Orlando Magic Click on All Cylinders in Win vs. Indiana Pacers

The Orlando Magic pulled out a big win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 19, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is heading back home on a happy flight after a 128-116 win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Magic started off hot and never let the foot off the gas. Orlando was up double digits early and became the kryptonite of the league's No. 1 offense by simply sticking to its principles ... sound defense, trust and confidence in one another.

The team was also able to keep control of the basketball, only committing one turnover in the first half, and that came on a Joe Ingles lost jump ball very late in the first half.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates his made slam dunk with guard Cole Anthony (50) in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. — Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates his made slam dunk with guard Cole Anthony (50) in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

It was a collaborative effort to pull out the win, but Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field. Franz Wagner scored 19 points, while Jalen Suggs added 18 in his return from the lineup.

Moe Wagner, Cole Anthony and Gary Harris were also sound offensively, scoring in double digits off the bench.

For the Pacers, seven players scored in double figures, but Jordan Nwora led the way with 19 points off the bench.

With the win, the Magic improves to 3-1 on the road trip and 8-5 overall to start the season. Orlando won its eighth game last season on Dec. 11, putting the team nearly a month ahead of its pace from a year ago.

The Magic now returns for a six-game homestand that begins Tuesday in an In-Season Tournament matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Paolo Banchero Drawing More Attention From Defenses?

Published Nov 19, 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.