The Orlando Magic were riding high last weekend as they entered a showdown with other playoff hopefuls in the Eastern Conference.
Follow Us
The Orlando Magic were riding high last weekend as they entered a showdown with other playoff hopefuls in the Eastern Conference. They had won five games in a row and eight out of nine, pushing them comfortably above the .500 mark.
However, things took a turn when they suffered double-digit losses to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, losing by a total of 38 points. Now, the Magic are looking to bounce back as they host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
In their 108-81 home victory against Brooklyn on Feb. 27, Orlando shot an impressive 52.7 percent, kicking off their second-best winning streak of the season. They continued their winning ways by defeating the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards. However, their momentum took a hit with a disappointing 98-74 loss in New York on Friday, followed by a second-half collapse leading to a 111-97 defeat at home against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
For the Nets, Johnson (ankle injury), Simmons (leg injury), and Whitehead (foot injury) will not play the game. As for the Magic, Fultz (knee injury) and Suggs (thigh injury) are questionable.
Brooklyn is currently halfway through a six-game road trip, and they’ve won four out of seven games since shooting 39.2 percent in their last game in Orlando.
Cam Thomas, who missed the previous matchup due to an ankle injury that kept him out for six games, played a crucial role in helping the Nets bounce back after tough losses in Detroit and Charlotte at the start of the trip.
Thomas put up 29 points as the Nets took control in the second half to secure a 120-101 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. He scored 20 points after halftime, including five of Brooklyn’s 13 three-pointers, helping them outscore Cleveland 68-50 in the final two quarters.
Brooklyn’s impressive second-half performance came just a day after interim coach Kevin Ollie criticized the team’s effort in a 110-99 loss to Charlotte.
Apart from Thomas’ continued strong performance, the Nets are also looking for Mikal Bridges to step up again. Bridges contributed 25 points in the game against Cleveland, showing improvement after shooting 32.7 percent (18 of 55) in his last four games following a standout 38-point game against Atlanta on March 2nd.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
