The Magic led the Jazz by as many as 19 points in the second half of Saturday’s contest at Delta Center, but that didn’t bother Utah.
The young Western Conference squad that entered the game with just 10 wins stormed back late to force overtime against Orlando, but Desmond Bane saved the night for his team a second time this season in the closing moments.
Trailing Utah by 1 with 4.1 seconds left on the clock in the extra period, Orlando ran a sidelines out-of-bounds play that let Bane drive to the basket and secure a 128-127 victory with less than a second to play.
The Jazz used a 24-8 run across a 6 1/2-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter after Jamahl Mosley‘s squad had built its double-digit lead.
Behind a combined 75 points from Bane (32), Paolo Banchero (23) and Anthony Black (20), the Magic were able to outlast the Jazz late and snap a two-game losing streak.
“They sped up the game, went small, looked to get downhill [and] attack,” Mosley said when asked what allowed Utah to come back. “We’ve got to do a better job of keeping guys in front of us [on defense].”
Although Utah (10-17) had six scorers finish in double figures, including 12 points from Lake Highland Prep product Brice Sensabaugh, Orlando turned defense into offense when it scored 17 points off 12 takeaways.
Riding the high of Bane’s second game-winner of the season, the Magic (16-12) continue their four-game trip out west when they make their lone trip of the year to Golden State on Monday.
Bane bounce back
After scoring just 6 points Thursday night at Denver when he missed all four of his 3-point attempts, Bane responded with a sharp showing.
He posted 21 points in the first half alone when he shot 3 for 4 from beyond the arc in 16 minutes before the break. The Magic guard turned the ball over five times but added 11 points in the second half to score 30-plus points for fourth time this season.
It was his last basket of the evening that counted the most when his only overtime bucket was the game-winner for Orlando. He previously hit a game-winner, a 3 at the buzzer, for the Magic on Nov. 10 against Portland.
“He’s been there before,” Mosley said about Bane’s ability to execute late. “He doesn’t get rattled. He knows how to make winning plays and winning shots.”
Banchero active
Continuing to find his groove in just his sixth game back from a 10-game absence due to a left groin strain, Banchero did a little bit of everything on both ends of the court.
The Magic forward made quick decisions with the ball when he came up one rebound and one assist short of a second straight triple-double. He added 2 blocks in 42 minutes, his most played since his return.
Banchero, however, shot 1 for 4 from 3-point range, which included a miss at the end of regulation that would have avoided overtime for the Magic. He also missed five free throws as he shot 10 for 15 at the charity stripe.
Rookie watch
Magic second-round pick Noah Penda provided a spark in the second quarter when he racked up 9 points in 7 minutes of action during the frame.
The French forward ended with a career-high 13 points with 12 rebounds and 4 assists in 24 minutes and added 2 steals and 2 blocks.
“You’ve got to give him so much credit because he just continues to stay ready,” Mosley said about Penda. “No matter what’s going on, he continues to work on his craft, and that’s what we needed from guys like that who are not always in rotation.”
Penda was joined by fellow rookie Jase Richardson, who scored 5 of his 10 points in the third quarter. The No. 25 pick drilled a pair of 3s and added 3 assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Free points
Orlando lacked the required focus at the free throw line on the road.
In a 1-point win that required overtime, the Magic missed 11 free throws.
Orlando overall shot 23 for 33 (70%) at the free throw line while Utah ended 24 for 30 (80%).
Remembering Cole
Before taking questions ahead of Saturday’s contest, Mosley took a moment to offer his and the team’s condolences to the family of Eddie Cole, the Magic team chaplain and former Eatonville mayor.
Cole, who was inducted into the Rollins Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, died Saturday morning.
“The Magic family lost somebody very special to us,” Mosley said.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com