Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5)
The Orlando Magic couldn’t keep up with the Golden State Warriors on Monday, as they suffered a 120-97 loss. Magic’s head coach Jamahl Mosley gave an explanation of the team’s shortcomings after the game. The loss to Golden State gave Orlando a 16-13 record.
The combined efforts of Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane weren’t enough. Banchero had 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Bane, meanwhile, had 20 points on 50% shooting from the field.
In the fourth quarter, however, the Magic was outperformed by the Western Conference team. The Warriors outscored their opponents in the final period, 31-14. Not only did Golden State surpass Orlando in scoring, but the team also dominated the boards, 18-11.
Even in the assists department, the Magic failed to do well. The opposing team had eight assists in the closing quarter, while Orlando only had two.
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley — Source: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Following the contest, Mosley broke down what went wrong and did not hold back.
“I think we got outworked,” Mosley said. “That’s the first thing that I’ll say and I’ll have to look at it. That’s not our style of basketball.
The head coach pointed out that the Warriors fought for more 50/50 possessions. The Magic’s communication during transition opportunities was also affected, struggling to find open teammates.
“You’ve got to give them credit [for] the way they defended, the way they made it tough on us at the rim. They did some very good things, but we have to be better in that regard.”
Their game against the Warriors was their second and final meeting of the 2025-26 season. The Magic won their first game 121-113. The team failed to slow down Stephen Curry, who had 26 points on 43.5% shooting. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody had 21 and 20 points, respectively.
Orlando will finish their road trip on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers. They are hopeful to fix the errors they committed against Curry and the Warriors tonight.