The Mad Ants returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse Wednesday afternoon, looking to follow up on a big win over the Maine Celtics the day before by taking on the Osceolo Magic in the first of back-to-back home games against the Magic.
The Magic were looking to rebound from a tough loss Monday to the Knicks and came out swinging for the fences. Their tough defense and lights-out shooting, knocking down over 56% from the field and 50% from three-point territory.
Defensively, the Magic really held down the Mad Ants in the first half, holding them to 38% from the field and 21% from downtown. The Mad Ants tried to get offense going but were shut down at almost every corner by a tough Magic squad.
The second half saw the Mad Ants come to life, cutting a once-20+-point lead down to just a two-point deficit going into the fourth quarter. Their defense woke up and they began shooting well from beyond the arc.
The Magic, however, were too much for Indiana to handle. They snapped out of their slump and began shooting strongly in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead back up to double digits and taking the game by 20 points (118-98).
The Mad Ants return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, when they take on the Magic in a rematch. The Mad Ants are 5-1 since the start of November in rematches and look to continue that streak on Friday afternoon.
Currently sitting at 5th in the Eastern Conference, the Mad Ants are still four spots above the Magic and are looking to inch closer to the top of the Conference standings.
-Reggie Edwards
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