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Season Series: Warriors 121, Magic 115 in San Francisco on Jan. 2; Tonight in Orlando
Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden State | 100.2 | 116.9 | 115.4 | 55.4 | 31.8 | 14.0 | 22.4 |
Orlando | 97.5 | 113.0 | 110.9 | 54.3 | 29.9 | 15.2 | 29.0 |
OMD Prediction
Our Record: 46-25/36-35
The Orlando Magic probably cannot call this game against the Golden State Warriors a must-win. But to get where they want to go, this game could end up being pretty important. The Magic should be aiming to split the next two games at least before finishing up the homestand with two teams out of the playoff picture.
Three days off should leave the team refreshed. But that is no guarantee for success. The Magic have fallen on the rust side of the rest-vs.-rust scale when they have more than two days off -- going 2-3 with three or more days of rest (and one of those was after the All-Star Break).
The Orlando Magic will have an eye on the scoreboard too with the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks playing the Toronto Raptors. The Magic could lose ground with a loss. They just have to take care of their business.
That is never easy against the Warriors. They still have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and offensive potential in Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga. They have one of the highest-scoring benches in the league that Orlando will have to match without Gary Harris and possibly without Caleb Houstan, eating into the team's shooting depth.
Golden State is coming in on the Miami-to-Orlando back-to-back. The Warriors are 9-5 on the second night of back-to-backs this year. The Magic are going to have to be sharp.
3 Keys to Watch
3-Point Defense
Stephen Curry is always his own animal from beyond the arc with his ability to weave and cut through defenses and keep them off balance. He does not allow you to take a break or breathe, even when he passes up the ball. And, inevitably, a team has to weather the storm for when Curry gets hot.
Curry scored just 17 points on 3-for-10 shooting from deep in Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat. So beware the progression to the mean.
Golden State is 10th in the league in 3-point percentage (37.6 percent) and second in makes at 14.8 per game. The Orlando Magic competing in the 3-point battle will be key.
Orlando for the season is seventh in the league giving up 35.6 percent shooting from deep and fourth in the league, giving up 11.5 3-pointers per game. The team is giving up 10.9 3-pointers per game after the All-Star Break.
The Magic have been good at defending the 3-point line this year and it will be a key factor in this game.
Kuminga on the call
There was a small stretch this season where there were a few people making the argument that Franz Wagner was the best player from the 2022 NBA Draft class this season. Wagner is averaging 19.8 points per game and 3.9 assists per game. It has been an up-and-down season for Wagner with his poor 3-point shooting standing out the most.
Jonathan Kuminga though is making his case to get into that conversation. After his mini-spat with Steve Kerr, Jonathan Kuminga has pulled away and established himself as a clear starter.
Kuminga is averaging 16.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. Since joining the starting lineup, Kuminga is averaging 19.1 points per game and shooting 52.7 percent from the floor with 5.3 rebounds per game.
Things have certainly moved in the right direction for Kuminga and he is having a great season for the Warriors to give them some hope for the future.
Eyes on Klay
Like Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings where some eyes were on Malik Monk, a player fans are starting to covet ahead of free agency, Wednesday's game will feature another potential free agent target.
Klay Thompson has made it pretty clear he is a bit unhappy that the team has not given him a new contract. He is looking for some long-term security with the only team that he has played for. And the Orlando Magic have already been connected as a potential landing spot should he leave.
Thompson is averaging 17.4 points per game and shooting 38.3 percent from three. Since moving to the bench, he is averaging 18.6 points per game and shooting 42.0 percent from three. It does seem to have gotten more out of him.
Thompson started Tuesday in Miami and scored 28 points on 6-for-14 shooting from deep. Stories of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.