Magic Comeback Not Enough in Tight Loss vs. Jazz

The Utah Jazz got the better of the Orlando Magic Friday night in a back-and-forth game.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 13, 2023

Magic Comeback Not Enough in Tight Loss vs. Jazz /

The Orlando Magic (16-27) is disappointed after a tough 112-108 loss to the Utah Jazz (22-23) Friday night at Vivint Arena.

The Magic trailed by 12 points with just under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but a 17-4 run put Orlando ahead with less than two minutes to go.

The comeback propelled the game to come down to the final possessions, where the Magic and Jazz traded blow after blow.

With 26 seconds to go, Franz Wagner missed a go-ahead three down by a point and the Jazz grabbed a key rebound to take control of the free throw game.

After Collin Sexton missed both free throws, rookie Walker Kessler grabbed a crucial offensive board off the second miss and sunk his pair of free throws.

Wagner had a chance at redemption with a three to tie the game, but his shot was blocked by Lauri Markkanen to ice the contest.

The misses at the end were a sour note to Wagner's strong performance, scoring a team-high 26 points. However, it wasn't enough to get the win.

Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 19 points apiece, while Markkanen scored a game-high 28.

Games like these are what will dictate whether the Magic make or miss the play-in tournament, but it will also help the team grow as it ventures towards the second half of the season and beyond.

The Magic concludes its five-game road trip Sunday night against Nikola Jokic and the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Published Jan 13, 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.