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- Season Series: Magic 106, Raptors 97 in Toronto on Jan. 3; Raptors 109, Magic 93 in Toronto on Jan. 21; Raptors 104, Magic 102 in Orlando on March 2; Tonight in Orlando
Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Toronto | Orlando | |
|---|---|---|
99.8 | Pace | 96.6 |
109.6 | Off. Rtg. | 107.3 |
115.4 | Def. Rtg. | 109.1 |
52.9 | eFG% | 50.2 |
30.5 | O.Reb.% | 30.6 |
15.5 | TO% | 15.1 |
23.7 | FTR | 27.3 |
3. Getting to the Foul Line
If you watched Sunday's 104-102 Toronto Raptors win over the Orlando Magic, you survived a slog.
The Magic have the habit of playing the longest games in the league and this one took the cake as the third-longest game of the season—trailing the double-overtime loss to the Miami Heat and the win over the Detroit Pistons in January.
The reason? The parade to the foul line that occurred throughout the game, especially in the third quarter. The teams combined for 24 free throws in the third quarter. Orlando posted a 62.7 percent free throw rate, the highest of the season.
That is something that made the loss even more painful. The Magic typically use free-throw shooting to compensate for their lack of 3-point shooting. They are indeed second in the league in free throw rate at 27.3 percent—even if they still struggle to make their free throws this #FreeThrowAwarenessMonth.
The problem is the Magic also give up a ton of free throws. They are last in the league giving up a 29.6 percent free throw rate—nearly three free throws for every 10 field goal attempts.
Against the Raptors on Sunday, gave up a 37.5 percent free throw rate. The worst part for the Magic? They have seven games this year giving up worse than a 40.0 percent free throw rate.
Orlando will be a heavy fouling team. That comes with the territory of their physical defense. But the Magic have to limit their fouling to find success.
2. Quick as you like
The game on Sunday turned completely thanks to Immanuel Quickley.
The Toronto Raptors built their 19-point lead early in the fourth quarter by finishing the third quarter on a 12-2 run in the final two minutes of the quarter. Quickley scored nine of those points.
The Raptors extended their lead with a 15-5 run in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. Quickley scored six points in that run, making 15 of his 25 points in that 27-7 run that nearly put the game away.
The Raptors struggled to have that breakout. But their ability to push the tempo and pace was vital to the game. Toronto outscored Orlando 19-10 in fast-break points. The Magic had been on a trend of scoring in transition, averaging 19.5 fast-break points per game since the All-Star break.
Winning the fast-break battle and containing a sometimes-struggling guard like Quickley are vital to the team's chances.
1. The shot problem
There was some chatter on social media expressing frustration over the lack of involvement from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in Sunday's game.
Both players were vital to the team's efforts to come back in the fourth quarter with Banchero scoring 13 of his 23 points and making 3 of 4 shots (he was 5 for 9 overall) and 6 of 7 free throws (he was 12 for 15 overall) in the fourth quarter and Wagner scoring nine of his 25 points and shooting 4 for 8 (he was 9 for 17 overall) in the fourth quarter.
The stats still bear it out. Anthony Black and Cole Anthony had higher usage rates than Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, suggesting how the Toronto Raptors were able to keep them out of the offense one way or the other.
They ultimately still scored and the Magic must find a way to keep them involved throughout the game, even going up against set defenses geared toward slowing them down.
Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Toronto Raptors Injury Report
- Brandon Ingram - OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Gradey Dick - OUT (Right Ischial Tuberosity Contusion)
- Ochai Agbaji - OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Garrett Temple - OUT (Personal Reasons)
- Ulrich Chomche - OUT (Right Knee Partial Proximate MCL Tear)
- Jamison Battle - OUT (Nasal Fracture)
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Jalen Suggs - OUT (Left Kne Trochlea Cartilage Tear)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Left Knee Torn ACL)
- Mac McClung - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Ethan Thompson - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Lineups
Toronto | Orlando | |
|---|---|---|
Immanuel Quickley | PG | Cole Anthony |
Ja'Kobe Walter | SG | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
RJ Barrett | SF | Franz Wagner |
Scottie Barnes | PF | Paolo Banchero |
Jakob Poeltl | C | Wendell Carter |
Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic: Prediction
Our Record: 35-27/29-33 ATS
It feels like every game right now is a character-check game for the Orlando Magic.
They have faced three games that tested who they are. And they failed in all three.
They got run out of their gym against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they responded well enough but fell short against the Golden State Warriors and then they laid an egg through three quarters against the Toronto Raptors.
At a certain point, the Magic need to show us who they really are. And that team may not be the one everyone envisioned or anywhere near the team's overall potential.
The Magic face another character-check game on Tuesday. After their loss Sunday, they clinched a losing homestand at a critical time when they needed to bank wins on this homestand. There has to be a response to that. They have to grab wins wherever they can.
Orlando's players have said they are desperate for a win right now. They need to prove it in a game like this.
If they do not, that could spell more trouble.