- How To Watch:Â NBATV (National); FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando); Suns+ (Phoenix); Arizona's Family 3TV (Phoenix); Arizona's Family Sports (Phoenix); NBA League Pass (National)
- STREAM MAGIC-SUNS ON FUBO TV
- How to Listen:Â 104.5 The Beat (Orlando); KMVP 98.7 (Phoenix); Sirius XM Channel 86 (Suns); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
- FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
- Tickets:Â $16-$582+ on StubHub
- Season Series:Â Tonight in Phoenix; March 31 in Orlando
Orlando Magic at Phoenix Suns: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
100.6 | Pace | 99.0 |
113.9 | Off. Rtg. | 114.2 |
113.6 | Def. Rtg. | 112.9 |
53.0 | eFG% | 53.9 |
30.4 | O.Reb.% | 33.1 |
13.6 | TO% | 15.1 |
30.3 | FTR | 22.5 |
1. Battle on the glass
Ask Orlando Magic fans, and one of the big criticisms they will levy against the team and its center, Wendell Carter, is that they are not a good enough rebounding team.
Indeed, Carter is not a dominant rebounder at 7.4 rebounds per game this season. But the Magic still rank fifth in the league with a 71.0 percent defensive rebound rate. Orlando gives up the fewest second-chance points in the league at 13.3 per game.
When the Magic are at their best, they do not beat themselves. They do not turn it over (sixth in turnover rate and fourth in opponent points off turnovers per game), and they do not give away extra shots.
A game like this one against the Phoenix Suns is going to come down to the possession game. It comes down to who can get these extra chances to score since these are both teams who struggle to do so.
Phoenix is sixth in the league with a 33.1 percent offensive rebound rate and seventh with 16.2 second-chance points per game. This battle between these two team strengths will determine who controls this game.
2. Forcing turnovers
The Orlando Magic's whole offensive shift this year was based on the assumption that the team would be stout defensively and force turnovers. The most points the Magic felt like they were leaving on the board were from being poor in transition.
Orlando has greatly improved its transition play this season -- ranking eighth in the league with 16.5 fastbreak points per game and ninth with 1.16 points per possession in transition. But the team has struggled to force turnovers this season.
Orlando ranked second in the league with a 16.8 percent opponent turnover rate. This year, the team is eighth at 15.3 percent. The Magic are eighth with 19.3 points off turnovers per game.
In the last 10 games, the Magic lead the league, forcing a 17.3 percent turnover rate. That is at least a small sign the defense is finding a groove again and generating some offense in the way the Magic imagined (they are 6-4).
The Suns are 20th in the league with a 15.1 percent turnover rate. They are strong defensively but they will turn it over and are 22nd with 18.8 points off turnovers per game. That is the one space the Suns can be beaten.
3. It's always about shooting
At the end of the day, it is always about shooting. The team that makes shots is the one that will typically win. And that is always the big question with the Orlando Magic.
The Orlando Magic are coming off a historic shooting performance, making a franchise record 27 3-pointers in the win over the Sacramento Kings. That came on 50 attempts. So there are a lot of outliers that came in the runaway victory over the Kings.
The scouting report on the Magic should still be to duck under screens. Even with the record-setting performance, Orlando is 22nd in the league at 34.8 percent shooting. There is still a long way to go -- and if you want some fun, watch the Kings' broadcast and how apoplectic their broadcasters are that the Magic are making shots.
The Phoenix Suns are much better from deep. It is one of the few things they do well offensively, shooting 36.2 percent from three. That is even with Devin Booker shooting 30.8 percent from three.
The push-and-pull with the team's shooting will go a long way to determining this game. It always does.
Orlando Magic at Phoenix Suns: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Franz Wagner - OUT (Left High Ankle Sprain Injury Management)
- Jalen Suggs - QUESTIONABLE (Back Spasms)
- Colin Castleton - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Alex Morales - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Phoenix Suns Injury Report
- Devin Booker - OUT (Right Hip Strain)
- Grayson Allen - QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
- Haywood Highsmith - OUT (Right Knee Injury Management)
- Cole Anthony - OUT (Not With Team)
Projected Starting Lineup
Orlando | Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Suggs | PG | Collin Gillespie |
Desmond Bane | SG | Jalen Green |
Anthony Black | SF | Dillon Brooks |
Paolo Banchero | PF | Royce O'Neale |
Wendell Carter | C | Mark Williams |
Orlando Magic at Phoenix Suns: Prediction
Our Record: 32-22/23-31 ATS
There is a lot of uncertainty entering this game for both the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns will remain a tough defensive outfit even without Devin Booker. Dillon Brooks' return from a one-game suspension (flagrant foul accumulation) will improve their defense, too. Phoenix may struggle to score, but this team still shoots well enough to catch a team that is unprepared.
The Magic have their own mystery. What will they do if Jalen Suggs has to miss the game with back spasms?
That seriously downgrades the team's perimeter defense -- both Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks have shown themselves capable of carrying the team when necessary. And it brings up questions for the rest of the Magic's guard rotation.
It leaves a lot of questions for this game.
If Orlando is going to climb the standings, this is the kind of toss-up game the team has to find a way to win more of.
Even with all those questions, the Magic have won four of their past five, and the Suns have lost five of their last seven. That might be all it takes on Saturday afternoon.