WATCH MAGIC-CLIPPERS ON FUBO TV
FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
Tickets: $38-$412+ on StubHub
Season Series: Tonight in Inglewood; March 31 in Orlando
Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orlando | 98.1 | 109.2 | 103.9 | 51.4 | 28.4 | 15.1 | 28.4 |
LA Clippers | 98.6 | 110.2 | 109.7 | 53.5 | 30.1 | 17.0 | 26.7 |
OMD Prediction
Our Record: 11-4/7-8 ATS
The Orlando Magic are rolling right now. And getting a win on the road Monday, the one area where the team did not have much confidence, is a big boost to this team.
The Magic feel a bit invincible right now with one of the best defenses in the league playing at its very best—their 110.0 defensive rating in Monday's game was well below the team's average for the season but is still on track for a top 10 defense in the league.
The Magic have found their groove with Franz Wagner leading and playing at an All-Star level. They are getting a lot of contributions from different players too whether that is Anthony Black and Moe Wagner off the bench or getting a lift from Jalen Suggs in the starting lineup. The pieces have come together.
Things are not perfect, of course. Orlando still has work to do.
Monday's game was the first win of the season against an opponent with a winning record currently. The Orlando Magic have just one win against a team with a top-10 defense—the Miami Heat on opening night. Losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks are still difficult to think about.
The Magic will catch another break though. Norman Powell will miss Wednesday's game with a left hamstring strain. He has been stellar to start the season, averaging 23.3 points per game and shooting 48.7 percent from three.
Orlando still has to deal with James Harden, a tough defense and some dynamic athletes. But this is a big absence for a team looking to stretch a stingy defense.
3 Things to Watch
3. 3-Point Defense
The next two nights for the Orlando Magic will be about their 3-point defense. Both Los Angeles teams are deadly efficient from deep even if they do not take a ton of threes. It will be a major test for this vaunted Magic defense.
The Clippers rank 24th in the league with 34.0 3-point attempts per game and they are 11th in the league shooting 37.6 percent from three. That is a stark difference from the Magic who put up volume (11th in attempts) but struggle to make shots (dead last at 31.0 percent).
The 3-point math will play a major role in this one as the Magic have to keep up with the same number of makes as the Clippers.
Orlando's 3-point defense has been a point of pride. The Magic give up the second-fewest threes in the league at 33.3 attempts per game and 15th in percentage at 35.7 percent (that is not always something a team can control). Orlando gives up the third-fewest "wide-open" 3-point attempts per game in the league at 16.7 attempts per game.
That at least suggests Orlando does a good job chasing teams off the line.
2. The Rebounding Non-Issue
The Orlando Magic faced a major issue in Monday's win over the Phoenix Suns. They gave up 16 offensive rebounds for 20 second-chance points. Orlando was late to every loose ball and a more rested and accurate Phoenix team probably makes Orlando pay for that mistake. It is something to clean up.
But it is also something the Magic are typically really good at. Monday's game felt like an aberration.
The Orlando Magic lead the league in defensive rebound rate at 74.7 percent (the LA Clippers are second at 73.8 percent). The Magic give up only 9.8 second-chance points per game, the fewest in the league.
No one should be so concerned about the Magic's rebounding. It is one of their best traits. And offensive rebounds will be at a premium in Wednesday's game.
1. Turnovers
The Orlando Magic's biggest struggle on offense is their 3-point shooting. But after that, it is clearly their turnovers.
Orlando is still turning the ball over at a high rate at 15.1 percent (18th in the league). Teams know that the best way to beat this Magic defense is to get down the court before they get set.
Orlando is still good at limiting these opportunities even though they tend to make these miscues. Opponents score 16.6 points off turnovers per game, ranked 11th in the league, and 13.2 fastbreak points per game, sixth in the league. The Magic's defense is still good.
The LA Clippers are very good at forcing turnovers. They force a 14.9 percent turnover rate, 13th in the league (the Magic are fifth in the league in forcing turnovers). But the Clippers score 18.8 points off turnovers per game, eighth in the league.
Points will be at a premium for both teams with how good the defenses are in this game. Finding these points on the margin will be vital to whoever wins.