- How To Watch:Â Amazon Prime Video (National); FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando); FanDuel Sports Network North (Minneapolis)
- STREAM MAGIC-TIMBERWOLVES ON FUBO TV
- How to Listen:Â WYGM 96.9 FM (Orlando); 740AM (Orlando); KFAN FM (Minneapolis); Wolves App (Minneapolis); iHeart Radio (Minneapolis); Sirius XM Channel 86 (Timberwolves); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
- FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
- Tickets:Â $60-$751+ on StubHub
- Season Series:Â Tonight in Minneapolis; April 8 in Orlando
Orlando Magic at Minnesota Timberwolves: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
100.1 | Pace | 101.6 |
113.7 | Off. Rtg. | 116.5 |
113.3 | Def. Rtg. | 112.2 |
52.8 | eFG% | 56.4 |
30.1 | O.Reb.% | 30.4 |
13.6 | TO% | 14.4 |
30.2 | FTR | 28.9 |
1. Battling in the paint
The Orlando Magic are not a good shooting team. Everyone knows that. Everyone can acknowledge that about this team. And so it becomes essential for the Magic to get to the paint and get to the foul line to supplement things.
Orlando's free throw rate has slipped some. They have frustratingly not been getting calls lately. And that has sapped the team of some of its offensive firepower.
The Magic are 11th in the league with 51.5 points in the paint per game. They are 16th with 49.5 points in the paint per game since the All-Star break. This has been one of the reasons the Magic's offense has looked sluggish at times.
They are going up against one of the best interior defenders in the league in Rudy Gobert. But Minnesota gives up 50.2 points in the paint per game this season and 50.6 per game since the All-Star break. It is one of the reasons the Magic have had some success against the Timberwolves.
The Magic need to touch the paint and finish at the rim to have success. That is double against a shot blocker and defenders like Gobert.
2. Anthony Edwards' MVP push
Anthony Edwards is not in the conversation for MVP at all. That has centered on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic once again with Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown in the covnersation beyond them.
Edwards should be in that conversation even more and more.
He is averaging 29.5 points per game with a 58.3 percent effective field goal percentage. The Wolves are 12-4 in their last 16 games and Edwards has been carrying the Wolves back into third in the Western Conference.
This team has gone to the conference finals the past two seasons. Everything against the Wolves starts with dealing with Edwards and trying to slow him down.
And he still delivers.
3. Clutch Peformances
The Orlando Magic have had their share of clutch performances this season.
From Desmond Bane's game-winners against the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz to Paolo Banchero's late-game shots against the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets to Wendell Carter's finishes against the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic have had some incredible late-game rescues.
The Magic are 20-11 in clutch situations, the third most wins in clutch situations in the league. The Magic have had surprising success in close games this year -- despite a negative net rating in clutch situations and a 107.3 offensive rating.
Desmond Bane leads the team with 76 clutch points. But he is shooting just 5 for 23 in clutch situations. Paolo Banchero has scored 53 clutch points. But he shoots only 26.4 percent (19 for 72) in 25 clutch game appearances.
The Wolves are only 16-12 in clutch situations this year. And Anthony Edwards has 132 clutch points on 56.0 percent shooting.
Orlando Magic at Minnesota Timberwolves: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Franz Wagner - OUT (Left High Ankle Sprain Injury Management)
- Jonathan Isaac - QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Soreness)
- Colin Castleton - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Alex Morales - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report
- Kyle Anderson - QUESTIONABLE (Right Knee Soreness)
- Enrique Freeman - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Zyon Pullin - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Rocco Zikarsky - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Starting Lineups
Orlando | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Suggs | PG | Donte Divincenzo |
Desmond Bane | SG | Anthony Edwards |
Anthony Black | SF | Jaden McDaniels |
Paolo Banchero | PF | Julius Randle |
Wendell Carter | C | Rudy Gobert |
Orlando Magic at Minnesota Timberwolves: Prediction
Our Record: 37-24/26-35 ATS
The Minnesota Timberwolves are on a roll right now.
They have won eight of their last nine games. Their only loss in that stretch came to the Philadelphia 76ers. At the very least, the Timberwolves have taken advantage of a very home-heavy part of the schedule. Saturday is their last game before heading out West.
But it is not just that the Wolves are winning. They are looking like the class of the Western Conference all of a sudden, climbing to third. They have a lot of pieces that make sense and experience from going deep in the Playoffs.
This is a team that knows who it is and has a star leading the way.
The Orlando Magic?
They are winning, but mostly feasting on bad teams near the bottom of the standings. They still have hiccups and inconsistencies that have kept them from reaching their full potential. That was on full display during the team's four-game homestand in the two losses to start it and even in the two wins to end it.
The Magic are playing better. They will put up a fight. And maybe going on the road will bring a level of focus that they were missing when they came home from their 3-1 West Coast trip.
But they are playing a Minnesota team that is rolling. The Magic need to play well to topple the Timberwolves.