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The Lead
Bol Bol posted a career-best 26 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Suggs filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Franz Wagner scored 18, but the injury-plagued Orlando Magic were unable to slow down Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Wednesday’s 126-108 loss at Amway Center.
Key Stretch
After the Magic cut a once 27-point deficit down to nine early in the fourth quarter, the T-Wolves responded with a 14-7 run to pull away. D’Angelo Russell buried a pair of jumpers during that span, including one from 3-point range, Rudy Gobert had two dunks and Anthony Edwards, who erupted for 35 points, capped the flurry with a mid-range jay over the reach of the 7-foot-2 Bol.
Key Stats
Even with Gobert, Minnesota has managed to play at a fast pace this season. Many of their points come in transition. That was again the case Wednesday, as they amassed 30 fast break points. Also big was how frequent the Wolves were at the stripe. They took 28 free throws, 11 more than the Magic.
Interesting Note
Bol has now scored over 20 points twice this season and in double figures 10 times. Prior to this year, he hadn’t ever accumulated 20-plus points and had just one regular-season double-digit scoring game.
Quote of the Day
“I think effort is the main thing. The previous night, we came out and got hit in the mouth early and we kind of allowed them to dictate the pace and dictate how the game was going to be played that night. I think that especially early tonight, we did that same thing. We showed fight in the second half. We showed grit and toughness, but this is a great league that we play in. There are a lot of great players, great coaches, and great schemes. You have to bring it for both halves. You can’t play 24 minutes of basketball. I think we showed a lot of heart tonight. We played really hard. There’s a lot of things to build on and a lot of things to learn from but ultimately, but we have to bring it from the tip.” – Suggs
Injury Report
Paolo Banchero (sprained left ankle), Wendell Carter Jr. (right plantar fascia; strain), Cole Anthony (right internal oblique muscle injury), Markelle Fultz (toe), Moe Wagner (sprained right midfoot), Gary Harris (left knee rehabilitation), and Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) were out for the Magic. Everyone for the T-Wolves was available.
This Day in History
On Nov. 16, 1991, Dennis Scott scored 25 points, Terry Catledge recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Scott Skiles tallied 19 points and 15 assists, as the Magic edged the New Jersey Nets. Sam Bowie, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 1984 selected between Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan, led the Nets with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Drazen Petrovic had 22 points.
Rivals Report
The T-Wolves took a major chance over the summer giving up several future first round draft picks and a few quality role players to get Gobert, a three-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. So far, the results haven’t been great. They are giving up way too many 3-pointers, fouling excessively, and turning the ball over quite a bit. While the focus has been on the Gobert-Karl-Anthony Towns pairing, what Minnesota needs most Anthony Edwards to start showing why he belongs in a top-10-player-in-the-league discussion.
Up Next
With their seven-game homestand complete, the Magic head out on the road for a three-game trip, starting Friday in Chicago where they will take on the Bulls at 8 p.m. ET. Last year, the Bulls were potent offensively and poor defensively. So far this year, granted it’s just 14 games, it’s been the opposite. Chicago is 22nd in offense and sixth in defense. One of the reasons their defense has been good is because they are preventing their opponents from scoring many second-chance points, a category they rank second in the league in behind the Cavs.
For more News about the Orlando Magic visit www.orlandomagic.com
For more sports coverage from MLB, NBA, NFL, to NCAA contact Julian Ojeda at 786-501-9082 or via email julian@communitynewspapers.com
