The Orlando Magic look to regroup on the road as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team in desperate need of a win to keep up in the playoff chase.
Orlando Magic (20-55) at Cleveland Cavaliers (41-33)
Time/TV: 7 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
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Line via WynnBet: Cavs by 9
Tickets: $10-$164 on StubHub
2022 Season Series: Cavaliers 105, Magic 92 in Cleveland on Nov. 27; Tonight in Cleveland; April 5 in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 99.7 | 103.9 | 111.7 | 50.1 | 25.2 | 14.5 | 22.7 |
| Cleveland | 96.7 | 110.5 | 108.0 | 53.5 | 28.0 | 15.0 | 25.9 |
OMD Prediction
Perhaps for the first time this season, the Orlando Magic walked off the floor disappointed. They had the game won against the Sacramento Kings only to fumble it away, giving up the final eight points of regulation and the final seven points of overtime. The usually happy-go-lucky bunch continued to talk about the lessons they could learn, but it was also abundantly clear this one hurt.
That game is over. The question is always how will the team respond?
The only similar loss was the overtime loss to the Boston Celtics when Jaylen Brown dropped 50 on them in erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit. Orlando looked shell-shocked after that game too. But the team came back for a strong effort in Chicago the next night against a fully powered Chicago Bulls team (that too was a loss).
At this stage of the season, how the Magic respond will say a lot about this team. Because it could be easy to let this one stew and affect them for the next few games. Especially with the schedule stiffening up.
3 Keys To Watch
Seriously, who is playing?
It is hard to predict much of the Orlando Magic because we just do not know who is playing on a night-to-night basis. And the injury report is not proving to be super reliable. Not unless you check it every hour.
Coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Friday that he expected Wendell Carter to be available for Saturday’s game and he was left off the injury report only to be added onto it late. He missed his second straight game. Mosley and Carter both say Carter plans to give it a go tonight.
Wendell Carter Jr. said his wrist is feeling better and he expects to be good to go for tonight. https://t.co/ArdupeNJbi
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 28, 2022
That changes a lot of things for the Magic.
Carter has been a fantastic defender all season and a good decisionmaker on offense. Orlando has a -3.9 net rating with Carter on the floor this season, the best mark of any rotation player on the team. In the last 15 games, the Magic have a +2.8 net rating with Carter on the floor, including a 104.6 defensive rating.
Orlando needs Carter out there to have a good chance to win with the schedule stiffening up.
The Cavs downturn
The Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the best stories early in the season. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen turned into All-Stars and the Cavaliers were a juggernaut defensively. Evan Mobley likely should be the Rookie of the Year for how much he has transformed the Cavaliers’ defense.
But the Cavaliers have had a major fall off, especially since Allen went out with a broken finger.
Cleveland is still fourth in the league with a 108.0 defensive rating overall. But the Cavaliers have fallen off the last 15 games — 25th at 116.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. Since Allen went out with an injury, the team is giving up 117.7 points per 100 possessions.
Some of that is the young players have started to come back to earth. Both Mobley and Garland are not nearly the flamethrowers they were earlier in the season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are now in seventh, having been passed by the Toronto Raptors for the last guaranteed playoff spot. The Cavaliers need the win.
Franz and usage
The Orlando Magic are still trying to get plenty out of the rest of the season, especially when the starting group is in. And one way the team is doing it might well be putting Franz Wagner on the ball more, a longtime cry from fans eager to see Wagner break out. Wagner had the ball in his hands on several crucial possessions late in Saturday’s game.
Wagner’s usage rate has been something of great debate among fans. It has slowly dropped since his December Rookie of the Month showing. He is essentially being used like an average player (roughly 20-percent).
He had 21 field goal attempts in Saturday’s game and a 27.5-percent usage rate. He had a big game too against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 25.0-percent usage rate. He had not had back-to-back games with a 25.0-percent usage rate since the end of January.
Orlando should absolutely keep featuring Wagner and finding ways to force the ball to him and get him going more consistently.