Paolo Banchero and the Magic were on the road Wednesday for a matchup vs. the Nets. Earlier this season, Orlando beat Brooklyn 105-98.
Through the first three quarters, the Nets struggled to stay competitive. The Magic are a strong defensive team, and Brooklyn has the lowest scoring offense in the NBA. However, Brooklyn outscored Orlando 29-14 in the fourth quarter and sent the game to OT. It was all-star PF Paolo Banchero who had the last laugh. He banked in a three as time expired in OT to stun the Nets, 104-103. Orlando is now 21-17.
The Magic narrowly escaped Brooklyn with a win on Wednesday night
PAOLO BANCHERO GAME WINNERpic.twitter.com/0w15zz325P
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 8, 2026
Wednesday night was a much-needed win for the Magic. The team has alternated wins and losses in each of its last 10 games. Orlando was on the road last night to face the Nets. Coming into the game, the Nets held an 11-22 record, 13th in the East. However, Brooklyn has taken their game to another level in the last month. In December, the Nets held the #1 defensive rating in the NBA. Against the Magic on Wednesday, Brooklyn’s defense struggled early on.
By the third quarter, the Nets were down as many as 18 points. Jordi Fernandez’s squad did not give up and outscored the Magic 29-14 in the fourth to force OT. Rookie PG Egor Demin nailed two clutch three-pointers, one of which tied the game 93-93. Additionally, Demin banked in a three-pointer with less than four seconds left to give Brooklyn a 103-101 win.
Paolo Banchero is tied for the most go-ahead shots in the final 5 seconds of a game over the last 3 seasons btw pic.twitter.com/wVGjfSnIFt
— Real App (@realapp) January 8, 2026
It was all-star PF Paolo Banchero who had the last laugh on Wednesday. Brooklyn tried playing tight defense without fouling on the final possession. However, Banchero called game and baked in his own three-pointer to stun the Nets 104-103. He finished the game with 30 points, and his only three-point make the entire evening was the game-winner. Orlando will look to build off that momentum with seven consecutive home games coming up.
After the win on Wednesday vs. Brooklyn, the Magic are 21-17 through their first 38 games. As of Janurary 8, Orlando is on pace for 46 wins in 2025-26. That would be their third consecutive season with at least 40+ wins. On top of that, the Magic are looking to make a deep playoff run. The team has been eliminated in the first round of the last two postseasons. Oraldno wants to change that narrative for the 2026 playoffs. With an 88.3% chance to make the postseason, how far can Oralndo go?
