Goga Bitadze contributed significantly with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds. Despite struggling with a season-high 22 turnovers, Orlando managed to secure its 12th win out of the last 13 games.
Cam Johnson was the standout for Brooklyn, scoring 26 points, and Dennis Schroder supported him with 20 points and seven assists. Unfortunately, the loss marked the second straight defeat for the Nets, dropping their record against Eastern Conference teams to 3-11.
The first half was tightly contested, with both teams exchanging leads 14 times and experiencing 11 ties. The Magic stepped up their game in the third quarter, outpacing Brooklyn 25-19. They faced adversity with second-leading scorer Jalen Suggs fouling out early in the period, but they responded with a 17-6 run that gave them their largest lead of the game at 69-59.
Brooklyn fought back in the fourth quarter, starting with a 7-0 run led by Schroder, who scored five points during this stretch, including a three-point play that gave the Nets a brief lead of 76-75 with just over ten minutes remaining.
Takeaways:
The Magic capitalized on their size advantage, outscoring Brooklyn in the paint 54-38 and dominating the boards with a 52-33 rebounding margin.
Conversely, the Nets’ struggles continued, as they faced their second consecutive defeat and fell to a 3-11 record against teams from the Eastern Conference this season.
Key moment:
Orlando intensified their defense in the fourth quarter, forcing six turnovers and outscoring the Nets 17-9 in the final 7:01 of play.
Key stat:
Known for having the strongest defense in the league, the Magic effectively contained the Nets, who are the second-best 3-point shooting team, limiting them to just 8 for 31 shooting (25.8%) from beyond the arc on Sunday.
Up next:
The Magic will face off against the Knicks on Tuesday, while the Nets will take on the Bulls on Monday.
