Don’t look now, but the Orlando Magic are just half a game behind the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings after their 112-92 win over the going-nowhere Charlotte Hornets at home Tuesday night. Much of the success in the 2023-24 NBA season of the Magic can be attributed to their suffocating defense, which showed once again in the Charlotte game.
Jalen Suggs Sounds Off On Orlando Magic’s Stout Defense
After the win over the Hornets, Magic guard Jalen Suggs said that Orlando is always going to be a handful for the rest of the league when the Magic’s defense is clicking.
“We play defense like that, it’s scary,” the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star said.
The Magic held Charlotte down to only 48.1 percent from the floor and forced the Hornets to commit a total of 17 turnovers. Picking the pockets and forcing turnovers from their opponents have been a staple this season for Orlando, which is fourth in the league with 15.0 defensive turnovers per game and No. 1 overall with a 13.7 percent defensive turnover rate.
This is an incredibly opportunistic defense team that will not shy away from every opportunity to get opponents to cough up the leather. The Magic are fourth in terms of adjusted defensive rating with 111.4 points allowed per 100 possessions.
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