Tristan da Silva scored 19 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 122-118 preseason victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Wednesday, October 7.
Da Silva came off the bench and shot 6-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-10 from three-point range, and went 3-of-4 at the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 25 minutes.
Orlando opened the game with a 36-point first quarter to establish an early advantage. The Magic led 36-26 after 12 minutes and maintained a three-point cushion at halftime, 64-61, despite Memphis’ improved offensive output in the second quarter.
Da Silva contributed from beyond the arc throughout the game. He connected on two three-pointers in the opening quarter, then added a dunk late in the first half before making two more three-pointers in the third quarter.
Memphis briefly moved ahead in the third quarter, with Cedric Coward hitting consecutive three-pointers to help the Grizzlies take a 69-68 lead. Orlando responded, however, and Da Silva’s scoring helped the Magic regain control. The visitors entered the fourth quarter ahead 94-87.
The Grizzlies continued to threaten in the final period. Taylor Hendricks scored 12 points off the bench, including a three-pointer with 2:36 remaining that cut Orlando’s lead to 114-113.
Kevin Knox II helped the Magic hold on, scoring late and converting two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining to extend the margin to 120-117. After Walter Clayton Jr. made a free throw for Memphis, Knox added two more at the line with 0.8 seconds left to seal the four-point win.
Knox finished with 11 points and six rebounds in 13 minutes, while Jamal Cain contributed 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Wendell Carter Jr. added 13 points, four rebounds and three three-pointers in 15 minutes. Nikola Vucevic scored nine points, making all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, and recorded three rebounds and one assist.
Orlando shot 47% from the field and 44% from three-point range, making 20 of 45 attempts from deep. The Magic also recorded 35 assists on 41 made field goals, demonstrating the ball movement that helped them produce 122 points.
For Memphis, Ty Jerome led the starters with 17 points and four assists, shooting 7-of-14 from the field. Cameron Boozer added 16 points, six rebounds and two assists, while GG Jackson scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench.
Hendricks finished with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 11 minutes, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper added nine points. The Grizzlies shot 43% from the field and 38% from three-point range, but their 19 turnovers contributed to the narrow defeat.
Orlando improved to 1-0 in the preseason, while Memphis fell to 1-1 overall and 0-1 at home.
