The Magic Insider

Orlando Magic Starts Off Hot, Wins Opener vs. Houston Rockets

The Orlando Magic looked strong in its season-opening win against the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is starting off the season on the right foot with a 116-86 win against the Houston Rockets Wednesday night at the Amway Center.

The Magic took a lead with just under eight minutes to go in the first quarter and never looked back.

Orlando struggled to begin the third quarter, and nearly squashed its 11-point halftime lead. However, a 12-0 run to end the quarter, emphasized by an emphatic block by Jonathan Isaac to stop a Jalen Green poster.

Franz Wagner Dillon Brooks Rockets
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner defended by Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks / © Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The team was led by Franz Wagner, who scored three 3-pointers in the first few minutes of the game. He finished with 17 points on 5 of 11 shooting. The player of the game may have been the newly-extended Cole Anthony, who scored 20 off the bench to lead the team.

Magic rookies Anthony Black (No. 6 pick) and Jett Howard (No. 11 pick) made their debuts with four minutes to go. Howard went scoreless, while Black scored five points and made a big block on fellow rookie Amen Thompson.

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The Rockets saw four of their starters finish in double figures, including new signees Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

The win marks coach Jamahl Mosley's first season-opening victory in his tenure. The Magic lost its previous two with him at the helm. The win is also the largest victory on an opening night in franchise history. The Magic is now 20-15 in season openers as a franchise.

The Magic now begins a four-game road trip, which begins Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. PT. The game can be watched on Bally Sports Florida or NBA League Pass.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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