At shootaround Thursday morning, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said he viewed Orlando‘s preseason finale as both a chance to go through a dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season next week and continue to work on his rotation combinations.

Orlando mixed with its lineups and its starters saw extended time on the court well into the fourth quarter of the exhibition against the Pelicans at Kia Center.

Led by a combined 43 points from forwards Franz Wagner (24) and Paolo Banchero (19), the Magic outlasted the Pelicans in a high-scoring affair, 132-125, to finish 4-0 in the preseason.

New Orleans trio Jordan Poole (21), Zion Williamson (18) and Trey Murphy III (18) combined for 57 in the 7-point loss.

The difference came from distance when the Magic shot 14 of 31 (45.2%) from 3-point range while holding the Pelicans to just 29% (9 of 31) for the night.

With the preseason wrapped up, the Magic will make their final preparations for the start of the regular season next Wednesday against the Heat at Kia Center.

Starting 5

For just the second time this preseason, Mosley rolled out Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.

Wagner and Banchero wasted no time making their marks on the game when the duo combined to score 13 of Orlando’s first 15 points by attacking the basket and setting the tone on offense by pushing the pace.

Both were efficient early at the free throw line with Wagner making his first 4 attempts before the break and Banchero opening 5 of 6. Banchero cleaned up the defensive glass to record a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Orlando’s starters played more of the contest than they had the first three preseason games with Wagner seeing 25 minutes of action and Banchero 30 as they ramp up for the regular season. Four of the five ended in double-digit scoring.

Carter did a little bit of everything on both ends when he posted 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks in 29 minutes providing a physical edge on defense.

Newcomers Bane and Jones combined for 4 points in the first half on 1 of 6 shooting from the field. Bane ended with 11 points in 28 minutes and Jones just 5 and 5 assists in 23.

Second unit

Orlando’s first five players off the bench were in order, Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze.

Isaac had an efficient evening with 13 points in 13 minutes on 6 of 7 shooting from the field with 6 rebounds. The highlight of his night came early when he connected with Carter for an alley-oop.

Black shot 3 of 7 from the field but still ended with 11 points thanks to a pair of triples with 3 assists.

Howard hit his first triple but only attempted one more long-range shot when had 5 points. Da Silva added 7 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds in 15 minutes.

The Magic held a slight 59-55 advantage in bench scoring.

Rookie watch

Unlike the first three preseason games, No. 25 pick Jase Richardson didn’t see the floor in the first half. Instead the Michigan State product checked into the contest for the first with 5:20 left in the third quarter.

Richardson hustled for the ball late in the third quarter when he dove for it off a missed floater to get his own rebound. Sitting on the court, he tossed the ball to da Silva for a dunk down the lane. Richardson portrayed his playmaking abilities with 6 assists alongside 3 points in 13 minutes

Second-round pick Noah Penda entered with with 3:52 left in the game. The French forward got to the free throw line once where he went 1 for 2 playing the remained of the night.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Originally Published: October 16, 2025 at 9:28 PM EDT