- How To Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando), KJZZ (Utah), NBA League Pass
- STREAM MAGIC-JAZZ ON FUBO TV
- How to Listen: 104.5 The Beat (Orlando), KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM (Utah), NBA Audio League Pass, SiriusXM Channel 212 (Jazz)
- FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
- Tickets: $4-$158+ on StubHub
- Season Series: Jazz 105, Magic 92 in Orlando on Jan. 5; Today in Salt Lake City
Orlando Magic vs. Utah Jazz: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Utah | |
|---|---|---|
96.5 | Pace | 99.8 |
107.1 | Off. Rtg. | 110.9 |
108.5 | Def. Rtg. | 118.7 |
50.4 | eFG% | 53.6 |
30.6 | O.Reb.% | 31.9 |
15.5 | TO% | 17.6 |
27.1 | FTR | 25.9 |
3. Moments of brilliance
The Orlando Magic are struggling right now. The final tally for Thursday's game saw them give up the second-worst defensive rating of the season at 132.2 points per 100 possessions and record their 15th game with less than 100.0 points per 100 possessions (97.8).
Of course, it did not start that way. The Magic scored the first 10 points and led by seven after one quarter. The ball moved inside out and whipped around the perimeter. Orlando recorded a 145.8 offensive rating in the first quarter!
That followed up a 123.2 offensive rating through the first three and a half quarters in Miami and a 117.5 offensive rating in the win against the Detroit Pistons, their best full-game offensive rating since the Jan. 3 win over the Toronto Raptors.
There are still hints of what this Magic team can do and some offensive life. But they are hitting a roadblock and stalling—and not only stalling but collapsing. That is the part that needs to stop.
2. Losing streaks
The Orlando Magic feel like they are in the bottom of a deep hole. They have not won consecutive games since Dec. 23 and since then are 5-13. They have the second-worst net rating in the league in that time at -10.6 points per 100 possessions. That includes a league-worst 102.0 offensive rating.
They are playing like a tanking team right now. They really cannot bet on any win being promised. They have to fix themselves first.
They need a get-right game in the worst ways. At least for confidence they can get from a win.
The Utah Jazz might be that opponent. They are on an eight-game losing streak and have lost 11 of their last 12. That one win was an overtime victory against the Brooklyn Nets. Of course, before that stretch, they picked up a pair of wins in Florida including a win in Orlando.
In those 12 games, the Jazz have a -9.6 net rating and a 119.7 defensive rating. If the Magic are going to finally break through and score, this is the team they will have to do it against.
1. Attacking Walker Kessler
In the Orlando Magic's loss to the Utah Jazz in early January, Walker Kessler recorded a block with 10 points and 17 rebounds as the Magic struggled to attack the interior of the Jazz's defense.
Kessler has been strong against the Magic's hard-driving style—averaging 10.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in four appearances.
The Magic are not a 3-point shooting team. Their success depends on their ability to get downhill into the paint. Then again, Orlando struggles everywhere. They shoot a league-worst 58.2 percent in the restricted area.
Kessler will not make things any easier. But the Jazz are still near the bottom in the league giving up 65.8 percent shooting at the rim according to data from Second Spectrum. There are gaps to attack the basket.
This Jazz team is struggling on defense, the Magic can find pockets to attack. But they still have to be smart with how they do so.
Orlando Magic vs. Utah: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Jalen Suggs - QUESTIONABLE (Left Quad Contusion)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Torn Left ACL)
- Mac McClung - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Utah Jazz Injury Report
- Collin Sexton - AVAILABLE (Left Fourth Finger DIP Avulsion Fracture)
- Taylor Hendricks - OUT (Right Fibula Fracture)
- Johnny Juzang - QUESTIONABLE (Right Hand Fracture)
- Cody Williams - OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Oscar Tsheibwe - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Elijah Harkless - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Lineups
Orlando | Utah | |
|---|---|---|
Anthony Black | PG | Isaiah Collier |
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Collin Sexton |
Franz Wagner | SF | Lauri Markkanen |
Paolo Banchero | PF | John Collins |
Goga Bitadze | C | Walker Kessler |
Orlando Magic vs. Utah Jazz: Prediction
Our Record: 28-21/23-26 ATS
It is hard to get a sense of who this Orlando Magic team is right now. Everyone knows what this Magic team is capable of being. We saw it throughout November and December. But in a 4-11 January, the team did not reach that standard or level at all. They were consistently disappointed and fell short.
There has to be a bottom to this right? It should take just a single step—the win over the Detroit Pistons should have been the breakthrough and even the double overtime loss to the Miami Heat showed significant promise. But every time Orlando takes a step forward, the team quickly recedes.
Jalen Suggs is important. But his presence cannot be that important.
The Utah Jazz are in a spot right now where they are bleeding points. If the Magic cannot score against the Jazz the way they are playing, then there should be some real concerns.
Then again, the Jazz are probably thinking if they cannot stop this Magic team from scoring then their defense is unsalvageable.
Something is going to give. With the star power the Magic have, it feels like a good bet that it will be Orlando to break through. But the Jazz have a big interior and guard play could be what decides this.
The Magic need a get-right game, but one game is not going to fix everything.