Orlando Magic Summer League Grades: Orlando Magic 89, Houston Rockets 76

The Orlando Magic took on the Houston Rockets in their penultimate NBA Summer League game. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait to see the Jalen Suggs versus Jalen Green matchup as both players had to sit this one out with injuries.

The Magic were looking to bounce back from their poor performance against the Boston Celtics a few days ago. There was an immediate difference in the way the team played as they started the game off, playing with pace and emphasizing getting the ball inside for some easier looks.

But with pace comes mistakes, as both teams turned the ball over with careless passes in the first quarter. The defensive effort from the Magic was much improved from the loss against the Celtics as they hounded Houston all night, forcing them into 25 turnovers.

The Orlando Magic used their defense to pull away in the second half and come away with their second win of Summer League.

The Magic pulled away in the second half on the back of their defense, outscoring the Rockets in both quarters and holding them to only 13 points in the fourth quarter, leaving a final score of 89-76 in the Magic’s favor. This win is a nice boost for the young core especially considering they did this without the help of R.J. Hampton, who sat out tonight by way of the coach’s decision.

The Magic still have some things to work on moving forward as they struggled from the free-throw line as a team for most of the night and only shot 26 percent from deep on 7 for 27 shooting. The last game for the Magic will be Monday versus the Detroit Pistons, and hopefully, the lesson they learned playing back-to-back versus the Celtics will fuel them to close out with a win.

Cole Anthony looked as if he had finally found his rhythm in Sunday’s game. The young guard controlled the game’s flow all night and made sure to slow things down whenever it looked like the Rockets had a chance to close the deficit.

Anthony played his most complete game of the summer league finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Anthony made a concerted effort to assert himself on the defensive end of the floor, getting around screens and getting into his matchup all night. With some timely buckets coming in the second quarter, it was clear that he may have finally found his touch.

He is the clear leader of this team, and if they are going to be competitive in the regular season, it is clear he will need to continue to play like this moving forward.

Franz Wagner played very consistently, finding himself in the right place at the right time, finishing the game with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting. What was most impressive about his play is that he is learning how to get himself open without using up much energy.

Wagner also drew praise from Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas who was calling the game for NBATV. Thomas mentioned Wagner knew how not only to get himself open but how to be ready to catch and shoot without hesitation. The Orlando Magic will need Wagner to keep building his confidence as he could play a crucial role in the team’s success moving forward.

Yante Maten was a force in the win Sunday, finishing the game with 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting and going 8 for 9 from the charity stripe. The most impressive bucket came from a beautiful behind-the-back pass from Hassani Gravett early in the second quarter.

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This was accompanied by his play on the glass finishing the game with nine rebounds (three offensive), one shy of the double-double. Maten also made it hard for Houston Rockets players on the other end of the floor, contesting multiple shots and finishing with two steals and two blocks, respectively.

The Magic close out their Summer League run in Las Vegas on Monday against the Pistons.