ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic received positive player-availability news ahead of Thursday’s 110-104 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Cole Anthony and Wendell Carter Jr. played after missing the previous few games with injuries.
Carter had 17 points and 12 rebounds for his 14th double-double. Gary Harris scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers. Anthony finished with 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, including eight points in the fourth quarter as the Magic attempted to come back from a 20-point deficit at Amway Center.
Anthony had missed the last three games with a right ankle sprain while Carter was sidelined from the last two with a right lower leg muscle strain. Anthony missed six games in November because of the same ankle.
Carter appeared to bump knees with Miami Heat guard/forward Max Strus last Friday with 11:29 left in the second quarter before struggling to put weight on his right leg.
Anthony injured his ankle during the first quarter of the Magic’s home loss to the Hawks on Dec. 15, according to Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, but finished the game. He also traveled with the team.
“Thank goodness it wasn’t as serious as we thought it was in that moment,” Mosley said of Carter, who wore bandages on his right leg. “He recovered well and we’re going to see how he [does] as the game goes along.”
Carter played 30 minutes Thursday.
After trailing 65-45, the Magic went on a 25-8 run in the third quarter to reduce their deficit to 73-70. Franz Wagner scored 17 of his 20 points in the quarter.
The Magic (7-26) stuck around with the Pelicans and cut their deficit to 2 late in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans pulled away.
Brandon Ingram (31 points, six rebounds and four assists) led the Pelicans. Josh Hart (22 points, five rebounds and five assists) and Devonte’ Graham (20 points, six assists and five rebounds) played significant roles.
Anthony and Carter were in the starting lineup against the Pelicans, along with Harris, Wagner and Chuma Okeke.
Their returns gave the Magic 12 available players. Orlando had 11 players listed as out on Thursday, including five due to injuries (Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Michael Carter-Williams and E’Twaun Moore) and five due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols (Mychal Mulder, Terrence Ross, Mo Bamba, Moe Wagner and Ignas Brazdeikis).
R.J. Hampton was the 11th player listed as out. He was removed from the protocols Thursday afternoon after entering last Friday, but wasn’t available as he works on his conditioning. His official designation on the injury report was “COVID reconditioning.”
Players can be removed from the health and safety protocols and resume basketball activities after being sidelined for at least 10 days or recording two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests 24 hours apart.
“Just getting [Hampton] through a couple of more conditioning sessions, practice and one-on-ones with some coaches,” Mosley responded when asked what Hampton’s re-conditioning period will entail. “Just making sure he’s able to play in a full game.”
