Orlando Magic rally from 17 down to beat Nuggets — Anthony Black scores career-high 38
Anthony Black fuels Orlando’s comeback
The Orlando Magic pulled off a dramatic comeback, erasing a 17-point deficit to top the Denver Nuggets 127-126 at home. Guard Anthony Black stole the show, finishing with a career-high 38 points on seven made three-pointers, plus six rebounds, five assists and two steals. He also made a key defensive play late that helped seal the win.
Orlando shared the ball well all night, recording 32 assists while committing just six turnovers. Wendell Carter added 18 points, and Tristan da Silva chipped in 17 points along with five rebounds and five assists. The Magic caught fire after halftime, shooting nearly 70% across the third and fourth quarters to erase Denver’s lead.
Jokic’s triple-double and a chaotic finish
Nikola Jokic put up another huge stat line for Denver, finishing with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists — the 180th triple-double of his career and one shy of tying Oscar Robertson for second on the NBA’s all-time list. Denver led 62-48 at the break and held a 17-point advantage in the third quarter, but struggled with turnovers and couldn’t hold onto the edge.
Several Nuggets players scored in double digits to support Jokic. One scorer poured in 24 points with 15 coming after halftime, and Jamal Murray added 24. Late in the game, a pair of clutch free throws put Denver back in the lead with seven seconds remaining, but Murray’s final attempt at the buzzer missed, giving Orlando the comeback victory.
The final was 127-126. Orlando improves to 18-14 and will face the Toronto Raptors next, while Denver dropped to 22-9 and heads into a matchup with the Miami Heat.
