The Lead
Cole Anthony posted a season-best 28 points, Markelle Fultz had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Wendell Carter Jr. recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but the Orlando Magic were unable to cool off the Milwaukee Bucks in Wednesday’s 139-117 loss at Fiserv Forum.
Key Stat
Milwaukee knocked down 26 3-pointers, tied for the most threes ever made by a Magic opponent. The other time it happened was on April 3, 2021 by the Utah Jazz. It was the third time this season a Magic opponent made 20-plus threes. Houston made 24 threes at Orlando on Nov. 7 and Sacramento made 23 of them when the Magic were in town on Jan. 9. The Bucks own the NBA record for most made threes in a game with 29 of them on Dec. 29, 2020 against the Miami Heat.
Key Stretch
The Bucks closed the first half on a 15-6 run to go into intermission with a 10-point lead. Milwaukee made five of its six floor shots during those final three first-half minutes, while Orlando connected on just two of its six attempts. Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder each hit triples during that time, while Jevon Carter connected on a floater just before the halftime buzzer.
Interesting Fact
The Bucks have now won 16 straight games, tied for the 25th longest in NBA history. The longest winning streak ever is 33 games, set by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1971-72 season.
Injury Report
Jonathan Isaac (right hamstring strain/adductor) was out for the Magic. Khris Middleton (knee) and Wesley Matthews (calf) were unavailable for the Bucks.
Quote of the Day
“I’m really impressed (with the growth of this team). Our young guys, they’ve been playing really well all year. They’ve shown a lot of different things that they can improve on. But they’ve been great. They’ve done a really good job.” – Michael Carter-Williams
This Day in History
March 1 has not been kind to the Magic. They are now 4-15 all time on this day. Their most recent victory on March 1 came in 2011, when Dwight Howard recorded 30 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks and Jameer Nelson scored 26 points against the New York Knicks. Amar’e Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups each scored 30 to lead the Knicks, while Carmelo Anthony, acquired by New York a week earlier, had 25 points.
Rivals Report
With now 16 straight victories, one must ask, is this the best the Bucks have ever played in the Antetokounmpo era? Perhaps it’s not, simply because they had an 18-game winning streak early in the 2019-20 season. In case you were wondering, the Bucks record for most wins in a row is 20, which occurred during their championship 1970-71 season. But what is undoubtedly true is that Milwaukee is playing incredible defense – maybe the defense they’ve ever played in their team’s history. Since this current winning streak began, the Bucks have the league’s No. 1 defensive rating.
Up Next
The Magic conclude their three-game road trip on Friday when they visit the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this year, with the Magic currently holding a 2-1 season series advantage. Orlando’s victories came at home on Oct. 28 and in Charlotte on Feb. 5. Paolo Banchero recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in that first contest and then had 22, 10 and five in the other one. Mason Plumlee, now a member of the Clippers, led seven Hornets players in double figures with 18 points in Charlotte’s victory at Orlando on Nov. 14.
