NBA's Margins for Error Are Unforgiving as Magic Losing Streak Reaches 5 Games

The Orlando Magic's five-game road trip began with a season-altering injury to leading scorer Paolo Banchero and ended Wednesday night with a fifth consecutive defeat, 118-111 to the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) passes the ball while Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS – When your star player is unavailable night after night, the margins for error are razor-thin. For the Orlando Magic, absent All-Star Paolo Banchero for a fourth consecutive game, this five-game road trip has taught that hard lesson time and again.

The host Indiana Pacers ran out to a 12-point advantage Wednesday night after shooting 14-of-21 from the field in the first quarter. The lead then ballooned to 18 points in the second quarter. In previous stops on this road trip, when the Magic dug early holes for themselves due to poor shotmaking, poor defense or a combination of the two, the outcomes were a foregone conclusion.

The Magic began telling a different story on Wednesday night, piecing together a 26-7 run from the 9:54 mark to the 1:48 mark and taking its first lead of the evening.

In the second half, the rivals traded buckets deep into the fourth quarter. Orlando twice trimmed 11-point deficits to two points, but Indiana All-Star Tyrese Haliburton's three-pointer with 33 seconds left ended the drama. Pacers 118, Magic 111.

Orlando is now 3-6 overall; 0-4 without Banchero, who is expected to miss another month at minimum.

"We always talk about the next man up mentality, and we had a lot of guys step in and play hard, played the right way," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "We'll go [over] the margins, but you can't start the game off 38-26 in that first quarter. That's very important that you guys start off the right way, especially on the road."

In the past four games without Banchero, Orlando was a combined minus-51 in the first quarter. For as many rallies as the Magic can make, playing from behind without your leading scorer isn't a formula for success.

"Just focusing on coming out locked in on defense," guard Anthony Black said. "We've done a good job of responding to our first quarters that we've been giving up, but I think a couple of these games, if we have a better first quarter defensively, we're in the game [and] we put ourselves in position to win down the stretch."

Franz Wagner led all scorers with 28 points. Five other Magic players reached double-digits: Jalen Suggs (15), Moe Wagner (14), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13), Anthony Black (12) and Goga Bitadze (10).

Bennedict Mathurin's 20 points led Indiana and five other Pacers joined him in double figures: Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton and Jarace Walker all at 17, and T.J. McConnell at 15.

Rookie swingman Tristan da Silva (5 points) started in Paolo Banchero's place for a third straight time. Bitadze also made his second consecutive start for Wendell Carter Jr., who sat out the contest with left foot plantar fasciitis. Bitadze added 12 rebounds to his 10 points.

Points in the paint heavily favored the Magic, 70-42, but inconsistent outside scoring again was a difference-maker. For the third consecutive game, Orlando made eight or fewer three-point baskets. Through nine games, the Magic have the worst 3-point percentage (30.3) in the NBA.

The Magic endured one of the roughest portions of its early schedule. After nine days in five cities, they're ready for some home cooking. Just ask Franz if he's ready to be back in Orlando.

"Yeah, a lot," Wagner said.

Up Next

The Magic start a five-game homestand by hosting the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 8 inside the Kia Center.

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