ORLANDO, Fla. — Starting big man Wendell Carter Jr. sat for the third consecutive game in the Orlando Magic’s 131-124 home loss to the Utah Jazz, but he’s hoping to play in the next game.
Carter told the Orlando Sentinel ahead of Thursday’s loss that he’s planning to return to the lineup Saturday vs. the Miami Heat at Amway Center, the last of the four-game homestand.
He missed Sunday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and Tuesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks because of hip pain.
Carter told the Sentinel he started feeling the pain in his hip and groin areas after the team returned to Central Florida from last week’s three-game road trip.
He was seen going through on-court exercises after Thursday morning’s shootaround.
Carter told the Sentinel he’s feeling good before saying his goal is to return Saturday, which ultimately depends on his evaluation after treatment.
“He’s doing everything they’re asking him to do to get him back right,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He’s going to continue to be monitored on how he responds to each thing.”
Moe Wagner (11 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes) has started for Carter in the last three games and has been productive, averaging 16.5 points (61.1% shooting), 7.5 rebounds and 2 assists in the losses to the Bucks and Blazers.
Goga Bitadze (three points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists in 21 minutes) has made the most of his minutes as the backup big with Carter out and Wagner starting, averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds in 13.2 minutes in the previous two games.
But there’s been a notable dip in the Magic’s defense without Carter.
Orlando had defensive ratings (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 119 or worse in the losses to the Blazers, Bucks and Jazz. The Spurs’ league-worst defense allows 119.6 points per 100 possessions.
It didn’t help that starting guard Gary Harris (12 points, two steals), who was back in the lineup, also sat for the previous two games because of a sore left adductor (inner thigh muscle).
The lack of Carter’s defensive presence in the starting lineup was felt again Thursday, when the Jazz blitzed Orlando at the beginning of the first and third quarters.
The Magic’s hot 3-point shooting (16 of 34) kept them in it, but their inaccurate free-throw shooting (20 of 31) and overall poor defensive play were too much to overcome.
The Jazz, led by Lauri Markanen’s 31 points, shot 55.7% from the field, 38.2% on 3s, made 20 of 21 free throws and scored 64 points in the paint.
The Magic didn’t find any consistent answers.
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Franz Wagner added 24 points.
Markelle Fultz recorded 25 points and six assists.
“A big portion of it is his instincts,” Mosley responded when asked what Carter does defensively that’s difficult to replace. “He does such a tremendous job of knowing different situations and coverages. His ability to move his feet in guarding some of the most dynamic bigs as well as being able to switch on to some of these quicker guards, he does a great job of that.
“You put that as a combination in the pick-and-roll with those guards coming off, he’s able to keep his chest in front of the ball. As that big is rolling back to the rim, he’s able to get back with quick instincts. Those are some of the reads he makes that are hard for a lot of people to replicate.”
