Wendell Carter Jr. notches double-double as Orlando Magic take care of business against Memphis Grizzlies

The Orlando Magic are fighting for a top 6 seed in the East and they took care of business in this game as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 118-88 at Kia Center behind a big double-double by Wendell Carter Jr.

The 24-year-old center finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block for the Magic. Paolo Banchero recorded 13 points, 9 boards, 7 assists, and 4 blocks while Cole Anthony hit 5 three-pointers for 15 points off the bench. Franz Wagner scored 13 points while Jalen Suggs had 15 points, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Jordan Goodwin led the Grizzlies with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 triples off the bench. Brandon Clarke scored 13 points in his second game of the season while Jake LaRavia had 10 points with 2 three-pointers. Scotty Pippen Jr. and GG Jackson each finished with 11 points.

Orlando improves to 43-31 with this win and sits just 1.5 games behind the Knicks for the 4th seed in the East. The Magic would like to finish as a top 4 seed so they get home court advantage in the first round, but what’s more important is locking up a top 6 seed to avoid the play-in.

They are currently 2.5 games above the 7th seed so as long as they take care of what’s under their control they’ll be fine. The team from Florida is 6-4 over their last 10 games and will look to build some momentum on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Memphis drops to 24-50 with this loss. The return of Brandon Clarke was good news for the Grizzlies and they will hope to have him along with the rest of their squad fully healthy by the start of next season. They will look to make the playoffs with their revamped roster next year after securing the 2nd seed back in 2023. This team is currently on a 3-game losing streak and will face off against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.