The Magic already face an uphill battle heading into Sunday’s game against the Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
Not only is Orlando at a rest disadvantage heading into the second night of a back-to-back against Los Angeles, Jamal Mosley’s team is also without Franz Wagner (rehabbing a left high ankle sprain) and Jalen Suggs (back spasms) for the second straight game.
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But after trailing by three points in double overtime on Saturday night against Phoenix, the Magic didn’t let excuses stop them from digging deep in the final seconds and beating the Clippers 111-109 on the road.
In a game that featured 14 ties and 19 lead changes, shots from Desmond Bane (36 points) and Paolo Banchero (16 points) gave Orlando the lead from a four-point deficit. Kawhi Leonard (37 points) hit a jumper to pull the Clippers within two points, but Benedict Mathurin (21 points) missed the buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Los Angeles (27-30) fell to 11-5 despite Leonard outscoring Orlando 60-54 in the paint with more than 30 points.
The Magic (30-26) wrap up a four-game road trip on the West Coast against the Lakers on Tuesday night.
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Bane plays ball
Bane capped a seven-point first quarter with a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer. He didn’t slow down from there.
After scoring 22 points in the first half against Phoenix the night before, he hit his first three 3-pointers and scored 18 points in the first half.
Bane shook off a nasty fall early in the second quarter, drove to the rim, hit a long shot, and stepped to the free throw line to give Orlando a four-point halftime lead.
It was his second consecutive game scoring more than 30 points and his ninth such performance this season.
Banchero up and down
For the third straight game, Banchero struggled offensively in the first quarter, but he entered the game with seven points in the second quarter.
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Even when his shot wasn’t falling, the 6-foot-10 forward was active on the floor, finishing with seven rebounds and eight assists while remaining aggressive throughout the night.
Still, he had a far from efficient night, finishing 6-of-16 from the field and committing two turnovers. Orlando’s starters scored 91 of the team’s 111 points.
free points
Bane shot 92.8% from the free throw line on the night but was unable to find success in Los Angeles. The Magic guard shot 6-for-10 on a night when Orlando shot 74 percent (23-of-31) from the free throw line.
The Clippers, meanwhile, made 24 of 28 shots (86%), led by Leonard who made 7 of 9 shots.
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The Magic missed eight free throws in the two-point win.
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First-round pick Jace Richardson, who did not play the night before against the Suns, entered the game late in the first quarter.
His first two shots were two floaters, but he did not score again, scoring 4 points and two assists in 10 minutes.
Second-round pick Noah Penda did not play.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
