Magic wrap up Las Vegas summer league with loss to T-Wolves

The Magic trailed wire to wire Sunday against the Timberwolves when Orlando wrapped up NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Coach Lionel Chalmers’ squad fell to 2-3 after Minnesota led by as many as 20 points in its 115-100 victory inside the Cox Pavilion.

Orlando was without No. 18 pick Tristan da Silva and second-year guards Anthony Black and Jett Howard for the second game in a row after the trio of first-round selections closed out their time on the court earlier in the week.

The rookie from Colorado looked as advertised when he averaged 17.7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.3 steals in just three games.

Howard showed growth in his play both as a defender and 3-point specialist. He shot 47.6% from beyond the arc on 7 attempts per contest for 19 points while adding 3.3 assists.

Black displayed his command of the ball as the summer-league squad’s starting point guard in two games. He averaged 12.5 points to go with 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds.

Magic co-founder Pat Williams encouraged, impacted those around him

Their absence from the court following strong showings allowed for others further down the Magic’s bench to get significant playing time in Las Vegas.

That included four-year pro Charlie Brown Jr. and 2020 second-round pick Theo Maledon, a pair of guards who led the Magic with 21 and 18 points, respectively, on Sunday. Brown was perfect at the free throw line (6 of 6) to go with 3 steals and a block.

Maledon helped the Magic storm back in the third quarter after they trailed by double digits early against Minnesota, similar to their recent summer-league contests.

The 6-4 Frenchman attacked the basket, converted with success at free throw line (8 of 8) and connected from distance (2 of 4 from 3) to power Orlando’s offense in the second half. Maldeon dished out a team-high 8 assists.

Orlando also had help from 2019 No. 6 pick Jarrett Culver — who totaled 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 minutes — and 7-1 center Jay Huff, who added 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Huff made the most out of his time with the summer-league Magic. The third-year pro, who spent part of last season on a two-way contract with Denver, started all five games in Las Vegas for Orlando.

For the Magic, Huff’s 2.2 blocks were the seventh-most at summer league and he added 16.8 points on 35.7% from 3-point range.

Although the Magic departed summer league with a 2-3 record, the results aren’t nearly as important as what the franchise saw from da Silva, Howard and Black as well as potential players who could join the team for October’s training camp.

Orlando departs summer league with a pair of two-way contracts still available and its 15-man standard contract roster full after the official signing of veteran guard Cory Joseph on Friday.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com