Magic Wands: Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks — Jan. 19, 2019
The Orlando Magic look to recover from their dispiriting loss to the Brooklyn Nets by welcoming the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks to the Amway Center.
Milwaukee Bucks (32-12) vs. Orlando Magic (19-26)
Time/TV: 7 p.m./FOX Sports Florida
WATCH MAGIC-BUCKS ON FUBO TV
Line: Bucks by 8.5
Tickets: $15-$1,021 on Vivid Seats
2019 Season Series: Bucks 113, Magic 91 in Milwaukee on Oct. 27; Tonight in Orlando; Feb. 9 in Milwaukee
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 103.2 | 113.5 | 103.7 | 55.3 | 25.5 | 14.0 | 25.2 |
| Orlando | 98.2 | 105.0 | 108.9 | 50.8 | 24.9 | 14.0 | 21.6 |
1) The Brooklyn Nets’ 3-point shooting did the Orlando Magic in as they erased a 21-point deficit in a stunning victory at Amway Center. Aaron Gordon’s fourth quarter injury (lower back tightness) did not help matters.
2) The Orlando Magic’s painful loss to the Brooklyn Nets served as a reminder of how much Aaron Gordon has grown and improved, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Among his improvements is his ability to his 3-pointers off of screens where only a few forwards are better than Gordon, Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com writes.
3) Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford says the team needs to squeeze points from offensive rebounds more to turn the tide offensively, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
4) The Milwaukee Bucks’ transformation into an elite defensive team is one of the big reasons why they are in contention for the Eastern Conference’s top seed, Jordan Treske of Behind the Buck Pass writes. Brook Lopez is surprisingly at the center of the Bucks’ defensive transformation, Brian Sampson of Brew Hoop writes.
5) Expectations remain high for the Milwaukee Bucks, even as they draw near the end of a long road trip, Matt Vleazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.
6) Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated lists Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon among his names to watch at the NBA Trade Deadline.
7) With the NBA trade deadline approaching and the Playoff races heating up, I opened up the Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag to answer your Orlando Magic questions.
8) The crew at Brew Hoop issue their midseason awards for the Milwaukee Bucks.
9) The Orlando Magic know they have to play their remaining games with Playoff intensity if they want to make their push into April, John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com writes.
10) The Orlando Magic understand deflections and activity are vital to their defensive success.
11) The Orlando Magic have the 16th-best young core in the league, according to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype.
12) Mohamed Bamba was back in the lineup Friday night and proved to be a big difference maker. How long that lasts and how much of his rookie mistakes the team can stomach during this tight Playoff race is a central tension of the season.
13) Adam McGee of Behind The Buck Pass looks at the Milwaukee Bucks’ place in the Eastern Conference.
14) Stan Van Gundy is back in Orlando and he is even cheering on his former assistant Steve Clifford as he tries to resurrect the Orlando Magic, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel reports.