ORLANDO, Florida USA – Cole Anthony scored 24 points, Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 108-103 on Wednesday night to end to a seven-game losing streak.
The Magic took their first lead of the night when rookie Franz Wagner hit a triple with 1:45 left to make it 106-103. Wagner finished with 15 points, while his brother, Moritz Wagner, contributed 12 from the bench.
Denver’s last chance fell short when Will Barton’s shot didn’t even touch the rim with 2 seconds left on the clock.
Anthony, who returned after missing six games with an ankle injury, posted his ninth game with at least 20 points and joined them with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Orlando outscored Denver 32-20 in the third quarter and dominated the fourth quarter to win for the first time since Nov. 17 in New York. It was also the Magic’s second home win of the season – both the result of a fourth-quarter comeback against Western Conference powers.
The Magic entered the game in 28th position in the NBA in field goal percentage, but they had their best record of the year with 54.3% since the floor against the Nuggets. It was the first time this season that Orlando made at least half of his attempts.
Orlando also ended a 10-game losing streak against Denver, dating back to March 15, 2016.
Monte Morris scored a season-best 22 points for the Nuggets, while Nikola Jokic finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.