ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic had kept Steph Curry in check all night – until the final two minutes.
The future Hall of Famer made the game’s two biggest shots – first a banker with 1:09 left that put Golden State up five and then a dagger 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining – as the Warriors defeated the Magic 101-93.
The Magic, down all night and by as many as 17 in the first half, clawed back and trailed by just one with 2 ½ minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, not only were they unable to prevent Curry from ending with a flurry, but the Magic also went cold in the final moments, missing their final three shots.
“I think they just made timely shots at the right time,” Paolo Banchero said. “Some of their best players made some tough shots to keep their lead at arm’s length.”
Cole Anthony helped Orlando stay within striking distance, scoring 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half.
Banchero had a rough shooting night, going 5-of-17 overall and 1-of-7 from 3-point distance. He finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists and is now just the eighth player in the last 60 seasons to record 3,000-plus points, 900-plus rebounds and 600-plus assists in the first two seasons of their career. The others who did this were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Wicks, Larry Bird, Larry Johnson, Grant Hill, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Franz Wagner, the only other Magic player to score in double figures, had 14 points.
Curry finished with 17 points and 10 assists for the Warriors, while Andrew Wiggins recorded 23 points and Klay Thompson had 15 points.
Draymond Green was ejected early in the first quarter after picking up two consecutive technical fouls.
All season, the Magic had done an outstanding job keeping opponents off the offensive glass. It’s a category, in fact, they rank No. 1 in the league in.
However, that wasn’t the case against the league’s best rebounding team, as the Warriors outrebounded the Magic 52-39. Rookies Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski combined to pull down 23 boards.
Orlando also struggled at the foul line, making just 11 of its 21 attempts.
Gary Harris missed his second straight game with a plantar fascia strain. Jonathan Kuminga did not play for the Warriors due to left knee soreness.
The Magic will look to bounce back Friday when they host the L.A. Clippers at 7 p.m.