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Magic big man Wendell Carter to miss game against Lakers

Despite a gutsy two-point win by the Magic against the Jazz in Salt Lake City, not all was positive for Orlando on Thursday night.

After the victory, the team provided an injury update on starting center Wendell Carter Jr., who left the game in the final seconds after falling on his left (non-shooting) hand while going for a rebound.

Carter suffered a fractured third metacarpal, the team said in a statement. The Magic said the course of his treatment would be determined after the team returned to Orlando.

On Friday, the Magic ruled him out of Saturday’s game (Bally Sports Florida, 7) against the Lakers at Amway Center.

Carter’s injury isn’t the only one the Magic (3-2) are dealing with after the road win.

Prior to Thursday’s win, Orlando announced that guard Markelle Fultz wasn’t available in Utah due to left-knee swelling that took place during pre-game warmups. Then during the game, sharpshooter Gary Harris missed the second half after he suffered a strained right groin.

Harris, who was originally listed as doubtful on the Magic’s initial injury report for Saturday’s game against the Lakers, was later downgraded to out Friday. Fultz is questionable for the game.

Beede’s breakdown: How depleted Magic escaped Utah victorious in high-scoring game

As for Carter, metacarpal fractures are one of the most common types of broken bones, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and they are usually caused by falling onto the hand — which is what happened to him.

Metacarpals are the bones that connect the thumb and finger bones to the wrist. The third metacarpal, which is what Carter fractured, connects the wrist to the middle finger.

It remains to be determined just how much time Carter could miss.

Prior to the injury, Carter scored 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc to go with 10 rebounds against the Jazz.

He’s dealt with injuries in the past. Last year, he played in just 57 of 82 games, missing time because of strained right plantar fascia — the soft tissue under the foot — and hip pain.

Moe Wagner, who scored 10 points in 19 minutes off the bench against the Jazz, serves as Orlando’s backup center and filled in as the starting center during a critical stretch last year in December that saw Orlando win eight of nine games to help turn around its season.

Goga Bitadze, a 6-11 center who appeared in 17 games for the Magic last year, has played limited minutes at the position with the team’s third unit this season.

The Magic also have size and athleticism in defensive disruptor Jonathan Isaac, who recorded 3 blocks in 12 minutes at Utah. At times this season, Isaac (6-10) and Wagner (6-11) have played together in a large lineup.

Coach Jamahl Mosley could also use forward Paolo Banchero at the center position. Banchero saw time at center this past summer with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup.

Regardless of who plays significant minutes at center with Carter out, Orlando will need their size and rebounding ability against the star-filled Lakers, who feature 6-8 LeBron James, 6-10 Anthony Davis and 6-8 Christian Wood.

Los Angeles (3-2), however, is dealing with a handful injuries of its own.

The team won’t have forwards Rui Hachimura (concussion protocol) and Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) as well as guards Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (right patella contusion) against the Magic.

Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X, also known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.