Magic Rally in 119-118 Comeback Win Over Pacers

The Orlando Magic rallied back from a double-digit halftime deficit to take down the Indiana Pacers 119-118 on Wednesday night.

Pacers Perfect Start

The Pacers got off to a hot start at home. Just six minutes into the game, Indiana was up by 10 as Terry Taylor started what was a big outing for the undrafted rookie. Taylor hit his only three-pointer of the day in the first quarter before going on to score a career-high 24 points and 16 rebounds on the night.

The Pacers put up 34 points in the first quarter and continued to expand their six-point lead in the second.

It was Torrey Craig’s smooth display of dribbling and deep pull-up shot from the top of the key that pushed the Pacers to a 17-point lead just before halftime.

got 'eeeeeem@TCraig_23 | #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/rqU03plLvx

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 3, 2022

Orlando managed to put together a few points before the close of the second quarter and pulled within 14.

At halftime, the Magic trailed the Pacers 67-53, and ESPN gave Indiana a 90% chance of winning.

A Little Bit of Magic

The second half was a completely different story for Orlando. The Magic almost eliminated their deficit in just one quarter. By outscoring Indiana 33-21 in the third, the Magic were down by two with 12 minutes to go.

Wendell Carter’s 19 points and 14 rebounds through three quarters helped get the Magic within striking distance.

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The Pacers kept their lead over Orlando for much of the fourth quarter. A layup from Taylor off an assist from Lance Stephenson pushed Indiana out to a nine-point lead. It was his final score of the night with 3:47 left in the game.

After the game, reports came out stating Stephenson will remain with the team for the rest of the season.

However, a pair of Cole Anthony free throws finally put the Magic up with 1:47 left in the game. It was the first lead for the Magic since early in the first quarter. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth trading buckets until a Franz Wagner finish in the paint put the Magic up by two.

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Orlando didn’t look back. Two clutch free throws from Gary Harris put the game out of reach and gave the Magic the 119-118 win in a dramatic fashion.

Harris had a team-high 22 points off the bench for Orlando.

Up Next

The Magic will take on the Memphis Grizzles (36-18) in Orlando on Saturday. The Pacers will host the Chicago Bulls (32-18) on Friday night.