Paolo Banchero flirted with a triple-double as the Orlando Magic beat the undermanned Toronto Raptors 113-103 on Friday.
Banchero finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Orlando (39-28) won for the seventh time in nine games. Franz Wagner added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 31 points and matched a season-high seven three-pointers as Toronto (23-44) lost its sixth straight game.
Immanuel Quickley had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists while Jordan Nwora came off the Raptors bench with 14 points.
Toronto forward RJ Barrett, of Mississauga, Ont., missed the game while mourning the death of his younger brother.
His absence added to the woes of a Raptors team that was already missing star forward Scottie Barnes (broken hand) and center Jakob Poeltl (torn hand ligament) from its starting lineup. Montreal’s reserve center Chris Boucher (partially torn MCL) was also unavailable.
A minute’s silence was observed before the match in honor of 20-year-old Nathan Tyler Barrett. The Raptors and Canada Basketball jointly announced that Barrett passed away on Tuesday.
RJ Barrett missed Wednesday’s 113-104 loss at Detroit and Friday’s game. Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said there is no timetable for the older Barrett’s return.
“He will take all the time necessary to overcome this difficult ordeal for him and his family,” Rajakovic said. “We are in contact with RJ and his family and our thoughts and prayers are with them. We hope they can feel our support and love.
Raptors reserve guard Jahmi’us Ramsey made a 25-foot three-pointer with 2:45 left in the first quarter to tie the game 22-22. The two teams then traded field goals, and then Nwora made a layup and made a free throw to give Toronto’s first lead of the game and make the score 27-24.
A 9-2 run for the Raptors to start the second quarter and open a nine-point lead. However, Orlando has lost this advantage. Wagner formed a driving lineup with 5:30 left in the second to take a one-point lead. He scored eight points in the quarter as the Magic took a 50-48 lead into intermission.
Nwora hit a 26-foot three-pointer with 4:26 left in the third to give Toronto a 69-67 lead with 4:26 left. Nwora bounced around the court, outpacing the sold-out crowd of 19,800 at Scotiabank Arena, as the Raptors took their first lead since the second quarter.
Orlando responded with a 14-0 run for its largest lead of the game. Banchero had five of those points and contributed to three more baskets. The Magic led 84-73 heading into the final quarter.
The Magic led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter, but Toronto took over, cutting that gap to just seven points when rookie forward Gradey Dick scored a basket at the rim.
That didn’t slow Orlando down, however, as the visitors held on for the win.
FOLLOWING – The Raptors finish their home-and-home series in Orlando on Sunday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024.
