Kevin Durant, Nets Too Much For Magic as Orlando Drops 5th Straight

The Orlando Magic couldn't get the job done against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 28, 2022

Kevin Durant, Nets Too Much For Magic as Orlando Drops 5th Straight /

The Orlando Magic (5-16) is heading back home after an unsuccessful 109-102 one-game road trip against the Brooklyn Nets (11-11) Monday night.

The Magic boasted a valiant effort, playing with just nine healthy players on the second half of a back-to-back after losing by 30 points, but the team ran into a problem named Kevin Durant.

Durant scored a season-high 45 points on 19 of 24 shooting in the win.

There aren't any moral victories in the NBA, but the Magic should be pleased that it was still in contention to win the game despite such a strong effort from Durant.

Both Paolo Banchero and Bol Bol dropped 24 points apiece while Franz Wagner scored 21 in the loss.

The team played without several key players ...

Jonathan Isaac (OUT - knee)
Cole Anthony (OUT - oblique)
Markelle Fultz (OUT - toe)
Mo Bamba (OUT - back spasms)
Jalen Suggs (OUT - knee)
Chuma Okeke (OUT - knee)
Terrence Ross (OUT - illness)
Wendell Carter Jr. (OUT - plantar fascia)

And that really affected the bench tonight. The team scored just 11 points off the bench. Had that number been a little bigger, the result might be different tonight.

The Magic head back home to face the Southeast Division rival Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night at Amway Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Nov 28, 2022

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.