More will be on the line when the Magic face the Nets on the road Tuesday compared to past mid-November games.
That’s because it’s Orlando’s first In-Season Tournament (IST) group-play matchup of the year.
“It’s a great opportunity for guys just to continue to show what they’re capable of doing at a high level of competition with those stakes being more with the bragging rights of the In-Season,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Monday.
Of course, there’s more to the IST than just bragging rights. There’s also money up for grabs.
Players on the winning team of the IST championship each receive $500,000. That number drops to $200,000 for losing the NBA Cup. Falling in the semifinals is worth $100,000 and exiting in the quarterfinals are half of that.
“It has some meaning — $500,000 is on the line,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said after Orlando’s Saturday win vs. the Bucks. “I don’t know about you; I’m going hard.
“Just naturally, the intensity is elevated.”
Before the money gets involved, however, there’s group play.
The Magic (5-4) are grouped with Brooklyn, Boston, Toronto and Chicago, the latter of which they visit on Wednesday and Friday, with the second meeting an IST contest. Orlando faces each of its East Group C opponents over the course of the next two weeks.
It’s a major shift in the schedule for the Magic, who battled just two Eastern Conference teams (Hawks and Bucks) in their opening nine games.
Youthful Magic continuing to learn how to handle success and grow together
Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds: the team with the best record in the group stage in the six groups and two “wild cards” — the team from each conference with the best record in group-play games that finished second.
The knockout rounds will consist of single-elimination games in the quarterfinals — played in NBA markets Dec. 4-5 — and semifinals and championship, which will be played in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and 9.
“The guys are definitely ready,” Mosley said. “They’ve heard from a couple of teams talking about the intensity going up. For us, we just want to continue the same level of growth and and focus that we’ve had.”
When the Magic face Brooklyn (5-5), Orlando won’t have regular starting point guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis) for the second straight and fifth overall game this season. They’ll also be without veteran guard Gary Harris (right groin strain) for a fifth game in a row.
Fultz is considered day-to-day, Mosley said, while Harris was able to get on the court “a little bit” during Monday’s practice. Both are traveling with the team as they begin a four-game trip.
The Nets, who already lost to the Celtics but beat the Bulls as part of IST group play, are dealing with their own injuries as well.
Brooklyn will be without top scorer Cam Thomas (26.9 points in eight games) against the Magic due to a sprained left ankle. Starting point guard Ben Simmons (left hip contusion) is also out while guard Lonnie Walker IV (left knee contusion) is questionable.
Health screening program makes stop in Orlando
This past weekend, the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) brought its acclaimed health screening program for former NBA, WNBA, ABA and Harlem Globetrotter players based in Orlando to Amway Center.
Those players underwent wide-ranging screening procedures that included blood work, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and cardiology consultations.
Launched in conjunction with the NBA Players Association in 2016, the health screening program focuses on player health and delivers thorough cost-effective healthcare to its members while addressing many of the medical issues experienced by the NBRPA population.
“This program presents an incredible occasion for us to bring this impactful program to where our members live and we look forward to continuing to bring this invaluable benefit to other markets across the United States,” NBRPA president Scott Rochelle said in a statement.
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
![Magic rookie Anthony Black made his fourth start Tuesday night against the Nets. His teammates have noticed his confidence on the court. "I do like [that] he's got a little feistiness to him," Orlando center Moe Wagner said. "He talks a little smack sometimes which I like."](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Magic-Nets-Basketball.jpg?w=525 "Magic rookie Anthony Black made his fourth start Tuesday night against the Nets. His teammates have noticed his confidence on the court. \"I do like [that] he's got a little feistiness to him,\" Orlando center Moe Wagner said. \"He talks a little smack sometimes which I like.\"")
