The Golden State Warriors visit the Orlando Magic as they try to hold on to the 10th seed. They got the Houston Rockets breathing down their neck.
Catch the game tomorrow at 7:00 AM, Manila time.
AWAY: Golden State Warriors (37-34, 19-15 AWAY)
Projected starting five:
- Stephen Curry
- Brandin Podziemski
- Klay Thompson
- Draymond Green
- Trayce Jackson-Davis
The Warriors will be coming off a dominant 113-92 road win over the Miami Heat, mainly led by Klay Thompson firing off 28 points and six threes. It’s always good if Thompson is on-point with his shooting.
The victory added a bit of separation against the Houston Rockets, who are now just two games behind. Tomorrow’s another challenge, though, and the Dubs will be on the second night of a back-to-back.
Still, they figure to have some confidence as they won the first meeting with the Magic last January 3rd ,121-115. In there, Steph Curry tallied a game-high 36 points alongside six assists and four steals, and six other Warriors reached double figures.
Draymond Green will remain as a pesky defender and all-around agitator. Jonathan Kuminga (18 pts) and Andrew Wiggins (17 pts), meanwhile, who each had a good showing vs. Miami, will also be guys to watchout for. All three will be in an interesting clash with the Magic’s stud forward tandem.
HOME: Orlando Magic (42-29, 25-10 HOME)
Projected starting five:
- Anthony Black
- Jalen Suggs
- Franz Wagner
- Paolo Banchero
- Goga Bitadze
The Magic had their five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday by the Sacramento Kings, 109-107. They are still at 10-3 over their last 13 games, though, scoring 108.1 points per game and allowing just 99.8 in return.
We should see Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner’s tandem be eager to get a win back on the Warriors, especially since they have been rested for three days and will be playing in front of their home crowd. They had 27 and 25 points in the aforementioned January 3rd loss, respectively, and should be keen to produce more.
Similar to the case all year, the supporting cast primarily consisted of Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, and Wendell Carter Jr. will be a crapshoot. All are capable of contributing well, though.
Orlando is third in points allowed and second defensive rating for pretty much the entire season. It’ll have a good opportunity to flex more opposite the Warriors.
PREDICTIONS:
Handicap: The Magic (-5) don’t cover.
Over/Under: The total goes over 217.5.
