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The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 102-86 last night to remain the only undefeated team in the Western Conference.
7-0, POWERED BY THE DEFENSE. ⛈️
🔐 95.9 opponent PPG (leads NBA)
🔐 13.1 STL per game (leads NBA)
🔐 7.4 BLK per game (leads NBA)
🔐 93.8 defensive rating (leads NBA)The first 7-0 start in @okcthunder history. pic.twitter.com/EgBFcVR1r2
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2024
Magic Offensive Struggles
Orlando struggled all game to put the ball in the basket, connecting on just 29 of 82 shots (35.4%). The Magic had only 43 points at halftime and 58 by the end of the third quarter.
Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs lead the team in offense. Wagner dropped 22 points while Suggs had 19 of his own, as well as six rebounds and six assists.
the cross + the finish@jalensuggs pic.twitter.com/rK5YdmFWX1
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 5, 2024
The Magic are really missing starters Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., who are both sidelined with injuries. Players who needed to step up in spite of their absence, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anthony Black, were no where to be found. Caldwell-Pope was held to six points on 1-for-7 shooting while Black was 1-for-8 with only three points. This is the Magic’s second game in a row scoring less than 90 points.
Thunder: A Well Oiled Machine
The Thunder passed the rock extremely well against Orlando. Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a career high with seven assists in the first quarter. Oklahoma City had five players score in double figures. Jalen Williams lead the team with 23 points, followed by Gilgeous-Alexander’s 21. The third piece in this young Thunder trio, Chet Holmgren, added 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
The Thunder were 12-of-31 from the three-point line, while the Magic only made one of their 17 attempts in the first half. They finished the game 5-of-34 from deep.
Isaiah Joe hit three three-pointers on three straight possessions at the end of the third quarter to really put this game out of reach for Orlando.
Three threes in a row from Isaiah Joe 🔥
And three assists in a row from Caruso 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WvOUcb2uVa
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2024
Oklahoma City has not won by less than 10 points all season.
Up Next
The Magic will travel to Indiana on Wednesday to face the Pacers. They are currently on a four game losing streak. Last time Orlando played the Pacers, the Magic won 119-115 behind the first 50 point game of the season from Banchero. Without him, they will need a new offensive spark.
