Magic Can't Weather Fourth Quarter Storm From Oklahoma City, Lose vs. Thunder

The Magic had a chance to win, but fumbled that opportunity to the Thunder.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 1, 2022

Magic Can't Weather Fourth Quarter Storm From Oklahoma City, Lose vs. Thunder /

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ORLANDO - The young players for the Orlando Magic are shaking their heads after losing 116-108 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

The Magic led by 11 points with 7:26 left in the game before surrendering an 18-2 run in the fourth quarter. During the run, the Thunder was led by reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored eight of his game-high 34 points during the winning stretch for Oklahoma City.

The Magic played well throughout the game, giving the team a chance to win it down the stretch. However, Orlando simply could not weather the storm from Oklahoma City. Wendell Carter Jr. had his best performance of the season, scoring a team-high 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Second-year wing Franz Wagner also had a good showing, putting up 20 points in the loss. Bol Bol recorded another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

On the negative side, Jalen Suggs made his return to the lineup after missing the last five games with an ankle sprain. He shot 3 of 14 from the field for nine points off the bench.

There was also injury added to the insulting loss. Orlando lost starting guard Terrence Ross early in the first quarter and he did not return after suffering a left knee contusion. His status is up in the air for Thursday's game.

Ultimately, the Magic need to be able to close games, especially with a double-digit lead. That's when games are decided and the team could not execute down the stretch. It's part of the learning process for teams that are young like Orlando.

The Magic returns home Thursday to face Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Nov 1, 2022

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.