TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Running back Kenneth Gainwell and linebacker Alex Anzalone have agreed to contracts with the Buccaneers and tight end Cade Otton is staying in Tampa Bay, three people with knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press on Monday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the contracts haven’t been finalized. The new league years begins Wednesday.

The Buccaneers are still hoping to retain six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans.

Otton is staying in Tampa Bay where he’s played his first four seasons. He had 59 catches for 572 yards and one touchdown last season.

Gainwell is getting a $14 million, two-year deal. He had 1,023 scrimmage yards along with a career-best 73 catches last year in his only season in Pittsburgh. He spent his first four seasons in Philadelphia and was part of a Super Bowl championship team in 2024.

The 31-year-old Anzalone has started 93 games with the Lions and Saints in nine seasons. He had 2 1/2 sacks, one interception and 95 tackles last year for Detroit.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Miami was No. 22 in last week’s AP poll, but after splitting a pair of games last week, UM fell out of the top 25. The Hurricanes were the top vote-getter that fell outside the top 25.

The Hurricanes clinched a double-bye in this week’s ACC tournament with a road win over SMU on Wednesday. But Miami concluded the regular season with a home loss to Louisville on Saturday. The Cardinals ended the season ranked 24th.

Miami, which is a likely NCAA Tournament team, will not play in the ACC tournament until the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C. UM is the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. It will face the winner of the second-round matchup between Louisville and the winner of the SMU-Syracuse first-round game.

The Hurricanes ended the regular season at 24-7, which is their best mark since 2022-23 season. The program reached the Final Four that season.

As the Dolphins parted ways with former franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the morning, within the first hour of free agency opening in the afternoon, they agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis, according to a league source.

Willis is signing with the Dolphins on a three-year contract for $67.5 million with $45 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. Free agents can officially begin signing contracts with new teams at the start of the league year, Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Willis is reunited with new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, who were both with him in Green Bay the last two seasons as he backed up Jordan Love.

He told ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show,” moments after agreeing to the deal, he’s “super excited” to work with people he’s familiar with in Sullivan and Hafley.

Willis, despite a small sample size of success in the NFL, was the prized quarterback of the 2026 free agency class because he stood out in spot duties for the Packers in 2024 and 2025 after a short tenure with the Tennessee Titans his first two professional seasons.

With Green Bay the past two seasons, Willis completed 70 of 89 passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing for 261 yards and three more scores on the ground.

His dual-threat abilities are expected to ignite the Dolphins offense with an element that has not been seen recently in Miami, especially with Tagovailoa behind center.

The only knock on him is he has just six career starts, the first three coming with the Titans in 2022 after he was selected in the third round of that draft out of Liberty.

Speaking at the NFL scouting combine Feb. 24, Sullivan deemed Willis one of several quarterbacks the Dolphins were looking into ahead of free agency. The question was always how much Willis’ market would take off, depending on if another team was willing to approach $30 million-per-year territory on a deal, pricing Miami out in a year where the franchise shouldn’t be overspending on free agents.

“Have we had conversations about Malik? I think anybody that is potentially in the quarterback market would be lying to you if they said they are not,” Sullivan said at the combine. “My job is to infuse competition into that quarterback room, whether it’s Malik or another free agent or through the draft.”

Sullivan and Hafley have consistently said there will be competition at quarterback. Giving Willis big money, he is in line to have the starting job while Quinn Ewers, who started the final three games last season in place of Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins offense, which will be run by Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator, figures to be one of the more electric, exciting ones with Willis at quarterback, De’Von Achane at running back and Jaylen Waddle as the top wide receiver.

This story will be updated.

Orlando clinched a regular-season series against the Bucks.

The Magic, who crushed Milwaukee inside Fiserv Forum 130-91 on Sunday night thanks in large part to 33 points from Paolo Banchero, secured the three-game regular-season series over the Bucks 2-1.

The last time Orlando won a regular-season series over Milwaukee was during the 2011-12 season — two years before the arrival of two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (who missed Sunday’s game managing a right calf injury).

So, how did Jamahl Mosley‘s squad do it?

How did Orlando exit not only Milwaukee with a crucial victory but also the weekend undefeated, despite a back-to-back set on the road against the Bucks and Timberwolves?

By leaning on its recently recaptured defensive identity, of course.

The Magic improved to 7-0 when holding opponents to under 100 points this season. Sunday’s game at Milwaukee marked the fifth time since Feb. 1 that Orlando didn’t allow 100 points in a game.

“Our spirit is much better, we’re talking much more, our energy is being sustained throughout these games, and it’s not perfect, but we’re not rattling, we’re not overreacting to turnovers, misses and stretches where (the opponent) is rolling and scoring,” said Jalen Suggs, who notched 20 points with three 3-pointers Sunday. “We’re doing a great job staying leveled.”

Added Mosley: “For us, we’ve got to know we have to keep hanging our hat on the defensive end.”

The Magic turned that defense into offense, too, when it improved to 7-0 scoring 130-plus points this season. The last time the Magic scored 130-plus at least seven times in a single season was 2019-20.

Against the Timberwolves, the Magic held their opponent to 22% shooting from 3-point range (9 for 40) while scoring 14 points off 12 turnovers. Although the Bucks shot slightly better from distance (13 for 44), they were still limited to 30% from beyond the arc and gave up 23 points off 17 takeaways.

After winning Saturday night at Minnesota by 27 points and then Sunday at Milwaukee by 39, Orlando won consecutive road games by 20-plus points for the first time in franchise history.

The pair of wins also marked the first time the Magic have won on back-to-back days by 20-plus points since March 4-5, 2005 — more than two decades ago.

“Especially these last couple (games), guys aren’t going on crazy runs against us,” Suggs said. “We’re doing a really good job of keeping it to seven, six (points) and under, and then doing a great job of responding to not let them get too much momentum rolling.

“Top to bottom, everybody’s doing a great job right now,” he added.

Although the Magic are home for five of their next eight games — starting Wednesday against the Cavaliers on ESPN at Kia Center — the road ahead doesn’t ease up.

Including Cleveland, six of Orlando’s next eight opponents were in position for the postseason entering Monday. The two opponents sitting outside looking in were Washington, who the Magic host on Thursday, and Indiana, who travel to Central Florida on March 23.

Beyond facing tough competition, this week also includes a critical date for the Magic.

Wednesday marks the third week of the team’s approximate three-week re-evaluation timeline for Franz Wagner, who continues to manage a left high ankle sprain that’s kept him off the court for a total 34 games this season.

Orlando will also learn more about Anthony Black (low back strain), Jonathan Isaac (left knee strain) and rookie Jase Richardson (low back spasms) upon its return home. All three missed Sunday’s game at Milwaukee.

Regardless of who’s available, the Magic can’t afford to drop many games in order to remain in the hunt for a guaranteed playoff spot as a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference next month. Seeds 7-10 in each conference compete in the Play-In for the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the playoffs.

To show just how tight the race is to avoid the Play-In tournament in the East, consider this: Last Thursday, Orlando sat seventh in the standings. After Friday’s games, the Magic had fallen to eighth. On Saturday night, Orlando was back to sixth. Then during a portion of Sunday, it was seventh again.

But by the end of the weekend, the Magic (35-28) were sixth once more after moving to 7-3 since the league break.

With only 19 games remaining in the regular season, Orlando is confident about where it stands after two dominant road wins.

“We haven’t had back-to-back blowouts in, I don’t know how long,” Suggs said. “It feels amazing. … Close ones are nice. They’re still wins, but these feel way better. We’ve got a lot of practice in those close games which has been nice, but this is another level of growth as well.

“I think it’s been really good for us, these past two.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Magic vs. Cavaliers

When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Kia Center

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida, ESPN

After Sullivan couldn’t find a trade partner for the services of Tagovailoa and released the former franchise quarterback in the hours before NFL free agency kicked off at noon Monday, he found a deal for Fitzpatrick.

The Dolphins are sending Fitzpatrick within the AFC East to the rival New York Jets for a 2026 seventh-round pick, originally owned by the Los Angeles Chargers, according to league sources.

With the Jets, Fitzpatrick is locking in a three-year, $40 million deal, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. That helps the Dolphins’ salary cap situation, giving them more than $10 million in cap space.

It’s the second time the Dolphins have traded Fitzpatrick, 29, after they selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 draft out of Alabama.

In 2019, Miami got a first-round pick out of a deal that sent him to the Pittsburgh Steelers amid a massive rebuild that season. Fitzpatrick made five Pro Bowls and earned three All-Pro honors in Pittsburgh before the Steelers shipped him back to Miami last July. He and a 2027 fifth-round pick went to the Dolphins for a 2027 seventh-rounder, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.

In 2025, Fitzpatrick had 82 tackles, a sack, an interception, forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also had an impressive interception returned the other way for 2 points on a key 2-point conversion attempt in last November’s win over the New Orleans Saints.

For Fitzpatrick, it’s a homecoming as the Old Bridge, New Jersey native who attended St. Peter’s Prep will now be playing his home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Miami, in the midst of what’s largely considered a rebuild from those on the outside, figure to have a revamped secondary in 2026. With Fitzpatrick traded, the Dolphins’ other starters last season at cornerback and safety — Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis and nickel Kader Kohou, who missed 2025 with a knee injury — are all free agents. Rising second-year cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and safety Dante Trader are under contract.

The Dolphins now have nine picks in the coming draft with the acquisition of the extra late selection from the trade.

This story will be updated.

Tua’s six-year legacy with the Dolphins will be recalled as injury-filled and unfulfilling.

The Tua era featured the most talented Dolphins teams in two decades. It had a ton of first-round picks, three likely future Hall of Famers — wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive tackle Calais Campbell — and a lot of highly paid free agents but didn’t even result in a single playoff victory. 

Relative to talent and expectations, no era in franchise history had so much and delivered so little.

As for Tua’s ranking among Dolphins starting quarterbacks he’s obviously behind Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Bob Griese, and he’s narrowly ahead of Ryan Tannehill. However, I would have taken a prime Chad Pennington over prime Tua. 

For a very brief while, the Tua era was fun. But that was largely because of Tyreek’s heroics.

As a whole, it never came close to reaching its potential. Tua’s teams, led by Tua himself, left way too much meat on the bone.

But I don’t blame Tua. He was limited, and his limitations were obvious.

I’ll always contend the franchise let Tua and its fanbase down by overrating his skills.

Tua’s career numbers are 120 touchdowns, 59 interceptions (narrowly reaching that minimal desired 2:1 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions) and a 96.4 passer rating.

I’d have to be convinced that Tua, who has always been a class act, was ever more than a mid-level NFL quarterback, even in his glamorous 2023 season when he passed for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 101.1 passer rating while playing all 17 games. 

At his best, Tua, who was signed to an ill-advised, franchise-crushing four-year, $212 million contract extension in 2024, was known for his four “superpowers” of anticipation, accuracy, vision and timing.

But nowadays, Tua is now known for being overpaid, immobile and one hit away from having his career jeopardized or perhaps ended with a concussion — Tua’s medical nemesis (he sustained two diagnosed concussions and one other suspected concussion during his time in Miami).

Tua’s glory years, the 2022-25 seasons, added up to a mediocre 35-35 record, including an 0-2 mark in the playoffs as Tua and his cohorts were constantly outplayed and outcoached in games against playoff-caliber teams.

Miami ended 5-22 against playoff teams in the Tua era, and in the 2023-24 seasons, the years Miami should have contended for a Super Bowl, Tua was 2-10 against postseason teams with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

No one in the Tua era was good enough, not former general manager Chris Grier, not ex-coach Mike McDaniel, not Tyreek, and not Tua, all of whom have been recently dismissed by the franchise.

We’ll see how well Tua does without the crutches of McDaniel and Tyreek. I don’t think it’ll be impressive.

McDaniel is credited with reviving Tua’s career, which he did.

But to me, McDaniel simply instructed Tua to throw to the speedy Hill, and Tua did that very well. 

Throwing to Tyreek is the reason both Tua and McDaniel found fame. Once that was gone, this era was dead, which is what we saw beginning with the 2024 season when Hill was limited to 959 yards receiving after posting 1,710 and 1,799 receiving yards in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively.

That’s the harsh reality.

Tua was never a top-level talent. 

Tua’s fan club, Tuanon, always hated me because I was never a flag-waving Tua supporter. I started out as a Tua doubter (hey, prior to 2022, I hadn’t seen the guy do anything significant) but became convinced the Dolphins could win a Super Bowl with him. 

I think Tua, in his career-best season of 2023, was just as good as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2024 or Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in 2025, both of whom won Super Bowls.

The difference?

Philadelphia and Seattle wisely built a foundation that included its quarterbacks. Miami, on the other hand, built its foundation on its quarterback.

We see what resulted.

Regardless, I’ll recall Tua fondly on a personal level.

I’ve said this before, but my best memories of Tua will be those occasions when the beat writers chatted with him casually in the locker room.  

It started late in the 2023 season when Tua asked a group of writers whether he should allow the TV show “Hard Knocks” into his home. A few other occasions followed.

Tua was always chill. I always appreciated his mentality. I’d give him a fistbump when he was sitting at his locker and say, “What up, Tua?” He’d always smile and say, “What up, bruddah?”

My absolute, without-a-doubt favorite quote about Tua came from wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, a teammate from their days together at Alabama. You’ll recall when Tua lost perhaps 30 pounds prior to the 2024 season.

Waddle noted the weight loss and then remarked with a reflective smile, “I miss chubby Tua.”

Perhaps, for one reason or another, I’ll say the same thing in two or three years. 

JACKSONVILLE — Cornerback Montaric “Buster” Brown re-signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $33 million contract Monday, sticking with the defense he knows instead of finding a new one in free agency.

A seventh-round draft pick in 2022, Brown started 29 games over four years in Jacksonville and is coming off his best season. He finished with 51 tackles, 12 pass defenses and two interceptions in 2025 while making a seamless transition to the team’s zone-based scheme. He has 166 tackles, 24 pass defenses and three INTs in his career.

“It feels great. It feels unbelievable to get things done and stay here,” Brown said. “I’ve enjoyed my time here, and we’ve got something special here.”

Brown’s return means the Jaguars will have the core of their secondary intact for 2026, with fellow cornerbacks Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones and Christian Braswell under contract along with safeties Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson and Caleb Ransaw.

Jacksonville ranked 11th in the NFL in total defense last season, including sixth in average yards per play against the pass. The unit was second in the league with 22 interceptions, an integral part of a team that finished 13-4 and won the AFC South.

The Jaguars still have holes to fill on that side of the ball, with linebacker Devin Lloyd expected to sign elsewhere in free agency. They also need another pass rusher and potentially someone to replace defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who is due to count $19.4 million against the salary cap in 2026.

Also Monday, the Jaguars re-signed backup linebacker Dennis Gardeck to a two-year contract and brought back reserve tight end Quintin Morris.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Russia’s national anthem rang out at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade after Para alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won gold on Monday.

Russian athletes are back competing under their own flag in the Winter Paralympics at Milan Cortina, after years of having to do so as neutral athletes because of the country’s doping violations and military conflicts.

The 23-year-old Voronchikhina, who claimed bronze in the downhill two days earlier, finished first in the women’s super-G standing competition.

With the Russian flag flying high during the podium ceremony shortly after the event, the anthem was played and Voronchikhina sang along, smiling. She raised her right hand to apparently wipe away tears only a few seconds in.

When it was over, she raised both her arms to celebrate as the crowd applauded.

There was also applause when her name was announced as the gold medalist during the ceremony.

It is the first time Russia’s anthem has been played at a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the first time to be heard at the Paralympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi.

“It’s really special for me because I can see my flag on my friends who arrived here,” she said. “Maybe now I can’t believe it, and I don’t understand what happened. Maybe a little bit later I (will) see my gold medal. It’s so special for me really.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “I have a big support in my family and my friends and all people in Russia.”

The Russian national anthem for a gold medal win had not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

Russian athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions had continued after the invasion.

Russia arrived at Milan Cortina with six athletes. The International Paralympic Committee gave wildcard entries to Russian athletes, a decision that upset Ukraine and a few other nations that boycotted the opening ceremony on Friday. Athletes from Russia’s close ally Belarus also were allowed to compete under wildcard entries.

There were some boos toward the Russian delegation in the ceremony in Verona, and some rival athletes have criticized the Russian presence at Milan Cortina.

“There is war and we are against war,” said wheelchair curler Polina Rozkova of Latvia, one of the countries that boycotted the opening ceremony. “It’s not allowed (to have a) country under their own flag when their country is attacking another country.”

AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar contributed to this report from Milan.

AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

The Dolphins are cutting their one-time franchise quarterback whom the team selected with the No. 5 pick of the 2020 draft and signed to a lucrative contract extension in 2024, the Dolphins announced Monday morning before free agency in the NFL kicked off at noon.

“I recently informed Tua and his representation that we are going to move in a new direction at the quarterback position and will be releasing him after the start of the new league year,” new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said in a statement. “As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami.

“As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner.”

The release signifies Sullivan couldn’t find a trade partner to offload Tagovailoa and his contract. He was set to make $54 million guaranteed in 2026. A league-record $99.2 million dead cap hit comes with the cut of Tagovailoa.

The move is designated as a post-June 1 release, according to a league source, so that cap hit is split over the next two seasons, with $67.4 million of the dead money going against the team in 2026.

The Dolphins made social media posts thanking Tagovailoa for his time with the franchise and created a video of his highlights in Miami. Tagovailoa posted a lengthy and heartfelt message thanking the Dolphins, his teammates, coaches, front office and fans.

Later Monday, the Atlanta Falcons emerged as a team set to pursue Tagovailoa once he is officially released, according to multiple national reports.

Since Tagovailoa was benched toward the end of the past season, it was expected Tagovailoa would not return. It was clear parting ways with Tagovailoa was part of Sullivan’s plan at the NFL scouting combine, when the new head man in charge of Miami’s roster said “everything’s on the table” regarding the left-handed quarterback.

With Tagovailoa coming off the roster, Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis, who Miami agreed to a deal with Monday after the Tagovailoa news broke, rising second-year passer Quinn Ewers, who is under contract for 2026, and prospect Cam Miller, who was signed toward the end of the 2025 season while Champ Kelly was interim GM, are now the quarterbacks on the team for 2026.

Tagovailoa was benched for Ewers last December with three weeks remaining in the season. As players cleaned out their lockers at season’s end, Tagovailoa indicated he would welcome a fresh start elsewhere.

Tagovailoa played six seasons with the Dolphins. He is the franchise’s career leader in passer rating (96.4) and completion percentage (68) among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. He is fourth in passing yards (18,166) and touchdowns (120), behind Dan Marino, Bob Griese and Ryan Tannehill in both categories.

Tagovailoa’s professional career in Miami, after he was a college football star at Alabama, started inauspiciously, as he was largely doubted for his ability in the NFL.

After an uneven first two seasons under the tough coaching of Brian Flores, coach Mike McDaniel, who was fired after the 2025 season, can be credited for sparking a turnaround for him going into 2022.

Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating (105.5) and yards per attempt (8.9) in 2022, passing yards (4,624) in 2023 and completion percentage (72.9) in 2024.

Missing time suffering two documented concussions in 2022, Tagovailoa overcame the head injuries in 2023 and made his lone Pro Bowl appearance after a fully healthy season.

The injury concerns resurfaced in 2024, though, as he missed four games on injured reserve due to a concussion and then sat the final two games of the season with a hip ailment.

In 2025, it wasn’t injuries but performance. While healthy, he threw 15 interceptions in his 14 starts, which was up for the league lead until he was benched.

Earlier this offseason, Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, promoted to that role by new coach Jeff Hafley from being senior passing game coordinator last season, said he feels we haven’t seen the last of Tagovailoa in the NFL.

“Absolutely I think Tua can, he can absolutely bounce back,” Slowik said Feb. 4. “I think that’s one of the great things about sports.”

One night later at Milwaukee, the Magic followed a similar recipe for success, scoring the first seven points of the game, limiting the Bucks to 15 points in the opening quarter and leading by 12 at the break.

Those efforts combined with a 33-15 advantage in the third quarter all led to a 130-91 Magic victory over the Bucks on Sunday night inside Fiserv Forum behind 33 points from star forward Paolo Banchero.

“It was a defensive clinic in a lot of ways,” Mosley said after Orlando’s 39-point win. “Our guys did an unbelievable job of starting the game off the right way with intention, physicality (and) urgency, knowing exactly how we needed to start the game off.”

Although both sides were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, it was Orlando who pieced together a complete performance to improve to 7-2 when playing with no rest in between games. The win also secures the three-game regular-season series for the Magic against the Bucks after the teams split of a pair of games ahead of the NBA All-Star break.

It also marks the first time the Magic have won four consecutive contests this season.

While Milwaukee (27-36) was without two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf injury management), Kyle Kuzma (thoracic spine contusion) and Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee synovitis), Orlando was without Anthony Black (low back strain), Jonathan Isaac (left knee strain) and rookie Jase Richardson (low back spasms).

The Magic (35-28) return home when they host the Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Kia Center on ESPN.

Banchero’s big night

Banchero finished with 30-plus points for the ninth time this season by attacking the paint early and often, hitting from beyond the arc and taking advantage of his time at the free throw line.

He did most of his damage prior to halftime, not needing to see the floor in the fourth quarter. A seven-point first quarter was followed by a 19-point third quarter for him to post 26 in the first half alone.

“He was ultra-aggressive on both sides of the ball and I think that’s really big for us moving forward,” Mosley said about Banchero.

Searching for his spots on the floor and taking what Milwaukee’s defense gave him, Banchero shot 3 for 4 from 3-point range in the second quarter. He added five rebounds, three assists and a block in just 29 minutes.

Rest of starters

While Banchero did most of the scoring in the second quarter for the Magic, Bane scored a quick five points in the opening three minutes of the frame to post eight before the break.

Bane was active on both ends of the court finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, nine assists and four steals.

“I say it over and over again about him, he’s just a winner,” Mosley said about Bane. “He’s just going to find ways to win whether that’s having to score 30 with no 3s or if he’s going to have to rack up nine assists because he’s getting his teammates involved … and making the right play.”

Suggs pieced together a similar performance knocking down all three of his attempted 3-pointers for 20 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. It marked his ninth time scoring 20-plus points this season.

Bane (three turnovers) and Suggs (five), however, were responsible for eight of the team’s 15 total turnovers.

Tristan da Silva hit his first 3-pointer of the game and did a lot of the dirty work with six rebounds and five assists despite only scoring five points in 27 minutes. Wendell Carter Jr. added nine points and five rebounds.

Help from Howard

Third-year pro Jett Howard knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 14 points in 25 minutes.

Howard took an inadvertent hit to his left eye late in the first quarter from Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis Jr., but he was able to remain in the game and hit a 3-pointer on the following possession.

He added two assists and two rebounds as well.

Rookie watch

Richardson missed his second game in a row but Mosley said pre-game that the first-round pick has “gotten a little bit better,” but not to a point where he could play at Milwaukee. Mosley pointed to wear-and-tear, along with travel, for Richardson’s back problems.

Second-round pick Noah Penda entered late in the first quarter and saw extended action throughout the night. The French forward nailed a step-back 3-pointer before the half to notch eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com