Black Took the Lead Back, and Orlando Kept Sharing the Work

Anthony Black’s three-pointer with 6:56 remaining did more than restore Orlando’s lead. It changed the shape of the fourth quarter. Toronto had just moved ahead 103-102 on a Scottie Barnes free throw, and Black’s make, assisted by Franz Wagner, put the Magic back in front 105-103. Orlando then kept finding different ways to finish.

The Magic beat Toronto 121-114 on Friday at Scotiabank Arena, opening their NBA Cup group schedule with a victory built from more than Desmond Bane’s six three-pointers. Wagner passed to Black, scored twice himself, fed Tristan da Silva for a floater and helped keep the offense moving. Wendell Carter Jr. finished a delivery from Jase Richardson with a dunk.

Da Silva hit a three supplied by Bane, then added another basket. Jamal Cain also contributed a short floater during the most important portion of the period.

That collection of answers mattered because Toronto had just made the game dependably uncomfortable. Barnes scored at 9:43 and 9:08 of the fourth, then made the second of two free throws at 7:17 to give the Raptors their 103-102 edge. Black’s three came 21 seconds later. At 6:19, Wagner answered with a basket, putting Orlando ahead 107-103 with a second scorer adding to Black’s response.

The Magic widened the gap through a sequence with no single required finisher. Wagner made an driving floater at 5:53 and added the free throw. Carter dunked at 5:17 after Richardson’s assist. At 4:43, da Silva knocked down a three on Bane’s pass, pushing Orlando ahead 115-107. Toronto answered with a dunk, but da Silva returned at 3:04 with a floater assisted by Wagner.

The box score gives that sequence a useful shape. Wagner scored 26 and delivered 11 assists. Black finished with 17 points and 10 assists, committing one turnover.

Bane scored 28, went 6-for-12 from three and made all six of his free throws. Carter added 20 points, while da Silva scored eight with two made threes. Orlando’s offense was not a single-player relay race in which everyone waited for Bane to receive the baton.

Several players created an advantage, and several others were ready to cash it in.

Bane was still the loudest individual scoring presence. Six three-pointers are not decorative, particularly in a game Toronto led briefly in the final period. His pass to da Silva at 4:43 also mattered because it turned his perimeter threat into creation for someone else.

Then he handled the closing foul shots, making both attempts with 24 seconds left and both again with 16.3 seconds remaining. Those four points kept the Raptors from making the last minute more interesting than Orlando preferred.

Wagner and Black supplied the quieter foundation. Their 21 combined assists were not merely a byproduct of a high-scoring night; they appeared in the sequence that decided whether Toronto’s lead would become a problem. Wagner’s pass produced Black’s go-ahead three.

Wagner then scored, found da Silva, and remained involved while other players finished. Black’s shotmaking gave Orlando the immediate response, while his ballhandling allowed the possession to remain productive without placing every late decision on Bane.

Barnes kept Orlando’s defense under pressure. He scored 41 points on 19-for-34 shooting, added five assists and made the fourth quarter costly with the two jumpers and the free throw that briefly put Toronto ahead. The Raptors finished with 50 points in the paint and 15 offensive rebounds, compared with nine for Orlando.

A seven-point win does not erase the strain those numbers describe, especially when one Toronto scorer accounts for so much of the offense.

Orlando survived that strain by making its own possessions count. The Magic shot 39-for-74 overall, 18-for-34 from three and 25-for-29 at the line. Toronto made 46 field goals but needed 91 attempts to reach 114 points.

Orlando’s 30 assists help explain why the difference was more than Bane’s shooting percentage: the ball kept moving toward another credible option instead of stopping at the first scorer who had made a few shots.

Richardson’s pass to Carter at 5:17 put another two points into Orlando’s lead. Bane’s pass found da Silva for a three at 4:43. When Bane later went to the line to protect the advantage, several teammates had already helped build it. His six threes were central to the win; the other finishers gave the fourth quarter more places to go.

Sources

NBA: official final box score

ESPN: game record and event timing