Orlando Magic Drops In-Season Tournament Opener vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets ran away from the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 14, 2023

In this story:

Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is still searching for its first In-Season Tournament victory after losing 124-104 to the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Tuesday night.

The Magic started the game off flat, surrendering a 14-5 run to the Nets in the early minutes, but Orlando found its groove in the second quarter and even took the lead going into halftime. It's the ninth time the Magic has led after the first half in 10 games so far this season. Yet, the team's record is now 5-5 after tonight due to poor performances in the second half.

The Nets were chipping away throughout the third quarter and ultimately took a lead in the final minute. Brooklyn never trailed the rest of the way. A 16-3 run to begin the fourth quarter buried the Magic into a hole it had no chance to dig out of.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. — Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) during the second quarter at Barclays Center / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For Brooklyn, point guard Spencer Dinwiddie led the way with 29 points and eight assists. He was one of six Nets to finish in double figures, an impressive feat considering high-volume scorer Cam Thomas was out with an ankle injury.

The Magic was dealing with some injuries of its own as Markelle Fultz (knee), Gary Harris (groin) and Wendell Carter Jr. (hand) continued to sit out. Franz Wagner was Orlando's leading scorer with 21 points, while Paolo Banchero scored 19 of his own.

The Magic has a quick turnaround, facing off against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Orlando Magic PF Paolo Banchero: 'We're Able to Compete With Anybody'

Published Nov 14, 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.