A big smile lights up the face of Magic coach Jamahl Mosley when asked about the subject: what is his feeling about having been able to line up again the five major used at the very start of the season?
“ It was great to have them in play. You never know how it's going to turn out, because we didn't have time to practice. Some guys are going to the infirmary. Different guys, different fives… The credit goes to our coaches for preparing them. Their chemistry, their communication was fantastic and at a high level from the start of the match until the end “, congratulates the Magic strategist.
His team opposed the Heat last night, the technician was able to start Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. Precisely the five with which he started the season, during the first four games. Initial training gradually dismantled by everyone's physical concerns.
Hit in the knee, Markelle Fultz was the first to fall, in the fifth match. Same fate, a few days later, for Wendell Carter Jr, betrayed by his hand. More recently, Franz Wagner, who, like Paolo Banchero, had not yet missed a single match until now, was injured in the ankle in early January and missed several weeks of competition.
Last night, he contributed 19 points (6/13 on shots) and 5 assists. “ Amazing… It's always good to have him back. He's such a good defensive player, so complete, capable of scoring, of creating… He's an important part of the team, a young rising superstar in this league. I am happy to be able to evolve with him on the field », Appreciates Markelle Fultz (12 points and 4 assists), back in the five after having signed six games in a row coming off the bench.
Fultz stresses defense
It is not certain that the latter will play again next night, the second evening of “back-to-back” with the Cavaliers reception. Jamahl Mosley, who monitored Franz Wagner's playing time, prefers to remain cautious. Because seeing its five starters get back into shape is the priority to ensure a good second half of the season.
“ It's a good thing everyone's back tonight, and it's good to see how effective our defense is when we have that five », notes Markelle Fultz, emphasizing this defensive dimension. If all members of the Magic's five finished with 11 points or more, they helped limit the Heat to their lowest quota of points scored this season (87 points on 37.5% shooting).
The kind of important performance for a team which, after a strong start to the season (19 wins – 12 losses) has fallen into line: only four wins in twelve outings, and an 8th place in the East currently (23-20) . “ Injuries are inevitable and the mentality is that the replacement takes over. But the fact that everyone is back in full possession makes us a very good team and we are difficult to beat when we have everyone », warns Markelle Fultz finally.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Paolo Banchero | 42 | 35.0 | 45.0 | 34.9 | 70.3 | 1.2 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 22.7 |
| Franz Wagner | 34 | 33.4 | 46.7 | 28.8 | 85.2 | 1.1 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 20.9 |
| Cole Anthony | 41 | 24.7 | 43.3 | 32.5 | 83.6 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 13.4 |
| Jalen Suggs | 38 | 26.7 | 45.9 | 39.6 | 76.7 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 13.1 |
| Moe Wagner | 40 | 19.2 | 59.5 | 30.0 | 79.6 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 11.3 |
| Wendell Carter, Jr. | 16 | 24.1 | 50.0 | 43.9 | 74.4 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 10.3 |
| Markelle Fultz | 11 | 23.9 | 46.1 | 0.0 | 45.5 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 7.9 |
| Gary Harris | 27 | 22.8 | 42.9 | 33.3 | 77.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 7.1 |
| Goga Bitadze | 38 | 21.0 | 61.2 | 20.0 | 67.6 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 7.0 |
| Jonathan Isaac | 25 | 13.5 | 45.0 | 28.8 | 77.5 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 6.2 |
| Joe Ingles | 28 | 18.6 | 41.3 | 42.1 | 85.0 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| Caleb Houstan | 33 | 16.0 | 37.2 | 34.8 | 77.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
| Anthony Black | 39 | 19.4 | 49.3 | 35.2 | 63.8 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 5.1 |
| Trevelin Queen | 8 | 16.5 | 40.0 | 23.1 | 83.3 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 4.0 |
| Chuma Okeke | 25 | 13.3 | 41.2 | 34.4 | 40.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 3.7 |
| Jett Howard | 10 | 3.9 | 36.8 | 28.6 | 50.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.9 |
| Admiral Schofield | 11 | 4.0 | 38.5 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Kevin Harris | 1 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
