Clearly, the duels between the Magic and the Kings are real “thrillers”! Already last year, De'Aaron Fox stood out as a midfield buzzer beater, and this season, the first opposition also made an impression (138-135 for Sacramento after two overtimes). This night again, the meeting produced a breathtaking scenario until the last second, with a victory coming down to the wire for the Kings.
The Kings first achieved a good gap quite quickly, driven by the trio Ellis-Murray-Barnes (12-20), before their efforts were wiped out by a crazy pass from Jonathan Isaac, author of 17 points 7/10 shooting in the space of 7 minutes! The Florida post 4 fired from all sides to reverse the trend, up to a 9-0 to start the second quarter with three baskets from him including a dunk and a 3-point basket (35- 27).
Paolo Banchero goes wild…
After this moment of euphoria, Sacramento regained control of the match, between its zone defense and the attacks of the Fox-Murray-Sabonis triplet to get back into the game at the break (56-54). The hold of Mike Brown's men on the game was confirmed upon returning from the locker room, during a lightning sequence which placed Orlando's back against the wall, with a 13-0 victory concluded by 3-pointers from Keon Ellis, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray (65-74).
Orlando was far from having said his last word, responding straight away in the wake of an unleashed Paolo Banchero and a rediscovered defense. Paolo Banchero scored 9 points in just over two minutes to revive his team, before Jalen Suggs and De'Aaron Fox answered 3-pointers to keep the two teams tied 12 minutes from the end (81- 81).
…then misses the winning basket
While the Kings had done the hardest part when Keegan Murray had planted two 3-point baskets in quick succession and De'Aaron Fox had pulled away to obtain a 2+1 near the circle (96-102), this Magic confirmed that he had resources by passing an 11-4 initiated and concluded by Cole Anthony to regain the lead (107-106).
In the end, it was Sacramento who had the last word, De'Aaron Fox not failing to punish Jalen Suggs' “stroller” with two free throws. Missed 3-point attempts from Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner then allowed Keon Ellis to add one more 3-pointer, until Paolo Banchero missed the Magic's final attempt at the buzzer, also behind the arc (107-109).
What you must remember
– From one extreme to the other. During the “first leg” match in Sacramento, Orlando set a historic record with 25 3-point baskets scored despite the 138-135 defeat in double overtime. This night, Sacramento took the lead by offering a zone defense on multiple occasions. Mike Brown's plan worked rather well since the Magic had to struggle on offense to exist, and were unable to control the pace of the match. As for the 3-point skill, it dropped radically since the Floridians returned a small 10/35, at 29% success, with three last failures to end the meeting.
– Keegan Murray, the silent killer. If De'Aaron Fox was still more than valuable, just like the Ellis-Sabonis pair, Keegan Murray also had a remarkable match to allow his team to win. Present at the start of the match, then at the start of the third quarter when the momentum shifted in favor of the Kings, the Californian sniper was the silent killer of Mike Brown's squad, finishing 6/7 from a distance. His two 3-point baskets to start the “money-time” also did the Kings a lot of good, at a time when Orlando was pushing to regain the upper hand. Clean and efficient.
– T-Mac in the spotlight. As part of the celebration of the 35-year history of the Orlando Magic, the Florida franchise offered a frank ovation to Tracy McGrady, present for the occasion. The tribute took place at the end of the first quarter, with the announcer recalling T-Mac's main feats in the colors of the Magic, while Jamahl Mosley's men wore a “vintage” jersey that night corresponding to the time when Tracy McGrady was Orlando's franchise player, from 2000 to 2004.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
