Magic Starting 5: Orlando Defense Struggles vs. Spurs

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

Jeremy Brener | Mar 15, 2023

Magic Starting 5: Orlando Defense Struggles vs. Spurs /

In this story:

Orlando Magic

1. MAGIC CAN'T STOP HOT SPURS SHOOTING IN LOSS

"The Magic struggled out of the gates and couldn't recover from the Spurs' incredibly hot night on offense. As a team, the Spurs made 22 threes and shot 56.5 percent from the field, which wasn't enough for the Magic's modest 10 threes and 45.4 percent shooting from the floor."

2. MAGIC POWER RANKINGS

"The team went 1-3 in its past four games, including losses to the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz. The team's defense struggled and didn't have its best showcase in an important stretch of basketball."

3. WENDELL CARTER JR. PRAISED BY COACH MOSLEY

"Carter Jr. sat out the first three games of the Magic's homestand with a hip injury and lost each contest. But in his return Saturday night, Carter Jr. shined with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic to victory against the Miami Heat.

"He doesn't know how good he is," Mosley said. "That's the crazy part. This young man is special. You talk about his defensive presence, his offensive presence, his toughness, the voice and the resiliency he brings to that locker room. He's a warrior."

4. WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S GAMES

5. NEXT MAGIC GAME

The Magic will return to the court tomorrow night against Terrence Ross and the Phoenix Suns at 10:00 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 15, 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.