Regardless of reinserting a number of starters once more into the lineup, the Orlando Magic dropped Friday’s freeway sport 101-84 to the Brooklyn Nets.
Guard Markelle Fultz (7 components and 5 assists in 18 minutes) and forward Franz Wagner (12 components and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes) had been obtainable and once more with the start group after sitting out Thursday’s dwelling loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Guard Gary Harris was moreover obtainable off the bench nonetheless didn’t play.
The Magic sat their starters throughout the loss to the Cavaliers, the first evening time of a back-to-back, selecting avid gamers who haven’t been throughout the rotation.
However plenty of of those avid gamers — along with Fultz, Harris and Wagner — who didn’t play on Thursday had been once more throughout the lineup in direction of the Nets.
Guard Cole Anthony (14 components, 9 rebounds and 6 assists), who was obtainable nonetheless didn’t play in direction of the Cavaliers, made his fourth start of the season in direction of the Nets alongside Fultz, Wagner, Jalen Suggs (7 components and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes) and Goga Bitadze (12 components and 15 rebounds).
“There’s all the time one thing to play for if you’re with a younger group,” coach Jamahl Mosley acknowledged pregame. “That’s instructing profitable habits. Educating the way to play significant basketball this time of 12 months. It’s not a light-weight change you’ll be able to activate and off.”
The change gave the Magic an opportunity to check out utterly totally different lineups in direction of a employees nonetheless participating in for one factor.
“It’s constantly going to be what we talked about: totally different lineups we need to see,” Mosley acknowledged. “Clearly going into the back-to-back, with the ability to have a look at it a special approach and maintain our bodies as contemporary as doable. It’s positively a approach to have the ability to have a look at these items.”
The Magic’s lack of continuity with their lineups was evident for the second consecutive sport.
Orlando saved the game shut early, trailing Brooklyn 16-15 sooner than falling behind 27-23 on the end of the first quarter. However the Nets (45-36), led by Mikal Bridges’ 22 components, broke the game open by outscoring Orlando 31-16 throughout the second.
The Magic had 21 turnovers for 24 Nets’ components. Orlando trailed by as lots as 24 throughout the third sooner than their reserves cut back the deficit to 85-75 midway via the fourth. However Brooklyn didn’t allow the Magic to get any nearer.
The Nets secured the No. 6 seed throughout the East and may stay away from the play-in match space of postseason play.
Ahead Paolo Banchero (once more tightness), coronary heart Wendell Carter Jr. (left hip soreness), forward Jonathan Isaac (season-ending left inside thigh surgical process on March 3), guard Jay Scrubb (ineligible to play) and forward Moe Wagner (sprained correct ankle) weren’t obtainable.
The Magic (34-47) will shut out the season on Sunday with a matchup at No. 7 seed Miami (43-38).
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. E-mail Khobi Worth at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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