The Orlando Magic dealt a crushing blow to the Minnesota Timberwolves to open their first game of a back-to-back with a win.
The Orlando Magic defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in blowout fashion on Saturday, 119-92, to take the first game of their back-to-back on the road. Below are my takeaways:
Desmond Bane Leads the Way
Despite not having a good day from the perimeter, Bane was still able to hang 30 points on the fourth-best team in the Western Conference.
Bane went 0-5 from the perimeter but still shot 58.8% from the field (10-17). He also hit all 10 of his free throws while adding four assists and a steal.
After the game, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley praised Bane’s intangibles.
“The leadership and the level of poise,” he said. “There was a couple of times on the court where we may have fouled, turned it over a couple of times.
“And you can see him just telling everybody, it's OK. Calm down. Calm down. Let's regroup. Let's settle ourselves down.”
In his first season with the Magic, Bane has now scored 30 or more points 11 times, and he is averaging 20.2 points through 61 games.
Paolo Provides Help
Bane was not alone in his effort to lead his team to victory, as Paolo Banchero notched 25 points of his own on 55.6% shooting from the field.
Banchero's 25-point night was one part of the double- double he secured, as he also notched 15 rebounds. It marked Banchero’s 21st double-double of the season; a team high.
After the game, Banchero emphasized how his aggressiveness alongside Bane when getting downhill can benefit the team.
“I just think it's great for the team when we're being aggressive downhill,” Banchero said. “You know, making plays, whether it's scoring, passing, getting fouled. I think that that's a huge plus when we're playing that way.
Perimeter Defense
The Magic did not shoot well from beyond the arc, but they did not need to when they were locking down Minnesota.
Orlando held the Timberwolves to 22.5% (9-40) from the perimeter. The only player who could make an impact was Anthony Edwards, who hit five of his nine 3-point attempts as part of his game-high 34 points. Meanwhile, the rest of his team went just 4-31 from deep.
“I thought our guards did a great job applying pressure,” Mosley said. “Obviously, Ant got going early, but our ability to sustain that effort, no matter what was happening. So, I think our guys just locked into the game plan.”
The Bad News
The Magic were able to leave Minnesota with a dominant win, but it did not come without a cost.
Anthony Black played only two minutes before suffering a back strain that caused him to miss the rest of the game. Saturday marked Black’s second game back in the lineup after a right quad contusion caused him to miss two games.
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