Orlando Magic salvaged road trip against Jazz with Wagner’s 38-point surge

Wagner takes control late

The teams were tied at 98 with 6:31 remaining. Orlando closed on a 25-10 run, making 10 of its final 16 shots, while Utah missed five of its last nine.

Wagner’s 38 points came on 13-of-23 shooting, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. He made nine of 10 free throws and added eight rebounds and one assist in 39 minutes. It was his third consecutive 30-point game, a milestone he had reached twice before in his career.

Wagner scored 12 points in the fourth quarter. The article says the Jazz crowd’s boos appeared to energize him during the finish.

Black supports depleted lineup

Black played both games in Orlando’s back-to-back against Sacramento and Utah after dealing with ankle soreness earlier in the week. He followed a 26-point, seven-rebound, four-steal game against the Kings with 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists against the Jazz.

He shot 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range in 39 minutes. With Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva unavailable, Orlando relied on Black’s scoring, playmaking and defense alongside Wagner.

Utah launches from three

The Jazz attempted 44 three-pointers among 81 total shots, including 27 of their first 34 attempts. Their 3-point attempt rate was 79.4 percent in that early stretch, and their first-half rate of 66.7 percent ranked fifth-highest for any team in a half this season.

Before the game, Utah ranked 22nd in 3-point attempt rate, 25th in 3-point percentage and 23rd in 3-pointers made per game. Orlando tightened its defense on the Jazz’s leading long-range threats and pushed them away from the 3-point line after their fast start.