Facing Pacers without guards Jalen Suggs (contusion to the right thigh) and Markelle Fultz (left knee tension), the Magic blew a double-digit lead and lost only its ninth home game of the season on Sunday.
Orlandowhich had already beaten Indiana twice this season, lost its second straight game to an Eastern Conference opponent after losing to Indiana. Knicks Friday.
Jamahl Mosley’s team was outscored 39-21 in the third quarter as the Pacers (36-29) took control of the game after a slow start when both teams shot below 40 percent in the opening period.
Frontcourt players Paolo Banchero (19 points), Franz Wagner (13) and Wendell Carter Jr. shot a combined 1 of 16 from 3-point range while five Pacers made at least one triple.
The Magic (37-28) remain at the Kia Center when they host the Nets (26-39) on Wednesday (Bally Sports Florida, 7).
Tale of two halves
The Magic never trailed in the first half, shot nearly 42 percent from the field and held Indiana to 1-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
After the break, Orlando’s lead evaporated as the team shot 33.3 percent from the field and let the Pacers go 7 of 12 from distance.
The Pacers outscored the Magic 64-47 in the second half and led by as many as 16 points while outscoring Orlando 25-16.
Rapid distribution
The reason Indiana dominated after halftime was largely due to the Pacers’ quick scoring.
Entering the game as one of the best teams in the NBA at scoring in transition (averaging 16.2 fast break points), the Pacers scored 21 fast break points in the second half. They scored 6 fast break points in the first two quarters.
Orlando was taken a step back as it missed long-range shots (4 of 20 from 3 in the second half), leading to the Pacers running away to score in transition.
Indiana pushes the pace better than the vast majority in the league (second most possessions per 48 minutes) and the Magic have failed to keep up.
Several opportunities
Orlando grabbed 13 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points.
Four of those rebounds on the offensive glass came in the first six minutes of the game, including three from Carter.
He totaled a season-high 15 rebounds and 13 points, marking his sixth double-double of the season. In total, 6 of his 15 rebounds were offensive.
The impact of Ingles and Isaac
Veteran forward Joe Ingles (11 points) initiated the offense at times for Orlando’s second unit and hit his first pair of triples to help stretch the field.
He and forward Jonathan Isaac (9 points) each made 3 of 4 from beyond the arc in the loss and accounted for two-thirds of the team’s 3-point shooting.
Orlando, however, made 9 of 36 from distance on 25% shooting. The Magic fell to 5-17 while attempting 35 or more 3-pointers.
Let’s get technical
A total of four technical fouls were called throughout the night – two per team. First, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was hit by a tech late in the first quarter after disagreeing with an official.
In the second quarter, guard Gary Harris and Carter each received technicals within 10 seconds of each other for discussing separate calls.
Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton — who scored 20 points to match teammate Pascal Siakam up front — was assessed the final technical foul of the game for the same reason late in the fourth quarter.
Email Jason Beede at [email protected] or follow him on X, known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.
