Pacers Pull Away in Second Half, Cruise to Beat Magic

The Orlando Magic hosted the Indiana Pacers Saturday night, but sent the home fans sad with a loss.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 25, 2023

Pacers Pull Away in Second Half, Cruise to Beat Magic /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is heading back to the drawing board after a 121-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers at home Saturday night.

Both teams struggled to generate offense in the first half, shooting under 40 percent and the Magic held a one-point lead going into the locker room.

However, the Pacers busted right through the deficit with a 9-0 run to start the third quarter and never relinquished the lead.

The Magic was able to cut the game to as little as five points, but the Pacers always pulled ahead with a run whenever it got that close.

The Pacers were led by Myles Turner, who scored 24 points. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton added 15 points and dished out 14 dimes.

For the Magic, Franz Wagner dropped a team-high 21, while No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero was next on the list with 19 points.

The Magic has looked a little rusty since returning from the All-Star Break, and tonight's game is proof that if the team doesn't get past this rough patch soon, then any chances at making the play-in will vanish.

The Magic begins a three-game road trip Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Published Feb 25, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.