Magic rookie Noah Penda earns praise after key outing: 'He was great'

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Rookie Noah Penda played a pivotal second-half role on Monday, helping the Orlando Magic overcome a double-digit deficit and defeat the Chicago Bulls at the Kia Center.

Penda produced five points and five rebounds, finishing a plus-nine in 11 minutes off the bench in the 125-120 victory for the Magic, who won for the ninth time in 11 games. It was just the fifth time Penda logged more than 10 minutes in a game.

Trailing by 12 points, Penda was summoned to enter the game with about five minutes left in the third quarter. He hauled in a couple of rebounds and closed out the period by converting a difficult finish off a nifty shot fake, tying the game at 85 points.

The 32nd pick made several hustle plays throughout his time on the court, forcing a jump-ball situation off a missed shot and keeping a possession alive in another sequence. He drained a 3-pointer early in the final frame, helping the Magic to a 40-point quarter to seal the win.

"It says so much about him that he just continues to work every single day," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of Penda. "It says a lot about the coaches who continue to work with him to prepare him for when he is called upon to get in the game. I thought he was great. He was very good for us tonight."

Desmond Bane led the Magic with 37 points, six rebounds and five assists, Franz Wagner tallied 25 points and six rebounds and Anthony Black added 22 points. Bane is the first Magic player to score at least 37 points in consecutive games since Tracy McGrady in March 2004.

The Bulls finished their four-game road trip winless, dropping to two games under .500 for the first time this season. Josh Giddey led the group with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Matas Buzelis scored 21 points and Nikola Vučević had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

"It always feels good to be credited for something that you've done," Penda said. "We talked with the coaches at the beginning of the season, and knowing that my playing time would probably be up and down, I just stayed consistent in the work. I know what I have to do when I get on the floor."

Penda has played sporadically in the early going, averaging 4.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 51.6% shooting from the field in 11 appearances. He even played two games in the G League last month in an effort to see extended minutes on the court.

The Frenchman is embracing his role off the bench as a change-of-pace option for Mosley & Co. He has provided a needed spark at times, and his efforts haven't gone unnoticed by the group.

"He is fitting right in, settling in," Bane said. "A couple of hustle plays, big 3s; driving the closeout. He is truly a plug-and-play player. He is going to compete on defense. He is going to hustle for loose balls. He keeps the ball moving. Give the front office credit: That is a great pick."

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Magic news: Noah Penda plays pivotal role in comeback win over Bulls