Some NBA games pass quietly into the night, and no one remembers.
This was not one of those games.
For the Orlando Magic, Tuesday in Philadelphia was all about extremes, and they were exceptional extremes. They cracked so many records that the Liberty Bell shuddered at the sounds.
1. Team point explosion
The Magic set franchise records for the most points in a quarter and in a half, while setting a season-high for points in a game, finishing with 144. That final total was actually down from the 172 pace at halftime. This is a team that struggled to score for most of last season, and is still without Paolo Banchero.
2. Whoa, Anthony Black!
While it was too soon to call him a bust, there were Magic fans who had been frustrated with the pace of Anthony Black’s development, as a former first-round pick. Um, not anymore. Not after 27 points in the first half. He was everywhere and unstoppable, especially when attacking the rim. His development has eased the sting from the subpar play of free agent addition Tyus Jones.
3. Light Work in Short Time
Brett Usher unearthed a crazy statistic. Prior to his ejection, Jalen Suggs did some stuff. A lot of stuff. From Usher’s tweet: “Jalen Suggs was ejected late in the second quarter with 4 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in just under 16 minutes, becoming the first player in the steals & blocks era to register 5+ REB, 10+ AST, 2+ STL, and 2+ BLK while playing fewer than 25 minutes.” We don’t know how Usher found it. But it seems good.
All in all, just a crazy evening, and it mattered in the NBA Cup standings. The Magic are still awaiting Banchero’s return, but their depth has proven more than formidable in his absence. Some of the young players are popping, and Franz Wagner has mostly proven a worthy frontman.
We will see what it all looks like when the reintegration of Banchero begins.