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Season Series: Tonight in Orlando; Nov. 6 in Indianapolis; Nov. 13 in Orlando; April 11 in Indianapolis
2024 Season Series: Magic 128, Pacers 116 in Indianapolis on Nov. 19; Magic 117, Pacers 110 in Indianapolis on Dec. 23; Pacers 111, Magic 97 in Orlando on March 10
Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indiana | 98.6 | 106.5 | 114.8 | 53.8 | 27.0 | 16.6 | 31.6 |
Orlando | 100.2 | 114.3 | 107.0 | 55.0 | 30.7 | 15.3 | 32.2 |
OMD Prediction
Our Record: 1-2/1-2 ATS
The Orlando Magic got a nice dose of reality in their first loss of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. This thing is not going to be so easy. There is going to be some struggle and nothing is guaranteed.
More specifically, the team knows it is going to have to face down its demons in a lot of ways. The biggest one is the turnovers that haunted the team last year when they ranked 26th in the league. The 19 turnovers for 30 points gutted any chance for their defense to get set. Not that it played well anyway.
Orlando knows it still has some growing up to do. At some point, the Magic will have to play with more energy on the second night of back-to-backs.
That will not be a concern on Monday night. Orlando will be concerned with taking advantage of the rest they gained as the Indiana Pacers head south to Orlando from Indianapolis after an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Pacers are trying to figure themselves out early in the season and have hardly looked like the team that shocked the East with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Orlando could pounce with an energetic effort and get a big win to keep the Pacers reeling before they go on a five-game road trip.
3 Things to Watch
3. It's about pace
The Orlando Magic have not professed a desire to pick up their pace and play with more possessions, but it is noticeable how the team is trying to get downcourt quicker and push the tempo a bit more. Whether they have succeeded is another matter, but players are trying to fly up the court and get into the team's actions quicker.
So far, the Magic have played at a pace of 100.2 possessions per 48 minutes. But they have played two games at less than 100 possessions per 48 minutes, progressively getting faster before the breakneck pace that the Memphis Grizzlies played out.
While Orlando wants to get out in transition more—averaging 12.3 fast break points per game so far this season and a woeful 0.84 points per possession in transition according to NBA.com—that is not where the team is at its best yet. The team still makes some mistakes and bad choices in transition.
Orlando wants to play a quick, but more controlled kind of game. That is not how the Indiana Pacers typically play. They were second in the league in pace last year at 102.2 possessions per 48 minutes. But the Pacers are sitting at 26th in pace at 98.6 possessions per 48 minutes. The Magic do not want to jump-start their offense.
2. Struggling Stars
Paolo Banchero had an opening night to remember with 33 points and 11 rebounds. He seemingly had complete control over the game and dictated where he was going to go and how he would attack
He was not nearly as strong scoring-wise against the Brooklyn Nets with 15 points as he absorbed constant double teams. But he still had nine assists.
The scoring struggles continued Saturday and Banchero was just missing shots, scoring 16 points on 4-for-12 shooting and 7-for-13 shooting from the line. A better night from the foul line may have salvaged the night, but Banchero is struggling to match his lofty beginning. He has yet even to make a mid-range jumper.
Banchero is still finding ways to impact the game. As is Tyrese Haliburton. But Haliburton is struggling this season too.
Haliburton scored 15 points but made only one of his nine 3-point attempts in the Indiana Pacers' opening night win over the Detroit Pistons. But he went scoreless against the New York Knicks on Friday. He had 22 points in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, including the game-tying three to force overtime.
But Haliburton has 11 assists against seven turnoves in his first three games. That is unlike Haliburton. And it explains at least partially why the Pacers have not met expectations so far this season.
1. Battle of the benches
Last year, the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers were able to blitz teams because of their benches.
The Pacers led the league averaging 46.8 points per game off the bench while the Magic were fourth with 41.5 points per game. Both teams could throw waves of scorers and energy players to throw teams off and win mini-battles in the second and third quarters to pull away or erase deficits.
Both teams are leaning on their bench groups again and rank near the top of the league in bench scoring in the early season.
The Pacers are getting 51.3 points per game from their bench to start the season, good for second in the league. And the Magic are getting 42.3 points per game off the bench, good for seventh.
Orlando needs its bench to continue to step up and carry some scoring burden. That is what did not happen in Saturday's loss. The Memphis Grizzlies were able to outscore the Orlando Magic's bench. But more than that, they extended and expanded their lead.
This bench group has experienced the most change in the lineup. While Anthony Black has played really well, the team has seen Cole Anthony struggle andGary Harris played a shockingly low number of minutes in Saturday's game, perhaps because it was a back-to-back and noting his injury history.
Whatever the case is, the Magic will have to be competitive off the bench against this Pacers team. That remains one of Indiana's big strengths.