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The Orlando Magic hosted the Indiana Pacers on Monday night in Florida which marked the return of point guard Markelle Fultz who was back in action for the first time in over 400 days. Here’s how it went.
🚨BREAKING NEWS:@MarkelleF announces his return on @OrlandoMagic Pod Squad
Orlando hosts Indiana on Monday, Feb. 28 at @AmwayCenter at 7 pm.
Subscribe to Orlando Magic Pod Squad, wherever you get your #podcasts. #MagicTogether#F2Ghttps://t.co/CdY6YQc3iR
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) February 26, 2022
Magic Go Head-to-Head with the Indiana Pacers
Before Monday night, the Pacers pushed their home record to 15-18 with an impressive 128-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. They came into the season as a veteran-led team, but have had a rough season and traded away some of their core players earlier this month. They are now the 13th seed in the east with a 21-42 record in 63 games.
As for Orlando, they also won their last outing, a 119-111 result against the Rockets on Feb. 25. They are now 15th in the East Conference and hold the NBA’s worst record at 15-47 with just a 6-21 home record through 62 total games that they have played so far.
During Monday nights game, Wendell Carter Jr. had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Markelle Fultz scored 10 points in his return from injury, and eight Orlando players scored in double figures as the Magic beat the Indiana Pacers 119-103. Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner had 15 points apiece for Orlando, which won its second straight.
The Pacers new point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, had 23 points and seven assists. Buddy Hield then added 18 points in Indiana’s ninth loss in 11 games. Hield and Duane Washington Jr. both hit 3-pointers during a 10-0 run midway through the second quarter that gave the Pacers their biggest lead of the game at 49-38.
Carter answered with three dunks to help Orlando finish the half on a 17-7 spurt, and the Magic pulled ahead for keeps when Wagner and Carter opened the second half with a layup and a 3-pointer.
Markelle Fultz and his Long Journey
Markelle Fultz, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Washington, has been out of the lineup since tearing his left ACL during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2021. Fultz signed a three-year, $50 million contract extension with the Magic in December 2020. He was averaging a career-high 12.9 points and 5.4 assists before the major knee injury.
Fultz’s last start for the Magic was on Jan. 6, 2021. He played four minutes in a win against Cleveland that left Orlando with a 6-2 record. The Magic went 15-49 the remainder of the season, and none of the other starters from that game are still on the roster.
Although excited to be back in action, the Magic team he’ll be returning to is very different than how he left it. Veteran players Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier are gone. The team has been rebuilding, and young guards Jalen Suggs, R.J. Hampton, and Cole Anthony are now established players in the backcourt. Fultz is not only competing with the newbies, but with veterans Gary Harris and Terrence Ross for playing time as well.
Fultz’s Big Debut
Markelle Fultz played his first NBA game in over a year and he is still so fun to watch!@MarkelleF: 10 PTS, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/DePLenHggN
— NBA (@NBA) March 1, 2022
Before returning to the floor on Monday night against the Indiana Pacers, Fultz announced on the Orlando Magic Pod Squad his plans for returning to the floor on Monday.
“I’ve just been working on everything,” he said. “Being able to be able to use my size as an advantage in the post. Being able to get to my spots where I love to kill, the midrange. Working on going through contact, getting to the rim, trying to get free throws. Stuff like that. Playing the same game. Shooting my threes off the dribble. Just a little bit of everything,”
Fultz played 16 minutes, and shot 5 for 7 from the field before leaving the game with the Magic up by 16 points in the middle of the fourth quarter.
The Magic (15-47) will play the Pacers (21-42) again Wednesday at the Amway Center.
