Magic savour 'special' Washington triumph after record-equalling ninth straight win
Harry Carr
December 2, 2023 22:27 MYT
December 2, 2023 22:27 MYT
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and coach Jamahl Mosley both lauded a "special" night for the team as they equalled the franchise's record winning run by overcoming the Washington Wizards.
Banchero finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Franz Wagner had a game-high 31 points as Orlando beat Washington for the second time in two days on Friday, clinching a 130-125 success at Amway Center.
The victory was Orlando's ninth in a row, taking them to 14-5 for the season and matching their longest ever streak, with the team having previously won nine straight in 1994, 2001 and 2010-11.
Orlando are one of just two NBA franchises – along with the Indiana Pacers – to never enjoy a double-digit winning run, but they have the chance to do so for the first time when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
"It's pretty special," Banchero said of the team's run, which began with the first of back-to-back road wins over the Chicago Bulls on November 15.
"Eventually I think a loss is going to come, but we just want to keep it rolling for as long as we can.
"But you're not surprised when you do something like this because we've got great chemistry and we play really well together."
FRIDAY'S FINAL SCORES Paolo Banchero scores 28 as the @OrlandoMagic win their 9th-straight game, tying the franchise record for consecutive wins. Franz Wagner: 31 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST Mo Wagner: 18 PTS, 6 REB Joe Ingles: 14 PTS, 7 AST pic.twitter.com/5CGSoCMfDy — NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2023
An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.
Orlando are up to second in the Eastern Conference, with only the 15-4 Boston Celtics and the 14-4 Minnesota Timberwolves boasting better records across the entire league.
Head coach Mosley said: "It's a big time for this group, but more importantly, I think it's a big time for the fans and the organisation.
"There's an energy, there's a vibe, a buzz about this group, and our guys are doing a good job of embracing it, not getting too high or too low but being able to register that this is something special."