ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns each came into Friday’s game following a win and want to keep the streak going. The Magic defeated the Mavericks at home Wednesday while the Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road 129-117  Wednesday night.

In that game, Devin Booker clocked 32 points and a season-high 10 assists while Mikal Bridges added 31 points and nine rebounds as Phoenix improved to 1-1 on the road.

Cameron Payne contributed a season-high 23 points along with eight assists and six rebounds. He also managed to play 35 minutes without recording a turnover while playing in Chris Paul’s place, who sat out due to soreness in his right heel.

The Magic are still without Paolo Banchero due to an injured ankle. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said that he doesn’t have timelines for player injuries and therefore give an estimate for Banchero’s return to the court.

First Half

The Magic played a strong first half. The scoring lead changed twice between them and the Suns, but the Magic outscored them, ending the first quarter up by seven, 30-23.

While the scoring was in the single digits in the first quarter, Bol Bol showed himself clutch on rebounds, leading with four–the most from either team in the first quarter. Jalen Suggs led in first quarter scoring for the Magic with eight points along with two assists.

Deandre Ayton led in scoring for the Suns with eight points as well. Devon Booker followed with five points and three assists.

Suggs contributed six more points and Bolo Bol followed with an additional five points. The Magic’s biggest lead was 11 points in the second quarter (two more than their biggest lead in the first).

By contrast, the Suns did score one extra point than the Magic in the second quarter, though, 29-28, thanks to Damion Lee scoring six points off the bench in addition to Mikal Bridges scoring 5 points along with six assists.

The Magic entered halftime with a 58-52 lead.

Second Half

Wendell Carter came back and put the Magic scoring on his back in the third quarter, leading his team with nine points along with three rebounds and one assist. Chuma Okeke followed with eight points and three rebounds.

The Magic led at the end of the third quarter, 87-74.

The Carter-Wagner combo worked nicely on a play in the fourth in which Carter found an opening between players dead center as he headed into the paint and caught the pass from Wagner, sinking the shot.

By the end of the night, the Magic defeated the Suns 114-97. For the Suns, Cameron Payne totaled 22 points, four assists and three rebounds and Devin Booker followed with 17 points, six assists and eight rebounds for the Suns.

For the Magic, Carter and Bol Bol came away with double doubles on the night (this is Bol’s third for the season), with 20 points and 10 rebounds and 13 points and 15 rebounds, respectively. Franz Wagner followed Carter with 17 points, three assists and five rebounds, while Terrence Ross was also clutch off the bench, contributing 14 points, two assists and two rebounds.

Also, to the Magic’s credit, they played 32 minutes straight with no fouls, an improvement on Coach Mosley’s goal to defend without fouling.

Both Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley and Terrence Ross both credited the “next man up mentality” for Friday night’s win. Mosley also reiterated on the team’s resilience. “The sky’s the limit for us, man,” Wendell Carter, Jr. said postgame of the Magic’s wins against Golden State, Dallas and now Phoenix.

Orlando Magic Postgame Press Conference

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, Terrence Ross and Wendell Carter, Jr. talked with the media postgame.

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Story originally published on Florida National News by Mellissa Thomas. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com