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The Magic picked up their 15th win of the season Saturday night against the reigning champion Golden State Warriors: Orlando’s only game in the Chase Center this season.
Klay Thompson was a late scratch for the Warriors in this game, but Golden State saw the returns of both Andrew Wiggins and Andre Iguodala.
Orlando opened the game shooting 5/9 from the field, capped off by this thunderous Paolo Banchero dunk as Orlando led 11-10 with 7:28 remaining in the opening period.
Off the bench for the Warriors, Anthony Lamb made five of his first six shots (four of which were three-pointers), helping Golden State take as much as a seven-point lead in the first quarter. Heading into the second, the score was 29-28 in Golden State’s favor.
The Magic shot out of a cannon to begin the second quarter, opening the period on a 9-2 run and reclaiming the advantage at 37-31.
runnin' runnin'@The_ColeAnthony + @jalensuggs pic.twitter.com/DDBvT2VKsd
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 8, 2023
Orlando’s second unit plus Franz Wagner put up a worthy fight against the majority of the Warriors’ starters, as the team led by six (47-41) with 5:50 to play in the half. But by halftime, Lamb, the unsung hero for Golden State, totaled a career-high 22 points, keeping the Warriors within three points (62-59) heading into the break.
At the end of two, Banchero scored a team-high 19 points for the Magic and Wagner added 12 points. None of Golden State’s starters scored in double figures during the first half.
Although the Warriors tied the game on the opening possession of the third quarter, Orlando went on a 9-0 run following a Wiggins’ three-pointer, forcing a timeout by Golden State with 9:44 to play.
The Magic kept the Warriors at bay for a large part of the third quarter, maintaining a double-digit lead until the 4:23 mark of the period. And with 2:36 remaining in the third, Orlando possessed a 15-point lead (92-77).
markelle fultz say it back @MarkelleF pic.twitter.com/xMpnAeUobE
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 8, 2023
That said, the reigning champs finished the quarter on a 5-0 run and entered the fourth quarter trailing by 10 points (92-82).
Orlando regained a 15-point lead (102-87) with 9:08 to go following a Moe Wagner three-pointer and it was smooth sailing for the Magic from that point on. With 5:07 to play, Orlando led 111-97 as the team took their final timeout.
The Warriors never came within single digits for the remainder of the contest and Orlando walked out of San Francisco with a 115-101 victory, completing their first regular season series sweep of the Warriors since the 2012-13 season.
Banchero scored a team-high 25 points for the Magic while Wagner added 24 points. Wendell Carter Jr. recorded a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Cole Anthony totaled 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Orlando.
Lamb scored a team-high 26 points for Golden State and Jordan Poole totaled 21 points and six assists for the Warriors.
The Magic have Sunday off before turning their sights to the Sacramento Kings amid their five-game road trip.
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