Halfway through their season-long eight-game homestand, the Magic had entered Wednesday’s 101-93 loss against the Warriors prepared to close out the regular-season on the right foot.
Orlando, however, was forced to return to a starting lineup that’s had success this season but one that hadn’t been used since before the NBA All-Star break.
Because Gary Harris (right plantar fascia strain) was not available, coach Jamahl Mosley re-inserted point guard Markelle Fultz (4 points) into the starting lineup alongside Jalen Suggs, (4 points), forwards Franz Wagner (14) and Paolo Banchero (15) and center Wendell Carter Jr. (7) for the Magic (42-30) against Golden State (38-34).
Magic reserve guard Cole Anthony scored 26 points in 32 minutes.
Forward Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 23 points.
Fultz, who previously missed 27 games due to left knee tendinitis, made 15 starts before the league break but had been replaced by Harris, when available, in Orlando’s opening lineup since then.
Harris has helped spread the floor for Orlando’s first unit. A 37.6% 3-pointer shooter this year, the veteran guard is averaging 3.8 attempts from beyond the arc this season.
While Fultz offers a steady hand in directing traffic on offense, he had taken just 11 3-pointers this year entering Wednesday’s contest — and had made only 1.
Harris missed his 26th contest and second in a row Wednesday night due to injury. He previously sat 16 games (Dec. 27-29, Jan. 5-31) due to a right calf strain.
With Harris not available against Sacramento this past Saturday, Mosley leaned toward second-year pro Caleb Houstan in the starting five vs. the Kings.
In that contest, however, Houstan missed the second half due to a sore left ankle, which was eventually diagnosed as an ankle sprain. Mosley said Houstan was available to play vs. the Warriors.
The Magic coach explained why he felt confident returning to a starting lineup in Fultz, Suggs, Wagner, Banchero and Carter Jr. despite turning away from it after All-Star break.
“I really think it boils down to availability in a lot of guys and what matchups and different things that we’ll look at throughout the game,” Mosley said prior to tip-off Wednesday. “And like we’ve talked about for possible postseason things, it’s always going to be based on what we see with different lines and matches and what works and what groups, and how they gel together.”
With the playoffs quickly approaching, Wednesday’s matchup between the No. 5 seed in the East and the No. 10 seed in the West marked the 72nd overall game for Orlando, with 10 more remaining before the playoffs.
It also marked the start of three games in four days for the Magic, who will host the Clippers (44-27) on Friday. Orlando then faces the Grizzles (24-48) the next night.
With more than 70 games under their belt, it’s a tough stretch for Orlando, which entered Wednesday’s contest one game behind No. 4 New York (43-28) and two games in front of No. 6 Indiana (41-32).
Rising to fourth in the conference standings would mean homecourt advantage for the Magic in the first round; staying inside the top 6 would allow them to avoid the NBA Play-In games.
“Every game this time of the year hurts a bit more,” Suggs said at shootarond Wednesday. “All that diving on the floor and little plays hurt a bit more but you do it to be in this situation, to be in a point where this does matter. These games matter.
“From the players to the staff to the front office, everyone wants to win — along with people in the city. That’s what they’ve been waiting for.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
