You shouldn't have missed the start of the match between the Magic and the Warriors this night. Deprived of Jonathan Kuminga, injured in the knee, Steve Kerr's men saw Draymond Green get sent off after receiving two technical fouls three minutes after the start of the match!
The match then looks complicated for Golden State, but the Magic finished the first quarter at 3/22 on shots, scoring only 11 points, while Klay Thompson (15 points) gave his team a 16-point lead. (27-11). The entries of Cole Anthony (26 points, 5/8 at 3-points) and Jonathan Isaac revive Orlando (33-26), but Gary Payton II and Stephen Curry (17 points, 10 assists) keep the Warriors in front at the break ( 45-37).
Golden State regains a 15-point lead on a 3-pointer from Gui Santos (63-48), but Orlando does not give up. Behind 9 points from Cole Anthony, the Magic finished the third quarter with an 18-8 lead to get back to -5 (71-66).
The Wiggins of 2022
While the Magic have the wind in their sails with the awakening of Paolo Banchero (15 points but 5/17 on shots) and Franz Wagner (14 points), they fail to take the advantage (82-80). Clumsy Curry, it's Andrew Wiggins who takes matters into his own hands. He scored 13 of his 23 in the last quarter to give his team an eight-point lead with four minutes to play (94-86).
Wagner, Suggs, and Anthony, however, responded with a 7-0 in just over a minute (94-93). The Magic will have one possession to go ahead but the Golden State defense causes a 24-second violation. With less than two minutes to play, Curry comes to say goodnight to the Magic. He goes for a lay-up, then connects a 3-pointer to kill the match and give the Warriors a victory as improbable as it is precious!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Incorrigible Draymond Green. Relatively under control since his return from suspension, particularly with the referees, Draymond Green finally lost his cool in the first minutes of this match against Orlando. After a harmless whistle against one of his teammates, Green began to attack one of the referees. The latter gave him a first technical foul, but Green continued to yell at him during the timeout. The referee showed patience before reaching his limit and sending the Warrior to the locker room after less than four minutes of play.
– Andrew Wiggins shines at the best time. While the match was turning in favor of Orlando and Stephen Curry was well defended, it was Andrew Wiggins who took responsibility by attacking the circle as soon as possible and finding his address at the best moment. The Canadian scored 13 of his 23 points in the last quarter to push back the Magic and remind everyone that he is still capable of playing like this. He was also uncompromising defensively against Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Alongside him, the contributions of Trayce Jackson-Davis (14 rebounds), Brandin Podziemski (9 rebounds), and Moses Moody (12 points) were also decisive in compensating for the absences of Kuminga and Green.
– A crippling first quarter for Orlando. No Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green expelled, the Warriors in “back-to-back”… Everything was there for the Magic to take control of the match in the first quarter and yet the opposite happened. After Green's ejection, the Magic took a 21-5 lead in nine minutes and chased the score the entire game. They finished the first quarter with 11 points scored, the worst period of the season, at 14% on shots (3/22) which is the seventh worst mark in the history of the franchise in a quarter.
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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.
