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The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers will square off for the second time in 10 days when they meet on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
The Magic took the first matchup 119-115 on Oct. 28 in Orlando behind a historic performance from forward Paolo Banchero.
His 50 points marked the first time a Magic scorer reached the half-century mark since Tracy McGrady in March 2004, and he fell just one assist shy of becoming only the seventh player in NBA history with a triple-double in a 50-plus-point game.
Orlando has hit hard times since the win over Indiana, however, losing Banchero to a torn right oblique that will sideline him for several weeks. Monday was the Magic's third game without Banchero and their fourth consecutive loss, a 102-86 setback at undefeated Oklahoma City.
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 22 points and Jalen Suggs scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished six assists. Goga Bitadze returned from a five-game absence due to a foot injury to record his best game of the season with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Wagner, Suggs and Bitadze were the only three Magic scorers in double figures, however, and Orlando failed to reach 90 points for a second consecutive game. The Magic managed only 85 points the previous night in a 23-point loss at Dallas.
Orlando has failed to score 100 points in three of its four losses during the current skid.
"You cannot control if that ball goes in the basket, but you've got to make sure you continue to get the right looks and shoot with confidence," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "We talk about attacking the basket (and generating free throws). We're doing the right thing there."
And indeed, while Orlando's 42.2 percent field-goal percentage ranks No. 27 in the NBA entering Tuesday, the Magic are sixth in free-throw attempts per game at 26.4. Against the Pacers last week, Orlando got to the foul line for 38 attempts -- though Banchero was responsible for 22.
Indiana's prior loss to the Magic, meanwhile, capped a three-game slide for the Pacers. They have since won two of three after Monday's 134-127 win at Dallas.
The 134 points marked Indiana's most scored in regulation this season. Myles Turner led the way with 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton went for 25 points and 12 assists.
Haliburton, who led the NBA with 10.9 assists per game last season, tallied just 11 across his first three games this year. He has since returned to form, dishing out at least 10 assists in each of his last four games.
All five Indiana starters scored in double figures at Dallas, including Pascal Siakam with 23 points and Bennedict Mathurin with 16. Mathurin has put up a combined 65 points in the Pacers' last three games, including 30 in a 135-132, overtime win over reigning champion Boston last Wednesday.
With the wins over the Celtics and Mavericks, Indiana heads into Wednesday's contest boasting victories over both of last season's NBA Finals participants.
"Our team is gaining experience," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We had a lot of close road games last year that we were able to win. So our guys are understanding what these kinds of situations are about."
More must-reads:
- NBA names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, announces All-SL teams
- Veteran guard reportedly 'a name to monitor' for Lakers
- The 'NBA all-time 50-point game leaders' quiz
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Milwaukee Bucks: Cole Anthony Gives Love to His Father’s Time With Bucks With Jersey Number Choice, to Wear No. 50 This Season
The Anthony family have their full circle moment after Cole Anthony signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the last team their patriarch played for the in the NBA. Greg Anthony spent nine seasons in the NBA with the Bucks as his last destination. He played for the Deers in 2022, averaging 7.2 points in 24 games. Cole was around two years old that year. It is now his son’s turn to suit up for Milwaukee and he will wear #50 on his jersey, the same number the father used during his time. It was also the same number he had while with the Orlando Magic. The Bucks social media team went hard in announcing it. Fans are pumped for Cole. Cole Anthony might have a better time in Milwaukee Same jersey number but there is a chance that Cole will have a better time than his father did. General manager Jon Horst raved about their acquisition of Cole who he said can be their guard version of Bobby Portis. He even said that the younger Anthony can be a starter based on their own study of his game. “I think he could have a huge shooting year, which would be massive for him and us. And he’s just got an edge to him,” “I hope he takes this as an affectionate thing, and this is true, when I saw the idea of Cole Anthony, him being free and our chance to get him, I think he’s like a guard version of Bobby Portis. I think he can bring so much swag and energy to our team.”
Could this young forward answer multiple questions for the Rangers?
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Caitlin Clark drops mic on Kelsey Plum's Instagram post
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
Kelsey Plum takes shot at Caitlin Clark after WNBA All-Star Game
On Saturday night, Kelsey Plum was part of Team Collier's 151-131 win over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game, scoring 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Following the game, the Los Angeles Sparks star was asked about WNBA All-Stars wearing shirts before the game that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us." Specifically, Plum was asked about how that idea came together. "The T-shirt — just a united front," she said. "That was determined this morning, that we had a meeting for. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that." Plum said it with a chuckle. However, she was sitting next to New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't really need to be mentioned" before laughing. It was awkward, especially because Caitlin Clark, as well as all of the members of Team Clark, wore the shirts. If Clark didn't wear the shirt, you could understand some backlash. But she did. It should also be noted that Team Collier featured the president of the WNBA Players Association, Nneka Ogwumike, as well as the first vice president, Plum, and two vice presidents, Napheesa Collier and Brenna Stewart. It makes sense if they took on greater leadership roles in a statement like this against the league. Whether Plum likes it or not, the reason the WNBA has any sort of leverage heading into these negotiations with the league is Clark. She would do well to remember that the next time she wants to take an unnecessary shot at Clark, who is responsible for the greatest surge in fan attention the WNBA has ever seen.
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