Magic Snaps Losing Streak With Win vs. Pacers
The Orlando Magic went on the road to face the Indiana Pacers and secured a 117-110 win, ending the four-game losing streak that was their longest of the season.
Paolo Banchero looked like a star on the court against the Pacers, dropping 34 points on 20 shots while also collecting seven rebounds and four assists. His 34 points were the most scored by a player from either team.
On the other side, Tyrese Haliburton gave Orlando plenty of trouble, especially since Jalen Suggs missed the game due to injury and wasn't able to be his primary defender. As the focal point of Indiana's offense, Haliburton had 29 points along with a game-high 14 assists.
Paolo Banchero dropped 34 points on the Indiana Pacers in a 117-110 win.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Magic had lost four straight games before finally getting one back in the win column tonight. While losing four straight at any point in the season is never a good thing, the losses were to the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics twice. There aren't many four game stretches that are tougher schedule-wise than that.
Franz Wagner's shooting woes continued in the win, as he took two threes and made none. After shooting 36.1 percent from deep last year, he has fallen into a slump and is shooting 27.4 percent from beyond the arc this season. Despite this, he was an effective contributor, scoring 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting and grabbing five rebounds.
The Magic will not be a part of this year's NBA Christmas Day slate, and will play again on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards in the nation's capital at 7 p.m. At 5-23, the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league and will give Orlando a chance to start a new winning streak/snap its losing streak once and for all.
