Carter (knee) totaled 17 points (7-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and one block across 19 minutes in Monday's 98-94 win over the Knicks.
Though head coach Jamahl Mosley said prior to the contest that Carter would be limited to 12-to-16 minutes in his return from a five-game absence due to right knee tendinitis, the center ended up slightly pushing past the playing-time restriction. Carter and starter Goga Bitadze (29 minutes) ended up playing the whole game at center, resulting in Moritz Wagner dropping out of the rotation. The Magic seem to like the shot-blocking presence that Bitadze brings on the top unit, and though he could continue to start for the time being, Carter may eventually end up working his way into a more even split of the minutes with Bitadze, if not the larger portion of a timeshare.