Orlando Magic pulled off one of their most dramatic wins of the season Saturday night, edging the Denver Nuggets 127-126 at Kia Center behind a career performance from Anthony Black.
Black scored a career-high 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including 7-of-11 from three-point range, to lift Orlando to its 18th win of the season.
The guard also added six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and delivered the defining play late by stripping Nikola Jokic and converting a layup in the final minute.
Orlando trailed by as many as 17 points but shot 67.4 percent in the second half, steadily erasing the deficit with improved ball movement and perimeter accuracy.
Desmond Bane scored 24 points, 15 of them in the fourth quarter, and calmly knocked down two free throws with 6.9 seconds left to give the Magic the lead.
Denver had one final chance, but Jamal Murray missed a contested jumper at the buzzer after Bane’s free throws capped the comeback.
Jokic recorded another historic night with 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 12 assists, marking his 180th career triple-double and 16th of the season.
The three-time MVP now sits one triple-double shy of Oscar Robertson for second on the NBA’s all-time list and logged his eighth career 30-20-10 game, second only to Wilt Chamberlain.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which shot 51.2 percent overall but struggled to contain Orlando’s guards late.
Murray finished with 24 points, while the Nuggets saw their seven-game road winning streak snapped in the opener of a lengthy trip.
For Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr. posted 18 points and seven rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds after a replay reversal sent Jokic to the line.
The Magic overcame a tough night from Paolo Banchero, who finished with 12 points and six assists, by winning the turnover battle and generating 32 assists.
Orlando closed the game shooting 25-of-37 from the free-throw line and survived despite Denver converting 27-of-30 attempts.
The Nuggets fell to 22-9 with their second straight road loss after previously winning 11 consecutive away games.
Denver will continue its trip in Miami on Monday, while Orlando heads north to face Toronto the same night.
