Coming into this contest, it should have been a fiercely competitive contest between two young cross-conference nuclear cores that are both still developing and evolving.
However, due to a plethora of injuries on the Orlando Magic, most notably Franz Wagner, it quickly became clear what an advantage the Thunder had, and the theme of the postgame press conference was all about finding and exploiting advantages.
The OKC Thunder were able to overcome the Orlando Magic to cap off the home stand 2-0.
The first quarter featured some lackluster perimeter shooting from both squads, as Orlando shot 3-14 from distance, whereas the Thunder went 1-9. Perhaps the arctic air affected both teams 3-point accuracy inside.
OKC ended the evening shooting 8-36, 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. It was their worst 3-point shooting performance since December 8, 2023, versus the Golden State Warriors, where they shot 17 percent. The Magic were worse, going 7-25 20.0 percent from distance; it was their worst shooting display since December 7, 2023, versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, when they shot only eight percent.
Ultimately, the Magic could not overcome their shooting woes, and the Thunder took care of business securing the 100-112 victory inside the Paycom Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 37 points, and Paolo Banchero led the way for the Magic with 20 points.