Magic win close one against Bucks to end skid

Field Level Media|published: Sun 9th March, 04:27 2025

Mar 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Paolo Banchero scored 29 points and the Orlando Magic, after losing three straight games by one or two points, came away from Milwaukee a two-point winner with Saturday's 111-109 defeat of the Bucks.

The Magic entered Saturday's contest on a five-game skid, with defeats in six of the last seven. Four of those were by one possession, and Orlando could have suffered another such setback after the Bucks' fourth-quarter rally gave them possession with 6.6 seconds remaining.

Taurean Prince and Damian Lillard trapped Cole Anthony along the sideline, forcing a turnover that gave Milwaukee the ball and Lillard a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. However, Franz Wagner got a hand in Lillard's face to challenge the step-back attempt and the Magic survived after leading nearly wire-to-wire.

Orlando took over early in the first quarter and built a lead of as many as 17 points by the third quarter.

Milwaukee pulled to within two points midway through the final period with help from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 37 points -- his 30th game with 30-plus points this season.

Banchero responded with five consecutive points. Anthony also connected on a big 3-pointer to cap his 22-point game, giving Orlando an eight-point cushion in the final two minutes.

After Lillard hit a 3-pointer for the last of his 26 points, making the deficit 109-106, Lillard rebounded a Banchero miss in the final minute. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up big, however, first blocking Lillard's layup attempt and forcing the deflection off of Lillard to give Orlando possession.

Wendell Carter Jr. then slammed home a dish from Anthony, one of Anthony's nine assists, to give Orlando a two-possession lead it would need in the closing seconds.

Caldwell-Pope finished with nine points. Anthony Black added 11 points and Wagner finished with 18. Wagner also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and dished five assists.

Banchero pulled down six rebounds, while Anthony snared four and blocked three shots. Antetokounmpo completed a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds in the loss, while Kyle Kuzma added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks.

--Field Level Media