Damian Lillard's 41 Points Push Blazers Past Magic

The Orlando Magic went toe-to-toe with the Portland Trail Blazers, but fell a smidge short Sunday night at home.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 5, 2023

Damian Lillard's 41 Points Push Blazers Past Magic /

In this story:

Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is starting off on the wrong foot in its four-game homestand after a 122-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night.

The Magic and Blazers kept things kosher and close throughout the game, as neither team took a double-digit lead. The biggest lead during the game came late in the third quarter when Portland pieced together a 9-0 run after three consecutive triples when the game was tied at 83.

But the Magic bridged the gap in the fourth quarter.

Portland and Orlando kept volleying throughout the final frame, and it was tied at 113 with less than a minute to play.

Blazers wing Nassir Little knocked down a clutch three with 35 seconds to go to take a lead, and the Magic answered with a pair of free throws from Franz Wagner.

On the ensuing possession, All-Star Damian Lillard was sent to the free throw line to score his 38th and 39th points of the game, which led all scorers.

It turned into a free throw game from there, but the Magic had one last chance with 4.3 seconds to go but Paolo Banchero missed the final shot at the buzzer and Orlando dropped a game it wishes it had back.

The Magic returns to the court Tuesday night in a rematch against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.

Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.

Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.

Want even more Orlando Magic news? Check out the SI.com team page here.

Published Mar 5, 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.