was the game’s leading rebounder with 12 for Golden State, which lost its second straight at home after having opened the San Francisco portion of its schedule with 17 wins in 19 games.
The 101-point output was the Warriors’ lowest in a home game this season.
