Jan 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic keep struggling to close games

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Matt Hanifan | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 1:54 PM ET

The Orlando Magic scored just 12 points on just 21.1 percent shooting (0-7 3PT) in their most recent loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia wasn't much better, offensively, but it was able to pull away late to capture a 103-91 win.

Unfortunately, this hasn't been an exception for Orlando -- it's the rule. Its fourth-quarter woes, one way or another, continue to reappear. And their loss to Philly was just another episode. After the game, Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. voiced his opinion as to why that's the case.

"We've just got to be more organized in fourth quarters," Carter said, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede. "We were playing pretty good basketball [on] both sides of the ball the first three quarters. We've been playing really good defense, holding guys under their (scoring) average in terms of as a team.

"We've got to do a better job of just figuring it out."

“We’ve just got to be more organized in fourth quarters,” #Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. told @orlandosports in the locker room when asked what he thought went wrong in the 4th vs. the 76ers, and as of late. “We’ve just got to do a better job of just figuring it out.”

More: pic.twitter.com/JNMV18BCiX
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) January 10, 2026

Magic have been one of league's worst fourth quarter teams:

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

We are nearing the halfway point of the season. By this point, every team knows its strengths and weaknesses, regardless of injuries. And one of the Magic's struggles has been their inability to close games handily.

In the fourth quarter, Orlando owns the sixth-worst NET Rating, fourth-worst offense and second-worst effective field goal percentage.

Earlier this week, it blew an 18-point lead to the Nets -- a game it took a miraculous Paolo Banchero buzzer beater to salvage. Additionally, the Magic have blown a 21-point lead to the Raptors (loss), a 13-point lead to the Bulls (loss), a 17-point lead to the Trail Blazers (win) and a 19-point lead to the Utah Jazz (win).

Each of those five outcomes has been since Dec. 19. Over that span, the Magic are getting outscored by 11.5 points per 100 possessions (29th), including a league-worst minus-22.9 NET in the fourth quarter.

Carter believes the team getting back healthy will help its fortunes in the near future.

"Getting guys back in the fold is going to help us a lot more too," he said. "Just from the standpoint of their IQ of the game. Guys like [Jalen Suggs], [Franz Wagner] coming back soon; [Moe Wagner], coming back soon, too.

"I think it's going to be one of the important things about it, too. But at the end of the day, we've got to figure it out as a team and we've got to be better."

Backup big Moe Wagner is expected to return for the Magic Sunday, when they host the New Orleans Pelicans at 3:00 p.m. EST before traveling overseas to face Memphis.