Knox closes out Magic’s 122-118 win as Bane returns to Memphis

Kevin Knox II made four free throws in the final seven seconds, and the Orlando Magic held off the Memphis Grizzlies 122-118 on Wednesday in their preseason opener. Desmond Bane’s first trip back to Memphis with Orlando began with three made threes, while the closing possessions belonged to players farther down the rotation.

The game was Sean Sweeney’s first preseason appearance as Orlando’s head coach. Tristan da Silva led the Magic with 19 points, Jamal Cain added 15, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13. Orlando finished 20-for-45 from three and recorded 35 assists on 41 made baskets.

Bane made all three of his attempts, all from behind the arc, for nine points in 13 minutes. Carter was 3-for-4 from three, while Nikola Vucevic made all three of his own three-point attempts. Da Silva supplied four threes and Cain three, spreading the scoring across the lineup.

Orlando led 36-26 after the first quarter and 64-61 at halftime. Memphis stayed within reach through Ty Jerome’s 17 points, Cameron Boozer’s 16 and GG Jackson’s 15. Boozer shot 4-for-7, made two threes and went 6-for-7 at the foul line, adding six rebounds in 22 minutes.

The Magic carried a 94-87 lead into the fourth, but the Grizzlies’ reserves kept narrowing it. Taylor Hendricks’ three-pointer with 2:36 left made it 114-113. Colin Castleton answered with a short shot, and Walter Clayton Jr. made one of two free throws to leave Memphis two points behind.

That margin held until Alex Morales scored with 13.9 seconds remaining, giving Orlando a 118-114 lead. Clayton then hit a three at 8.3 seconds, forcing the Magic to finish the game at the line. Knox made both attempts with 6.5 seconds left. After Clayton split another pair, Knox added two more at 0.8 seconds to settle it.

Morales also collected 10 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Knox finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Their work mattered during a finish in which the starters’ early shooting could no longer decide the result by itself.

Before the game, Philip Rossman-Reich’s Orlando Magic Daily preview identified the exhibition as an early test of Sweeney’s changes and of the players competing for places behind an established core. Wednesday gave that group extended minutes: da Silva played 25, Morales 24 and Cain 22.

The team’s official preview noted that Bane’s two regular-season games against Memphis last season had been played in Berlin and London. This exhibition brought him back to his former arena. It ended with a win shared across Orlando’s starters and reserves, and with a close final minute despite the Magic’s long-range production.