Magic fall short to visiting Clippers

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Mar 31, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — In a meeting between two of the top three defenses in the NBA, a lack of offense was on full display during a low-scoring affair between the Magic and the Clippers at Kia Center on Monday night.

Ultimately, Los Angeles came out on top, 96-87, when four scorers finished in double figures, including 21 points from six-time All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard.

Even with a combined 47 points from Paolo Banchero (26) and Franz Wagner (21), Jamahl Mosley’s squad turned the ball over 14 times for 13 Los Angeles points.

Orlando fell to 3-23 when failing to score at least 100 points. The 87 points were the second-fewest allowed by the Clippers this season.

The result is significant because both sides entered as the No. 8 seed in their respective conferences as they vie for postseason positioning in the final stretch of the regular season.

With the loss, Orlando went 1-2 on its homestand while the Clippers (43-32) secured a 3-1 record on their four-game road trip against East squads.

The Magic (36-40) have a quick turnaround as they travel to San Antonio for a Tuesday night matchup against the Spurs.

What went wrong

Prior to a late run before half, the rest of the second quarter was otherwise forgettable for the Magic.

The Clippers held Orlando to 1-for-12 shooting from the floor and took a nine-point lead when they outscored the Magic 18-3 in the first eight minutes of the frame.

Los Angeles made life difficult for the Magic’s half-court offense by utilizing a zone defense and focusing specifically on Banchero. Even as he looked to swing the ball out of double teams, Banchero was forced to make difficult passes as the Clippers shifted well on the court following the ball.

And it took time for the Magic to break up Los Angeles' zone defense when Orlando started 1 for 12 from beyond the arc and eventually just 4 of 16 (25%) at the break.

Fortunately for Orlando, the Clippers weren’t much better from distance as they shot 4 of 15 (26.7%) from distance in the first half.

The Magic finished 7 for 27 (25.9%) and the Clippers 8 for 31 (25.8%).

Banchero and Wagner were a combined 2 of 15 from 3-point range.

Anthony Black (eight points) provided some relief off the bench but was the lone reserve to score before the fourth quarter. Caleb Houstan made a layup in the fourth.

What worked

Banchero got to the free throw line early and often when he made his first eight attempts. Aggressively attacking the basket, Banchero’s trips to the charity stripe boosted a 16-point first half for the Magic forward.

Banchero joined Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in Magic history to score 20-plus points in 17-or-more consecutive games.

Orlando met the defensive physicality by the Clippers and brought their own when they forced 16 turnovers for 19 points.

A late second-quarter run by the Magic was powered by L.A.’s missed shots and turnovers. Turning defense into offense, Orlando closed out the final four minutes of the first half on a 16-5 run to lead by two at the break.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a trio of 3-pointers and totaled 11 points in 33 minutes.

Rookie watch

Tristan da Silva didn’t see the floor during the first three quarters but started the final frame for Orlando as it looked for help from its bench.

The No. 18 pick didn’t score, grab a rebound or record an assist in three limited minutes of action.

Anthony update

Magic guard Cole Anthony missed his sixth straight contest Monday but he could be back soon.

“Cole is getting better,” Mosley said prior to tip-off against the Clippers.

Anthony was able to do some on-court work that included a little bit of contact at Monday morning shootaround. Typically, full contact is the precursor to an injured player’s return to game action.

“He’s trending in the right direction,” Mosley said.