COLE ANTHONY converted a layup with a second remaining as Orlando Magic pulled off a come-from-behind 102-101 victory over Brooklyn Nets in the 2024-25 NBA Season on Sunday night (Monday morning in the Philippines) at the KIA Center in Orlando, Florida.
Down by as many as 21 points early in the game, the Magic slowly clawed their way back in the final quarter to take a 100-99 lead on a split free throw by Goga Bitadze with 17.7 seconds left.
The Nets, which was held without a field goal for almost five minutes in the fourth quarter, took the lead for the last time at 101-100 on two free throws by Jalen Wilson.
The Magic notched the lead back at 102-101 on a driving layup by Anthony with 1.8 seconds remaining before Nets’ Cameron Thomas missed on a basket attempt at the buzzer.
Anthony finished with 10 points, including two three-pointers, to go with three rebounds and three assists as the shorthanded Magic improved to a 20-14 record.
Rookie Tristan da Silva led the Magic with 21 points, Bitadze had a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Wendell Carter Jr. and Caleb Houstan ended with 13 and 12, respectively.
Thomas top-scored for the Nets with 25 points, Wilson added 16 markers, while Keon Johnson and Noah Clowney contributed 14 and 13, respectively, as they dropped to a 12-20 record.
Hours prior to the game, the Nets secured the services of D’Angelo Russell in a two-team, four-player trade with Los Angeles Lakers.
In the trade deal, the Nets acquired Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second round picks from the Lakers in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Russell, a No. 2 overall pick by the Lakers in the 2015 NBA Rookie Draft, is making a comeback to the Nets franchise after playing for them from 2017 to 2019./PN
BOX SCORE:
ORLANDO 102 – Da Silva 21, Bitadze 19, Carter 13, Houstan 12, Anthony 10, Suggs 8, Harris 6, Caldwell-Pope 5, Isaac 5, Joseph 3, Howard 0, Queen 0.
BROOKLYN 101 – Thomas 25, Wilson 16, K. Johnson 14, Clowney 13, C. Johnson 9, Sharpe 8, Simmons 6, Claxton 6, Martin 4.
Quarterscores: 21-27, 43-61, 68-83, 102-101.
