INDIANAPOLIS — One day after the Orlando Magic took a step toward resembling their full squad in their win over the Bulls in Chicago, they were back to fewer options for their road game vs. the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The fatigue from playing back-to-back road games and having more limited roster options showed, especially in the third quarter, with the Magic falling to the Pacers, 114-113 Saturday.
After taking multiple double-digit first-half leads, the Pacers outscored the Magic 38-29 in the third to take an 89-84 lead into the fourth.
The Magic (5-12) battled back, taking a 113-109 lead with under two minutes remaining after a Franz Wagner stepback 3.
But the Pacers (9-6) made the game-deciding plays: Aaron Nesmith made a 3 to reduce the deficit to 1 and got fouled after an offensive rebound one minute later, making two free throws to give the Pacers a 1-point lead with 9.6 seconds remaining.
Wagner (29 points, five rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes) missed the potential game-winning layup with five seconds left to give the Pacers a win.
Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris sat out Saturday.
Harris was ruled out because of left knee injury management.
He made his season debut Friday, scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in 24 minutes after missing the first 15 games because of left knee injury recovery.
Harris had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late August after tearing cartilage, which also forced him to miss training camp.
“Obviously, after a knee surgery,” coach Jamahl Mosley said, “his first game back playing 23 1/2 minutes, just making sure we’re monitoring it smartly.”
Originally a gametime decision, Carter was ruled out less than an hour before tipoff because of a strained right plantar fascia (soft tissue under the foot).
He attempted to go through his pregame warmup but wasn’t cleared to play.
Saturday was Carter’s second absence in three games because of the injury. He had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes Friday.
“A combination of both,” Mosley responded when asked if Carter’s ailment is more about pain management vs. further injuring the foot. “There’s pain there — a lot of pain there. He’s playing through it, which is something he’s done before. Just making sure it doesn’t get any worse.”
Carter told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday he had been dealing with his injury for 5-6 games before being sidelined for the first time during Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It just got really bad last game and just didn’t feel comfortable getting out there,” he added. “Knowing my body, knowing when I got pain I’m going to start favoring stuff, I didn’t want to end up hurting something else because I’m favoring something on my foot.
“There’s really no specific thing you can put on it to stop it from hurting. It’s just about tolerance, putting heat on it and stuff like that.”
With Carter out again, Mo Bamba (21 points, nine rebounds and two steals) stepped back into the starting lineup alongside Wagner, Jalen Suggs (12 points, eight assists and five rebounds) Chuma Okeke (four points, three rebounds and two steals) and Bol Bol (22 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks).
R.J. Hampton added 14 points and two steals off the bench.
Tyrese Halliburton, the Pacers’ leading scorer and distributor, was available after being a gametime decision because of right ankle soreness. He led them with 22 points, 14 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals.
Cole Anthony (torn right internal oblique), Paolo Banchero (sprained left ankle), Markelle Fultz (fractured left big toe), Jonathan Isaac (left knee injury recovery) and Moe Wagner (sprained right midfoot) remain out.
The Magic will play the Pacers again Monday in Indianapolis.
