Wendell Carter Jr.’s Reaction After Steal-and-Dunk Moment Over Jalen Duren Adds Fuel to Ongoing Angel Reese Drama

As mentioned above, the Magic lost this one badly against the Pistons, 98-83. The dunk was the only basket Carter made. Duren struggled that night too, scoring only 11 points.

The series is now tied at 1-1. Expect a hostile crowd in games three and four in Orlando. And most probably, more moments like this from Carter and Duren? People do love a good rivalry, especially when Angel Reese is involved.

Wendell Carter Jr. Needs To Step Up For The Orlando Magic

In game one of the series, Carter outplayed Duren easily. He had 17 points compared to Duren’s eight markers. But in game two, the Magic big man looked lost on offense, only converting one out of six attempts, and was just -26 in 23 minutes on the floor. 

The former 2018 lottery pick has not made a major leap in his career, but remains a solid starter nonetheless. He has averaged 11-7-2 splits in the 2025-2026 season. However, there are nights when his backup, Goga Bitzade, outplays him during games.

While still young, it looks like Wendell Carter Jr.’s ceiling has peaked. He was once projected to become an Al Horford-type player early in his career. Can he step up his game in this first-round series? He needs to. Orlando needs him if they are serious about an upset.