Markelle Fultz’s career-high 28 points give Magic road win over Clippers – Reuters Sports News

Ahead of the Orlando Magic’s 113-108 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, coach Jamahl Mosley addressed the “little bits” of Markelle Fultz’s game that “go unnoticed.”

“His level of communication with his teammates, putting the guys in the right position. Constantly playing with a sense of joy for the game. Those are the little things he provides to this team,” Mosley said.

“The pace at which we play has changed because of the way he pushes basketball.”

Fultz (a career-high 28 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals) showed it throughout Saturday when needed, helping the Magic complete the comeback in the fourth quarter to give them the first victory of their four-game trip.

His 4 interceptions in the first quarter set the tone defensively and helped the Magic score easy points in transition. The Magic finished with a season-high 14 interceptions.

But when he replaced at 4:44 remaining with the Magic having a 93-91 lead after leading 82-74, Fultz took his game to a different level.

The sixth-year guard scored 12 of his 28 points in the 4:36 game finale.

Fultz put pressure on the rim late, converting layups, reaching the free throw line or assisting teammates for scoring opportunities like his alley-oop to Wendell Carter Jr. to give the Magic a late 104 lead. -99.

“I’m so proud of this young man,” Mosley said. “He never walks into the building without a smile on his face. You see, there’s such a level of joy in his heart to play basketball. That’s what shows up.

“You can take away the number, and just the way he plays the game. The way he has passion for his teammates. Whatever it takes to get a win, he’s going to try to do it. That’s what’s so special about him and what his teammates feel about him.

Carter finished with 27 points (11 of 19 shooting, 4 of 8 on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Carter blocked Russell Westbrook at the edge with 1:34 remaining, which led to Fultz grabbing the defensive rebound, pushing the ball in transition before converting the layup to give the Magic a 106-99 lead.

“At the end of the day, being able to get a big save when it counts and shoot and get the baskets when it counts,” Mosley said. “Our guys have done a great job of that. They resisted the race.

Paul George (30 points, a game-high) scored 5 straight points to close the Magic’s lead.

But Franz Wagner hit a step-back 3 over Robert Covington to give the Magic a 109-104 advantage with 40.7 seconds remaining. Fultz sealed the win with a pair of free throws 17.5 seconds from time.

“It was huge,” Mosley said of Wagner’s 3-pointer. “The big part about Franz is that his teammates trust him to come into that moment and make the big hits. That’s how these guys have played all year when it comes to the trust factor in each other. others.

Cole Anthony had 18 points (7 of 14 shooting) and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench, giving the Magic a boost early in the fourth so they could regain the lead before Carter’s late plays, Fultz and Wagner only sealed the win.

Second-year goaltender Jalen Suggs was unavailable due to a concussion.

The Magic (29-42) will face the Lakers (34-37) Sunday night in Los Angeles on the second straight day to cap out their four-game road trip.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Prize to khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.

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