Rapid Recap: Bucks 97, Magic 112

The Milwaukee Bucks fall to the Orlando Magic 97-112. A team effort by the Magic did more than enough to beat Giannis and company, breaking the Bucks’ 14-game win streak against the Orlando squad.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Cam Payne did his best Dame impression early, with 12 points on perfect shooting as the Bucks built up an early lead. But the Magic went on a run to end the quarter to take a 29-25 lead. Their run continued in the second, on the back of: getting into the bonus early and making the subsequent free throws (the Bucks couldn’t relate), offensive rebounds and second-chance points, and turnovers being cashed in for points. Something new and different! Giannis was alright, but Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, and the Wagner brothers were all in double-digits as the Magic put up a whopping 65 to the Bucks’ 49 in the first half.

The Magic maintained their lead in the third quarter in much the same manner. A Bobby-Bros-AJs lineup (!) ended the frame on a good note to leave the Bucks down 88-72. The weird lineups continued into the fourth quarter and kept the game within reach, but it was not to be. Andre Jackson Jr.’s energy and the dynamic duo of Giannis and Chris Livingston were not enough to overcome the systemic issues plaguing the Bucks.

Stat That Stood Out

There were a lot of worthy candidates here, but I’ll highlight the Magic’s 35 FTA to the Bucks’ 25. Bucks were flying all over the place on defense (especially after initial misses and in transition) to the benefit of the Magic. More importantly, Orlando shot them at a 85.7% clip, to Milwaukee’s... 48.0%. Sad!

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