The NBA delivered another nail-biter on Sunday night, as the Orlando Magic held off the Los Angeles Clippers for a 111-109 victory in a game that came down to the final shot.
Orlando leaned on a dominant offensive performance from Desmond Bane, who poured in 36 points to lead all scorers. The Magic star took over late, hitting a clutch jumper to tie the game before converting a go-ahead layup with just 1:28 remaining. His composure in the closing minutes proved to be the difference in a tightly contested matchup.
Paolo Banchero added 16 points and orchestrated the offense with eight assists, including a critical fast-break dunk with 40 seconds left that pushed Orlando’s lead to four. Wendell Carter Jr. controlled the paint with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while rookie Tristan da Silva chipped in 13 points to round out a balanced effort.
The Magic improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5 despite a relatively quiet night from beyond the arc, shooting just 8-of-23 from three-point range. That came just two games after Orlando set a franchise record with 27 made threes in a win over Sacramento. The team also continued to play without Jalen Suggs, who missed his second straight game due to back spasms.
On the other side, the Clippers were powered by a resilient performance from Kawhi Leonard, who scored 37 points while battling through an ankle injury suffered in Friday’s loss to the Lakers. Leonard briefly gave Los Angeles a 107-105 lead with just over three minutes remaining, but the Clippers couldn’t maintain momentum down the stretch.
New addition Bennedict Mathurin continued to make an impact off the bench, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds in just his fifth game with the team since being acquired from the Pacers at the trade deadline. Jordan Miller added 14 points, but Los Angeles ultimately fell to 4-5 since Feb. 2.
The final moments were filled with tension. After Orlando surged ahead 111-107, the Clippers had one last opportunity. A blocked shot by rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser kept hope alive, and Mathurin raced upcourt for a potential game-winning three. His 25-footer at the buzzer, however, came up short, sealing the Magic’s narrow win.
With the victory, Orlando continues to build momentum as it heads into a road matchup against the Lakers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Clippers will look to regroup at home when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
