Field Level Media
Jan 5, 2024
Paolo Banchero had 32 points, a career-high 11 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double, Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 27 points and the visiting Orlando Magic rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-120 on Friday night.
Cole Anthony scored 23 points and Moritz Wagner had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, which swept the season series from Denver.
The Magic played without Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain), Gary Harris (right calf strain), Jonathan Isaac (hamstring), Joe Ingles (ankle) and Markelle Fultz (knee).
Nikola Jokic scored 29 points, Michael Porter Jr. finished with 22, Jamal Murray contributed 20, Aaron Gordon scored 16 and Reggie Jackson added 11 points for the Nuggets.
Banchero sank two free throws to give the Magic a two-point lead with 9.7 seconds left before Murray missed a jumper at the buzzer for the Nuggets.
Denver led by 13 at halftime and increased it to 18 on a 3-pointer by Porter with 10:47 left in the third quarter. Orlando answered with a 15-4 burst to cut its deficit to 80-73. The Nuggets got the lead back up to 12 on a three-point play by Jokic but Orlando kept chipping away.
Caleb Houstan and Anthony hit 3-pointers, Trevelin Queen converted a three-point play, Wagner and Anthony hit shots and Banchero closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer to get the Magic within 98-95 entering the fourth.
Anthony opened the final quarter with five straight points to put Orlando ahead for the first time since early in the game and Suggs increased it to 107-103 with a layup with 7:23 left.
Jokic split a pair of free throws to cut it to 108-107 but the Magic went ahead by four on Anthony's fadeaway with 4:14 left.
Gordon made 1 of 2 free throws for Denver, but Suggs hit a free throw to make it 116-112 and Jokic made two shots and fed Gordon for a dunk that tied it at 118 with 1:08 left.
Banchero missed a floater and Murray hit two free throws to put the Nuggets back in front with 47 seconds left.
Banchero answered with two free throws to tie it before Denver turned it over prior to the decisive sequence.
--Field Level Media