On Thursday, Feb. 26, Osceola Magic was defeated by the Cleveland Charge 129-107 at the Silver Spurs Arena.
Lester Quinones, Magic guard, led his team in scoring with 29 points. Colin Castleton, Magic center, assisted the effort with 17 points of his own. Phillip Wheeler, Magic forward, scored 18 points off the bench.
Tristan Enaruna, Charge forward, led his team in scoring with 29 points and had help from teammate Riley Minix, Charge forward, who displayed all-around effort with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The game started off with high energy and back-and-forth buckets. Castleton tallied two inside layups early in the first quarter to kickoff Osceola’s scoring. Minix Charge forward, knocked down two perimeter jumpshots from behind the arc to keep the score close halfway through the quarter; trailing the Magic 19-16.
The Charge made most of its points through second chance opportunities by being aggressive on the glass offensively. But with the help of inside scoring and three-point baskets, the Magic were able to hold a 34-28 lead at the end of the quarter.
Quinones started the second quarter with two three-point baskets and a fastbreak dunk. Minix returned the favor on the other end with two three-pointers of his own while dishing assists. The second quarter mimicked the first quarter’s physicality. Halfway through, the Charge led 60-58.
Both teams shot efficiently and battled hard in the paint until the halftime buzzer. Castleton closed out the second quarter with an emphatic slam, but the Charge went into half with a 75-70 lead.
The first half showed two competitive teams holding a tight game that looked like it would come down to the wire, but the Charge came out hot in the third quarter and bursted out a 12-4 run. Magic turnovers and missed shots led to a successful transition offense for the Charge as Enaruna led the way. The Magic faced a 30-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.
The Magic tried to make one more push in the fourth quarter, but the Charge never took its foot off the gas and was able to hold a steady 20-point lead. With a little over three minutes left in the game, the Magic cleared their bench.
The Magic fell to 16-6 and second place in the Eastern Conference. The team’s next game will be a rematch against the Charge on Friday, Feb. 27, at the Kia Center.