Magic Starting 5: Lakers Beat Orlando in Tight Battle

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 20, 2023

Magic Starting 5: Lakers Beat Orlando in Tight Battle /

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Orlando Magic

1. AUSTIN REAVES LEADS LAKERS TO WIN VS. MAGIC

"From there, Austin Reaves took over for the Lakers, scoring six consecutive points for Los Angeles to seal the victory. Reaves scored the final 10 points for the Magic, which led to a career-high 35 off the bench for the second-year pro.

"The Magic had chances to keep the game tied down the stretch, but ultimately the shots wouldn't fall for Orlando."

2. PAOLO'S 'LOOSE GRIP' FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

"Paolo Banchero remains No. 1, but he has company in the top tier, and his grip on the Rookie of the Year award is looser than ever," The Athletic writes. "He’s the top option on the Orlando Magic and undeniably deals with more defensive attention than any other rookie because of his polished offensive game. Having said that, Banchero’s production has tailed off in his last 20 games. He’s averaging just under 19 points while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from 3, and he’s getting to the line slightly less often than he did early in the season. Because of that, his true shooting percentage over that time has dipped to 48.1, nearly 10 points below the league average."

3. MARKELLE'S HIGH CEILING

"I feel like I have a high ceiling, I have so much room to grow," Fultz said. "Everyday, I'm just trying to get a little bit better and compete to help his team win."

4. JAMAHL MOSLEY WANTS MORE PRESSURE ON DEFENSE

"I think it all starts with our ball pressure," Mosley said. "When we were at a very good clip, we were getting into the basketball. We were dictating what teams were doing vs. letting them be comfortable in their sets, getting back to picking up full court, pressure on the ball in the pick and roll, being more consistent with how aggressive we are early on."

5. NEXT MAGIC GAME

The Magic will return to the court tomorrow night against the Washington Wizards at 7:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Florida or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.

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Published Mar 20, 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.