The red-hot Orlando Magic (9-6) rolled past the Phoenix Suns (9-6) with a decisive 109-99 victory on November 19.
Franz Wagner, recently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, continued his stellar form with 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Goga Bitadze added 17 points and 10 rebounds while Anthony Black contributed 20 points and 9 assists, helping the Magic push their win streak to six games. Orlando’s defense has been clamping down on opponents, holding them to under 100 points in that span.
Devin Booker, after his explosive 44-point performance in their previous game, was muffled by the Magic’s defense, managing only 17 points while shooting a dismal 1-for-7 from three. Tyus Jones, however, stepped up big time, steering the Suns’ offense with 18 points, 8 assists and 0 turnovers. Jones is averaging 7.4 assists and just 0.8 turnovers over his last five games. Oso Ighodaro impressed in his first career start, contributing 12 points and 7 rebounds.
The Suns’ injury troubles persist, with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Jusuf Nurkic all unavailable. Durant is missing his sixth consecutive game. Phoenix has slipped to 1-5 during this stretch, including four straight losses.
Wagner Is a Man on a Mission
The Magic opened the game with a bang, jumping out to a 7-0 run. Tyus Jones responded by draining three three-pointers to keep his team in the fight. Orlando sustained their assault in the second with Wagner taking charge. He hit a pair of threes to build a (45-34) lead and then closed the half strong, adding another three-pointer during a 10-2 run to give his squad a commanding 16-point advantage.
The Magic continued to shoot the lights out in the third. The Suns fought hard, but Orlando’s lead remained in double digits, reaching 19 points in the fourth. Phoenix mounted a furious last-ditch effort, erupting for a 16-4 run to trim the deficit to seven. But Wagner dashed the comeback with six quick points, sealing the win.
The Suns host the Knicks on Thursday, while the Magic take on the Clippers.
