Orlando Magic lose to the Phoenix Sun on the road, 117-104; fall to 2-6

Photos for Headline Surfer / Desmond Bane shoots a three for the Orlando Magic early in the first quarter at the Phoenix Suns in a losing effort, 117-104, on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer 

PHOENIX -- The Suns defeated the Magic, 117-104, Thursday night in Phoenix, despite a team-high 27 points along with 13 rebounds from Wendell Carter Jr.

Devin Booker contributed a team-high 30 points to go with 8 assists, 4 three-pointers, and 3 steals, with Dillon Brooks of the Suns adding an additional 24 points (9-16 FG, 4-6 3PT).

Wendell Carter Jr. who led the Orlando Magic with a team-high 27 points along with 13 rebounds in the losing effort, said he and his teammates have to play better moving forward.

“We have to do a better job -- and I pride myself on a lot of it -- of communicating early,” Carter said after the game. “It’s a two-sided thing. Not just talking, but also receiving information and making sure you are in the right spots. But this is a team that wants to be right, wants to be good. We know what we are capable of. We are going to figure it out. It’s an internal thing. We are going to figure it out."

Wendell Carter Jr. who led the Orlando Magic with a team-high 27 points along with 13 rebounds in the losing effort, said he and his teammates have to play better moving forward.

“We have to do a better job -- and I pride myself on a lot of it -- of communicating early,” Carter said after the game. “It’s a two-sided thing. Not just talking, but also receiving information and making sure you are in the right spots. But this is a team that wants to be right, wants to be good. We know what we are capable of. We are going to figure it out. It’s an internal thing. We are going to figure it out."

Paolo Banchero (ankle), Jalen Suggs (knee) and Noah Penda (hamstring) all remained out for the Magic, while Rasheer Fleming (ankle), Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Mark Williams (shoulder) were out for the Suns.

The Suns improved their record to 2-5 with the win, while the Magic fall to 2-6 for the season.

Orlando-Phoenix Box Scores

Multimedia: Game Highlights

Henry Frederick press card / Headline SurferAbout the Byline Writer: 
Henry Frederick is an award-winning journalist who launched Headline Surfer in 2008. The site serves the greater Daytona Beach, Sanford, and Orlando areas along the I-4 corridor and beyond via HeadlineSurfer.com in Lake Mary, Florida. Frederick earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in Orlando in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade, and before that, the same beat with The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. He's also worked as a city editor and city hall reporter for two dailies. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz & the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. Assisting Henry Frederick with Headline Surfer is Sera King, who writes about the weather and feature stories, takes photos, shoots video, and occasionally draws editorial cartoons. •  Bio: https://henryfrederick.com/.