Carter will play a reserve role in Saturday's Game 1 matchup with the Cavaliers.
Carter was nursing back issues heading into the playoffs and came off the bench in Orlando's regular-season finale. He was not on the injury report heading into Game 1, so it is unclear if the decision has anything to do with his back. Jonathan Isaac will again start at center in Carter's place.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Available but not starting
Rotowire
Carter (back) has been cleared to play Sunday versus Milwaukee, but he is not in the starting lineup.
It appears that Carter could profile as an emergency alternative Sunday, or operate on a limited workload after being limited to just four minutes of action while attempting to play through his ongoing back injury during Friday's loss to Philadelphia. Jonathan Isaac will run with the first unit against Milwaukee.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Game-time decision Sunday
Rotowire
Carter (back) is a game-time decision for Sunday's game against Milwaukee, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Carter's status is a swing factor for a contest with substantial meaning in the Eastern Conference standings, as Orlando is currently in a three-way tie for the fifth seed with a chance of slipping into the Play-In Tournament. Moritz Wagner is averaging 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 21.1 minutes across 27 contests in which Carter has been unavailable this season.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Iffy against Milwaukee
Rotowire
Carter (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Bucks.
Carter is in danger of missing Sunday's contest after being held to just four minutes of action against Philadelphia due to back spasms. If the 24-year-old center is ruled out, Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze will likely receive increased playing time.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Limited to four minutes by injury
Rotowire
Carter (back) didn't return to Friday's 125-113 loss to the 76ers after exiting the game with 8:11 in the first quarter due to back spasms. He finished with four points (2-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt) during his time on the court.
The Magic had listed Carter as questionable to return shortly after he suffered the injury, but he remained on the bench for the start of the second half and never checked back into the contest. After suffering the loss, the Magic are tied with the Pacers and 76ers for the fifth through seventh seeds in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Heat sit one game behind in the eighth spot. With the Magic eager to avoid the Play-In Tournament by falling to the No. 7 or 8 seed, the team will hope to have Carter available for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Bucks.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Heads to locker room
Rotowire
Carter is questionable to return to Friday's game against the 76ers due to back spasms.
Carter exited in the first half after experiencing back spasms and went straight to the locker room. Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze would be in line for more chances at center if Carter is unable to return.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Sniffs double-double
Rotowire
Carter had 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt), eight rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals over 34 minutes during Sunday's 113-98 win over the Bulls.
Carter has been playing well of late and finished just two boards away from recording what would've been his fourth double-double over his last five appearances. He's averaging 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game since the beginning of April.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Another dominant display
Rotowire
Carter had 17 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-7 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals across 31 minutes during Monday's 104-103 win over the Trail Blazers.
Carter has recorded back-to-back double-doubles while making his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball, recording two blocks and five steals in that span. Carter is not expected to be a go-to guy on offense in a scheme led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but any contributions on offense will certainly boost his fantasy upside. He's averaging 10.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game over his last 11 contests.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Posts double-double in big win
Rotowire
Carter produced 15 points (4-10 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 28 minutes during Saturday's 118-88 victory over Memphis.
Carter was immense on both ends of the court Saturday, limiting Jaren Jackson to a four-point, four-rebound effort while also recording his seventh double-double of the campaign. The 13 rebounds were Carter's second-best mark of the season, and he also snapped a six-game stretch with single-digit scoring figures.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Held in check in win
Rotowire
Carter supplied nine points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists and one steal across 27 minutes during Sunday's 111-96 win over the Raptors.
This wasn't Carter's best showing, but it's worth noting that Moritz Wagner simply had the hot hand off the bench with 14 points in 18 minutes. Carter played really well in his previous three games with averages of 14.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists, so one dud isn't something to be overly concerned about.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Grabs 15 boards in loss
Rotowire
Carter recorded 13 points (5-13 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 28 minutes during Sunday's 111-97 loss to the Pacers.
Carter's 15 rebounds marked a season high for the veteran. Although he's flirted with double-digit rebound totals several times, he's eclipsed that milestone just five times this season. Carter is nursing a persistent knee injury that's kept him on the injury report, so it's wise to confirm his status to ensure his presence in the starting lineup moving forward.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Back in starting lineup
Rotowire
Carter (knee) is officially starting at center in Friday's game versus the Knicks.
Carter is returning from a one-game absence, for which Goga Bitadze replaced him in the starting lineup. The latter is returning to a reserve role, while Carter should take on his usual responsibilities in the frontcourt assuming he has no setbacks with his knee.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Gets green light
Rotowire
Carter (knee) is available for Friday's game against the Knicks.
Carter will return to action Friday after missing Wednesday's win over Washington and will likely push Goga Bitadze to a bench role. Before his absence, Carter had scored in double figures in nine of his last 11 appearances, averaging 13.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.4 minutes during that stretch.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Deemed questionable for Friday
Rotowire
Carter (knee) is questionable for Friday's game against the Knicks.
Carter was held out of Wednesday's game against the Wizards with right knee soreness, allowing Goga Bitadze to start and play 25 minutes. If Carter ends up taking the floor Friday, expect him to reclaim his starting spot.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Won't play against Washington
Rotowire
Carter (knee) is out for Wednesday's game versus the Wizards.
Carter has been downgraded from questionable to out due to right knee soreness. Goga Bitadze will start in his absence. Carter's next chance to suit up is Friday's matchup with the Knicks.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Carter is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Wizards due to a sore right knee.
Carter must have tweaked his knee during Tuesday's game and is now in danger of missing the second leg of a back-to-back set. There won't be a shootaround Wednesday, so Carter is essentially going to be a game-time decision. If he's not able to give it a go, Moritz Wagner would get an opportunity to start, and he'd make for an attractive streamer with a favorable matchup versus the Wizards.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Plays well in win
Rotowire
Carter accumulated 19 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 31 minutes during Sunday's 113-91 victory over Detroit.
Carter is off to a strong start in March after a relatively quiet February. During those 12 games, he averaged 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 three-pointers, but his defense took a step back with 0.3 blocks and 0.3 steals.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Posts double-double
Rotowire
Carter had 18 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 34 minutes during Sunday's 109-92 loss to Atlanta.
Carter was tasked with replacing Paolo Banchero at power forward, a move that resulted in Goga Bitadze getting a spot start at center, and Carter performed well, racking up his second consecutive double-double -- and third of the month. Even though he's not going to anchor the team offensively, Carter has been a steady contributor for the Magic since returning to the starting lineup in mid-January, averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game across his last 16 appearances.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Records double-double Saturday
Rotowire
Carter closed with 11 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 22 minutes during Saturday's 112-109 victory over the Pistons.
Carter didn't get many offensive touches in what turned out to be a relatively low-scoring affair, but he made the most of his opportunities, missing just two shots from the field and recording his first double-double since Feb. 2. Carter is firmly entrenched as Orlando's starting center, but it's no secret that he holds a secondary role on offense, and his numbers back that up. He's averaging 12.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 0.2 blocks per game since the beginning of February.
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Magic's Wendell Carter: Hits for 22 against OKC
Rotowire
Carter closed with 22 points (9-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds and one assist across 31 minutes during Tuesday's 127-113 loss to the Thunder.
The 24-year-old center produced at least 20 points for the first time since Jan. 26, and the third time this season. Since moving into the starting lineup 12 games ago, Carter is averaging 13.1 points, 6.7 boards, 1.6 assists and 1.3 threes while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor.
