Despite reinserting a couple of starters back into the lineup, the Orlando Magic dropped Friday’s road game 101-84 to the Brooklyn Nets.
Guard Markelle Fultz (7 points and 5 assists in 18 minutes) and forward Franz Wagner (12 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes) were available and back with the starting group after sitting out Thursday’s home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Guard Gary Harris was also available off the bench but didn’t play.
The Magic sat their starters in the loss to the Cavaliers, the first night of a back-to-back, opting for players who haven’t been in the rotation.
But a few of those players — including Fultz, Harris and Wagner — who didn’t play on Thursday were back in the lineup against the Nets.
Guard Cole Anthony (14 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists), who was available but didn’t play against the Cavaliers, made his fourth start of the season against the Nets alongside Fultz, Wagner, Jalen Suggs (7 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes) and Goga Bitadze (12 points and 15 rebounds).
“There’s always something to play for when you’re with a young group,” coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame. “That is teaching winning habits. Teaching how to play meaningful basketball this time of year. It’s not a light switch you can turn on and off.”
The change gave the Magic an opportunity to look at different lineups against a team still playing for something.
“It’s consistently going to be what we talked about: different lineups we want to see,” Mosley said. “Obviously going into the back-to-back, being able to look at it a different way and keep bodies as fresh as possible. It’s definitely a way to be able to look at these things.”
The Magic’s lack of continuity with their lineups was evident for the second consecutive game.
Orlando kept the game close early, trailing Brooklyn 16-15 before falling behind 27-23 at the end of the first quarter. But the Nets (45-36), led by Mikal Bridges’ 22 points, broke the game open by outscoring Orlando 31-16 in the second.
The Magic had 21 turnovers for 24 Nets’ points. Orlando trailed by as much as 24 in the third before their reserves cut the deficit to 85-75 midway through the fourth. But Brooklyn didn’t allow the Magic to get any closer.
The Nets secured the No. 6 seed in the East and will avoid the play-in tournament field of postseason play.
Forward Paolo Banchero (back tightness), center Wendell Carter Jr. (left hip soreness), forward Jonathan Isaac (season-ending left inner thigh surgery on March 3), guard Jay Scrubb (ineligible to play) and forward Moe Wagner (sprained right ankle) weren’t available.
The Magic (34-47) will close out the season on Sunday with a matchup at No. 7 seed Miami (43-38).
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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