The Orlando Magic are hoping the return of their starting big man will lead to better defensive performances.
Saturday’s 126-114 overtime win over the Miami Heat at Amway Center was a step in the right direction.
Wendell Carter Jr. was back in the lineup after missing the previous three games — losses to the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz — because of hip pain.
“He does so many little things,” coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame. “Like his ability to when to roll and where to roll in pick-and-rolls. It’s why he and Franz [Wagner] have such a great connection in the pick-and-roll.
“Defensively, that early talk, that early help with the guards; helping them navigate through screens and being in the right position if something breaks down — those are the things that you don’t really pick up on because he’s covering it so fast.”
The Magic’s defensive efficiency tanked without Carter in the previous three games.
They recorded a combined defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 125.8 in the aforementioned losses. Orlando had a defensive rating of 119.6 or worse in each of those games — equivalent to the San Antonio Spurs’ league-worst defense.
“I think we’re 11th at preventing shots at the rim,” Mosley said. “He does a great job of communicating early. That’s what we’ve continued to talk to our guys about: it’s the early help, it’s the early communication that stops teams from wanting to get there more than anything.”
Carter’s defensive presence was felt and helped the Magic have their best defensive performance in a week — albeit against a Heat team that’s struggled this season offensively.
The Magic forced 13 turnovers and held the Heat to 38.5% shooting through the first three quarters, helping Orlando to take a 101-86 lead with 6:03 in the fourth.
Orlando’s lead quickly diminished, though, with Jimmy Butler scoring 15 of his game-high 38 points in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter.
He knocked down an off-balance 3 at the end of regulation to tie the game at 108 to force overtime.
The Magic (28-40) didn’t waste the second chance to close out the game, opening the extra period on a 10-2 run and outscoring the Heat (36-33) 18-6 in overtime.
“We were in the exact same scenario the last time we played them,” Mosley said. “There were no heads hanging. Our guys had a level of resiliency about them. They were decisive in their decisions. They communicated with one another. They sat down and guarded. Our guys did a great job of showing the growth from one game to the next.”
Carter adds value offensively, too, even with things that don’t appear in the box score.
They did against the Heat, with Carter leading the Magic with a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double. He scored 7 points in overtime.
“Screening is the big thing,” Wagner said of what Carter does offensively that may go unnoticed. “Getting guys open and creating the advantage for us that way. Offensive rebounds, creating extra shots for us. Wendell’s just a smart player [who’s] easy to play off of and easy to plug in.”
Seven Orlando players scored in double figures, including Paolo Banchero (17 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists), Cole Anthony (16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists) and Jalen Suggs (16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals).
Wagner left the game in the fourth because of a sprained right ankle, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 29 minutes. X-rays on Wagner’s right ankle were negative, the Magic said, before adding the diagnosis was a sprain.
Heat guard Kyle Lowry (12 points and 4 assists in 36 minutes off the bench) was back in the Heat’s lineup after missing the previous 15 games because of left knee soreness.
Miami was playing on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami-Dade Arena Friday.
“That veteran leadership and toughness,” Mosley said of what Lowry, a 17-year veteran and six-time All-Star, brings to the Heat. “Obviously, defensively he crawls into the ball. His ability to make big-time plays and big-time shots.”
Saturday closed out a four-game homestand, with the Magic kicking off a four-game western trip Tuesday in San Antonio.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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