The Orlando Magic entered the game without two of their starters – Paolo Banchero & Jalen Suggs – but were able to take the Houston Rockets to overtime, where they fell just short. Kevin Durant pulled out a vintage performance, scoring 35 and hitting the dagger to put Houston up 3 with under 10 seconds to go. Anthony Black almost won the game with his steal and dunk with a few seconds left in regulation, but a missed free throw allowed the door to stay open for Houston to tie it up before the buzzer.

Although the Magic took the loss, the team had a few great individual performances that kept this game competitive. Let’s take a look at how the Magic players graded in the game against the Rockets.

Franz Wagner kept the Magic alive tonight, attacking the basket and hitting shots from all 3 levels. Although his shooting percentages weren’t the best, his volume was necessary in a game missing 2 starters. The length of Houston offered some issues for Wagner, but his play has continued to be the best on the team.

Desmond Bane has been on a hot stretch since hitting the game winning shot. Although they haven’t all equated to wins, his play has been encouraging for fans who were waiting to see the Bane they traded for. Tonight, he continued his aggression in getting to the rim and his 7 attempts from 3 is what you’ll want to see consistently from him. Bane has held down the fort in the backcourt, especially in the games without Suggs. If this play from Bane continues as Paolo finds his footing and Suggs fully recovers, the team could be priming itself for a deep playoff run.

Anthony Black has also been playing outstanding in the games without Jalen Suggs. In games with added opportunity, Black has used that time to shine and showcase his talents. Unfortunately, his night wasn’t perfect. After what could’ve been the game-winning steal and slam with under 2 seconds to go. Black missed the free throw to put the Magic up 3, which subsequently allowed Sengun to catch a pass deep in the paint and tie the game with a hook shot over Isaac.

Houston Rockets Player of the Game

Tonight we saw classic Kevin Durant, scoring from all 3 levels and being the clutch player we know him to be. With the Magic leading by 3 with under a minute to go, Durant hit a 3-point shot to tie the game. In overtime, when the Rockets led by 1, he hit the dagger to put the game just out of reach for the Magic.

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