Magic dominate Nets behind season-best 3-point shooting in NBA Cup victory

11/30/2024 12:52 PM

The Orlando Magic extended their win streak to five games with a commanding 123-100 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in NBA Cup action on Friday night. The win improved Orlando's record to 14-7 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in East Group A play, solidifying their position as a frontrunner in the tournament with the league’s largest point differential of +60.

The Magic's season-best 3-point shooting performance was pivotal, as the team knocked down 18 triples on an impressive 51.4% shooting from beyond the arc. This marked a significant improvement for a team that ranks 29th in the league in 3-point percentage at 31.9% entering the game.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with a stellar all-around performance, contributing 29 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block while registering a game-high plus/minus rating of +35. Wagner credited the team's success to their consistent style of play and their ability to capitalize on opportunities.

"Obviously it helps a lot especially the way we play, try to get in the paint," Wagner said postgame. "I thought we played the same way we've been playing. Obviously, it feels good to make a couple more shots but didn't notice anything different. I don't think we tried anything different. Just noticed how they're playing us and also remembering that those come from attacking the paint and getting there first."

Magic’s season-best shooting performance fuels NBA Cup win vs. Nets

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has turned his early-season struggles around, provided a significant boost with 19 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. Caldwell-Pope was nearly flawless from the field, shooting 7-for-8. He emphasized the importance of creating high-quality opportunities through aggressive play.

"Our best thing to do is attacking the rim and trying to what we call 'Magic shots' for us," Caldwell-Pope said. "So we're creating them shots for us and then being ready to shoot. I think tonight that's what it was, getting into the paint, kicking the ball out for threes and then knocking them down."

Head coach Jamahl Mosley attributed the offensive success to the team's defense, which forced 20 turnovers and translated them into 34 points. The Magic tallied 13 steals and 13 blocks, maintaining their defensive identity throughout the game.

"We were finding good ones," Mosley said. "I think a lot of them came because we ended up getting stops so there were cross matches everywhere and our guys were just willing to step into the shots – this is what we talk about with the process and the work that you put in and having the confidence to keep taking those same shots."

Franz Wagner, Jamahl Mosley highlight defensive focus as key to sustained success

Wagner echoed the sentiment, stressing the importance of effort and defensive communication.

"We always talk about it, that stuff gotta travel," Wagner said. "It's good that we made shots tonight but sometimes we can't control those things. We can always control our effort and communication on defense – except for the first couple of minutes, I thought we did a really good job."

The Magic's defensive intensity was a focal point for Mosley as well.

"It says defense travels, home or away," Mosley said. "We got to make sure we're sitting and trusting our defense to do the job and get us easy looks and 20 turnovers for 34 points says a lot. Our guy's ability to try to do it without fouling, just taking what the game gives us."

The Orlando Magic will continue their five-game road trip with a rematch against the Brooklyn Nets (9-11) on Sunday before facing the New York Knicks (11-8) in their final NBA Cup group-stage matchup on Tuesday.

Franz Wagner, reflecting on facing the Nets again in quick succession, stressed the need to remain focused.

"It's obviously unique within a season but I'm sure they're gonna adjust some things and I'm sure we will too," Wagner said. "The biggest thing is that we just keep getting better at our stuff, also forget about this game and it's done now and just move on to the next one."

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