Magic Makes Statement, Beat Nuggets in Bounce Back Win

The Denver Nuggets came into the Orlando Magic's home with the Western Conference's best record. However, the Magic handed them a loss on their way back out.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 9, 2023

Magic Makes Statement, Beat Nuggets in Bounce Back Win /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is flexing its muscles after a 115-104 win against the Denver Nuggets at Amway Center Thursday night.

The Magic started off flat, surrendering the first 12 points of the game and going down early. but Orlando recovered nicely with a 29-14 run to end the quarter and take a three-point lead.

The lead grew to as much as 16 points in the second quarter and the Magic built a large enough lead to cruise from there. The Nuggets committed 12 first-half turnovers, which led to 18 Magic points.

"We took that first punch, but we threw about six punches back," Magic guard Cole Anthony said.

While the Nuggets made it interesting in the third quarter and cut it to five points, that would be as close as Denver would get. Orlando took back the lead and grew it to as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter for a statement win.

The victory completes the revenge tour after Nikola Jokic hit a game-winner just before the buzzer in the team's first meeting last month. Jokic played well in the rematch, scoring 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Aaron Gordon also played well in his return to Orlando, scoring a game-high 37 points and 14 rebounds, but not having Jamal Murray to help command the second unit really cost the Nuggets.

The Magic saw seven players score in double figures, including a team-high 19 from Wendell Carter Jr.

The Magic's three-game homestand concludes Saturday when the Miami Heat comes to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Feb 9, 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.