Magic Blown Out in Summer League Loss vs. Pacers

The Orlando Magic came out flat and was given a wake-up call by the Indiana Pacers in the latest Summer League defeat.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 10, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (0-2) is still seeking its first win for this year's Las Vegas Summer League run. The team dropped Game 2 to the Indiana Pacers (2-0) in a 108-85 drubbing on Monday night at Thomas & Mack Center.

The Magic kept things close in the first quarter, but the wheels began to fall off in the second. The Pacers outscored the Magic 34-17 in the second quarter to take a 23-point lead into the locker rooms. From there, Indiana cruised to victory.

All five Indiana starters scored in double figures, including three players who contributed for last year's team.

Orlando had a strong performance from Caleb Houstan, who scored a team-high 18, but the second-year pro didn't have much help.

No. 11 pick Jett Howard had a more efficient outing compared to his game on Saturday, scoring 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, No. 6 pick Anthony Black didn't have the same kind of game. He struggled with his shot, making 3 of 12 field goals for a mere eight points.

The Magic rookies are slowly learning the NBA game, and growing pains are to be expected at this point in their careers. But there are still three games to improve and get a better feel of the professional level.

The Magic returns to the court Wednesday to face the New York Knicks. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

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Published Jul 10, 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.