Down two starters, Jamahl Mosley called upon Goga Bitadze and rookie Anthony Black, and the two players stepped in to help the Orlando Magic defeat the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Playing without Wendell Carter Jr. (hand) and Markelle Fultz (knee), Franz Wagner produced a team-high 26 points and Paolo Banchero added 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Magic to the 120-101 victory. Bitadze recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Black chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and two assists as the Magic improved to 4-2, their best start in three years.
It marked the first career start for Black, who appeared in his fourth game for the Magic. He went 4-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, in 30 minutes.
“He wasn’t afraid,” Mosley said. “I think that’s the thing about that young man that we said at the beginning: He embraces moments. He has got a high basketball IQ. He is tough and is a team guy. He is willing to make the easy play, the easy and the right decision. I think those are the things that stand out the most.”
Said Black: “I feel like I was pretty ready for it, so there wasn’t really a sense of nerve or anything like that. It really just turned into me getting fully locked in and just getting ready to play.”
Anthony Black, the No. 6 overall draft pick, gets his first career NBA start and throws one down early đź’Ş
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Black couldn’t miss from the field to start his career.
Counting his first three appearances, in which he made each of his first six shot attempts, and after making his first four shots on Saturday, Black had had the most makes from the field without a miss (10) to start a career since the 1996-97 season.
The sixth pick also finished a game-high plus-32 on the court and helped stifle the opposition for the Magic, who rank second in the NBA in defense. They held the Lakers to 26.7% shooting from 3-point range and forced 17 turnovers, which resulted in 22 points.
“I’m looking right now and plus-32 for my dog right here,” said Banchero, sitting next to Black in their postgame press conference. “That is crazy; plus-32 is nuts. He just stepped up right away. I said in the on-court interview that Goga set the tone with that block on (Anthony Davis) at the start of the game, and then A.B. just came in fearless.”
Black earned the start versus the Lakers, with Fultz a game-time decision. The team was also without Gary Harris due to a groin injury, so it could continue to rely on Black until its two veteran guards are cleared to return to the court.
He will likely see sporadic playing time throughout the year, but it is clear the 19-year-old has the ability to affect games. He was grateful his teammates helped him in his first-ever start in the NBA.
“I pushed the pace and defended,” Black said. “I think I took my open shots, which has been big for me, and just trusted my work. I think my teammates helped me out with the rest.”
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