Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic (17-50) took on CJ McCollum and the New Orleans Pelicans (27-39) in part of the Wednesday NBA slate. It was the Magic who ended up winning with 108-102 being the final score.
Not only were the Pelicans without Zion Williamson for this game (same as all of their games this season), but Brandon Ingram continued his absence with a hamstring injury, too.
CJ McCollum (32) and Jonas Valanciunas (30) did their best to help the Pelicans avoid a letdown performance against a losing Magic team as they combined for 62 points. It just wasn’t enough.
It certainly did not help the Pelicans in this matchup vs Magic that ultimately, they shot 7-31 (22.6%) from beyond the arc as a team. New Orleans got doubled up on 3-point makes by Orlando.
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The focus for the Orlando Magic remains the development of their young players like Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs as they continue the rebuilding process. Both players played well as Anthony (19) and Wagner (15) each finished the game with at least 15 points.
The New Orleans Pelicans have fought their way into play-in contention and will look to stay afloat amid recent injuries as they look to maximize their positioning. However, there’s been slippage as of late.
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