Magic Bounce Back, Beat Warriors to Snap Skid

The Golden State Warriors posed a big challenge for the young Magic. But Orlando rose to the occasion and proved ready for the test.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 3, 2022

Magic Bounce Back, Beat Warriors to Snap Skid /

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is celebrating a big win Thursday night after defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 130-129 at Amway Center.

The game was tied with a minute to go, and Jalen Suggs connected on a three to put his team in the lead. Then, on the ensuing possession, Suggs came up with a huge steal that put the Magic up two scores after making one of two free throws.

Klay Thompson responded with a three of his own to bring it back to a one-point game, and after the Magic turned the ball over, the Warriors had one last chance to win the game. However, Thompson's go-ahead bucket rolled out and the Magic grabbed the win.

The Magic played the Warriors tough throughout the night, matching their opponents' scoring output step-by-step.

While the Warriors had a strong advantage boasting some of the greatest three-point shooters to have ever lived, the Magic leaned into its size, forcing fouls left and right. The Magic went to the foul line at 46 times, making 33 of its free throws.

Despite playing without Terrence Ross (knee) and a continued absence from Cole Anthony (oblique), the Magic contributed by-committee. Out of the eight players who played more than 20 minutes, seven of them scored at least 12 points, proving to be a real team effort to compete against the NBA's best. Suggs' 26 points led Orlando, while No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero added 22.

However, the Warriors proved to be just a little too much for the Magic.

Stephen Curry led all scorers with 39, while his splash brother Klay Thompson put 27 on the board. As a team, Golden State shot 51.5 percent from the floor, sinking 19 threes.

The Magic is back in action Saturday evening when the Sacramento Kings come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

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Published Nov 3, 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.