Cold Stretches Haunt Magic in 116-108 Loss to Streaking Rockets

The Orlando Magic offense struggled to keep pace with the Houston Rockets until it was too late. With 12 games left to play in the regular season, the Magic are 32-38 and visit the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the first quarter at Kia Center. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. –– An old, well-traveled adage defines the NBA as a make-or-miss league.

And for good reason. The Orlando Magic didn't make enough shots Wednesday night to keep pace with the Houston Rockets, and when they did, the stretches weren't sustained for long enough. Ultimately, that was Orlando's undoing in a 116-108 home loss.

The third quarter said it all. The Magic made only seven of 21 field goal attempts as the Rockets methodically built a 16-point lead.

"That third quarter was a big key of it," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "We cannot let shot-making or missing deter us from how we're going to defend and sprinting back in transition."

Orlando shot just 44.6 percent from the field and 25.7 (9-for-35) percent from three in the loss. With 12 games remaining in the regular season, the Magic are 32-38 – shooting with the NBA's 27th-ranked accuracy from the field and dead last from three.

They remain eighth in the Eastern Conference and are likely headed for the Play-In Tournament.

The Rockets continued their reign as the hottest team in the league, extending the NBA's longest active winning streak to eight games.

After a statement victory at Cleveland on the weekend, Orlando has yet to win consecutive games without a week's rest between them since before Christmas (Dec. 21-23, 2024).

While the previous meeting between the inter-conference foes was a low-scoring struggle, Wednesday's game was one of multiple runs.

The Magic made seven of their first 12 shots and forced Houston to burn two timeouts in under seven minutes. The Rockets defense responded with a zone defense – a commonality throughout the night –and scored 16 of the final 20 points in the final 5:12 to take a 28-23 lead after 12 minutes.

Orlando opened the second quarter by knocking down shots and converting Houston's turnovers into points. An 18-5 run gave the Magic a 41-33 lead, but again, it wouldn't hold.

Fred VanVleet capped the Rockets' ensuing 23-11 run with a buzzer-beating three and Houston led 56-52 at halftime.

Houston dominated the third quarter, outscoring ice-cold Orlando 32-20. Since the All-Star break, Orlando has a -5.2 net rating in the first period out of halftime.

"I think when you didn't see a couple of shots fall, and you know, they were able to get out and get some early ones," Mosley said. "I think that kind of hit us a little bit."

"The zone slowed us down a little bit and we didn't – we had good looks but we didn't make them, and they were hitting their shots," Cory Joseph said.

The Magic's offense drew the contest within six points in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but the outcome was never in doubt. Because of the lull earlier in the game and their inability to sustain good stretches of offense for longer, Orlando met its demise.

"We have to understand that it's a 48-minute game, including me," Goga Bitadze said postgame. "We have to be locked in for 48 minutes."

Of the Magic's runs, Mosley said: "I think we just have to continue to sustain them, understand exactly how you have to balance them out, and making our runs at the right time is what's going to be key as we move forward."

Paolo Banchero led Magic scorers with 31 points. Franz Wagner (20), Bitadze (19 with eight rebounds), Joseph (13) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (10) also finished in double figures.

Jalen Green's 26 points led a group of six Houston players to finish with at least 13 points.

Cole Anthony missed a fourth total game with a left big toe strain.

Up Next

Orlando travels to Washington D.C., for a one-off road game against the Wizards on Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m. ET.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• AB THE X-FACTOR?: Second-year pro Anthony Black's year has been up and down, but the ups translate more directly to wins. Can the Magic unlock his consistency? CLICK HERE
• TDS STAYS THE COURSE: Tristan da Silva has had plenty of changes to adapt to in his rookie season. CLICK HERE
• AGGRESSION KEY FOR SUPPORTING CAST: The players around Magic stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner need to tap into the aggression they showed Sunday, one player said. CLICK HERE
• THE DEFIBRILLATOR: How Cory Joseph still lives up to a self-given moniker from over a decade ago. CLICK HERE
• MORAL VICTORIES NOT ENOUGH: It's "nut-cutting time" for the Orlando Magic as only 14 games remain this regular season. CLICK HERE
• FRANZ IS A TWO-WAY STAR: Franz Wagner made history Monday night. He's become one of the NBA's most impactful all-around players. CLICK HERE

Want more Orlando Magic coverage on Sports Illustrated?

Follow 'Orlando Magic on SI' on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.