Wendell Carter Jr. Leads Orlando Magic In 122-105 Win Over New Orleans Pelicans
Offense was on full display throughout the night as the Orlando Magic started off the preseason with a 122-105 over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. paced the high-scoring affair, scoring a team-high 18 points. Carter showed growth in his game from beyond the arc, making four of five 3-pointers in the win/loss. He also had five rebounds and an assist.
Carter was in the starting lineup with Markelle Fultz, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
Banchero had 12 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Fultz did a bit of everything with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists. Suggs also stuffed the stat sheet with six points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal, and Wagner had nine points.
Wendell Carter Jr. (34) throwing down a dunk and hanging off of the rim.
Cole Anthony was the team's leading scorer off of the bench with 13 points, including two 3-pointers made along with three rebounds and four assists. Jonathan Isaac flashed in just eight minutes of play with seven points along with two blocks and a steal.
Isaac's play was particularly encouraging given his struggles to remain healthy. If Isaac can stay healthy, he could prove to be a pivotal piece the Magic have been missing.
Rookie guard Jett Howard made his minutes count in the fourth quarter with eight points, including two 3-pointers made. Fellow rookie guard, Anthony Black, had two points, two assists and a block.
The Pelicans had five different players score in double-digits, including four of their starters. Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 14 points and C.J. McCollum had 12.
Defense was optional throughout the first half for both teams. After both teams traded buckets and was knotted up at 16-16 with 5:54 left in the first quarter, New Orleans closed the opening stanza on a 22-10 run.
The Pelicans carried their momentum into the second quarter, and led by as many as 16 points. Orlando responded however, and cut the deficit to 68-67 at halftime.
The Magic came out of the break on fire, opening the second half on a 13-4 run. Orlando's lead ballooned to 10 with 3:40 left in the third quarter, but the Pelicans went on a 9-0 run to cut the Magic's lead to 88-87 heading into the final stanza.
After trading buckets to begin the fourth quarter, Orlando went on another run, scoring 10 straight points to lead 105-92 and force a New Orleans timeout with 7:28 left in the game. The Magic led by at least nine points for the rest of the game.
Orlando will be back in action on Thursday when they head to the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to face the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET
