The reintegrated a significant piece of their team into their lineup during Friday’s 112-108 road loss to the Utah Jazz.
Unfortunately for the Magic, it wasn’t enough for them to secure a winning road trip, with Orlando’s comeback attempt at Vivint Arena falling short.
was back in the rotation after not being in action for over a week and sitting out five games. He , resulting in missing four games, before
Bol rejoined the team Tuesday and was available for but was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Coach Jamahl Mosley said Thursday that the Magic wanted Bol to get a practice in before reinserting him into the lineup.
Bol (4 points, 2 rebounds in 18 minutes) came off the bench as a reserve Friday for the first time since late October, checking in midway through the first quarter for his first game action of 2023. Paolo Banchero (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls), Wendell Carter Jr. (19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block), Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris and Franz Wagner was the starting lineup for the fifth consecutive game.
“I’ve been feeling good so far,” Bol said Thursday. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I feel pretty fine, honestly.”
Unlike Tuesday, the Magic didn’t pull out enough late-game heroics to pull out the win.
Trailing 88-83 entering the fourth and 101-89 with 5:56 remaining, the Magic went on a 15-4 run over the next 2½ minutes to bring their deficit down to 105-104 after a Banchero steal and dunk in transition.
Mo Bamba (5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal in 12 second-half minutes) made a hook shot over Walker Kessler (13 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks) to give the Magic a 106-105 lead with 1:18 remaining, Orlando’s first lead of the fourth.
Collin Sexton (18 points) and Jordan Clarkson (23 points, 12 rebounds) converted buckets on back-to-back Jazz possessions to give Utah a 109-108 lead with 32.5 seconds remaining.
Orlando set up Wagner (26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals) for a 3-pointer but he missed, with Fultz fouling Sexton to send him to the free throw line with 19.4 seconds left.
Sexton missed both free throws but Kessler outrebounded Bamba for the offensive board before Banchero fouled Kessler, who made both free throws to put the Jazz up 111-108 with 11.8 seconds left.
Lauri Markkanen (28 points, 12 rebounds) blocked Wagner’s 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining and made a free throw to seal the win for the Jazz.
The Magic struggled with defending without fouling and closing out defensive possessions with rebounds.
The Jazz had 17 offensive rebounds for 22 second-chance points and went 29 of 40 on free throws compared to Orlando’s 10-of-16 free-throw shooting. Utah shot 26 free throws in the second half compared to Orlando’s 6.
Markkanen had more free throws (17 of 21) than the Magic had as a team.
Jalen Suggs was available after being listed as questionable because of right ankle soreness. Suggs started the third in place of Harris, who left the game with a hand injury according to the Magic’s broadcast.
, Kevon Harris (transferred to G League as part of his two-way contract), and weren’t available.
Isaac played in his first official basketball game in 892 days on Wednesday.
, in Wednesday’s 129-117 win over the Westchester Knicks at RP Funding Center in his first game since Aug. 2, 2020 — when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Isaac had 15 points (6-of-12 shooting), 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 15 minutes at Lakeland.
He’ll play with Lakeland again on Saturday while his NBA team is on a five-game road trip that ends Sunday in Denver. Lakeland hosts the Greensboro Swarm Saturday (7 p.m., ), the second night of back-to-back games against the Swarm.
This article first appeared on . Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at .
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