Magic overcome 21-point deficit to topple Sixers

Paolo Banchero had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Orlando Magic overcame a 21-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-109 on Monday night.

🏀 FINAL SCORE THREAD 🏀

Paolo scored a team-high 29 PTS to lead the @OrlandoMagic to the road W!

Joel Embiid: 30 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST
Mo Wagner: 22 PTS, 6 REB

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— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2023

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The Magic improved to 15-11 since their 6-20 start as they have beaten Boston three times, Golden State twice, Dallas, Phoenix and now Philadelphia.

“They are learning from experiences,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “They are finding ways to bounce back and believe in each other and understand that it’s got to start on the defensive side of the ball.”

Mo Wagner scored 22 points and his younger brother Franz Wagner scored 19 for the Magic, who stopped a three-game skid and ended the Sixers’ seven-game winning streak.

“We are a very good team,” Banchero said. “We just have to learn how to put this effort out every night. We have to be able to take this game and take it to the next game and the game after that no matter who the opponent is.”

Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, his 27th game this season scoring 30 or more and his ninth in the past 10. Tobias Harris and James Harden scored 17 points apiece.

Embiid also led the Sixers in turnovers with six, got into foul trouble in the fourth quarter and was visibly frustrated by Orlando’s physical defense.

“I don’t think we played with any pace,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “Their pressure, their physicality … they got into us. We turned the ball over. We were flopping to try to draw fouls. We just turned it off and couldn’t get it back.”