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Two tough teams are preparing for combat on Friday night in Target Center. The Orlando Magic (25-23; 31-17-0 ATS) are the visiting team that will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (34-14; 25-23-0 ATS) at 8:00 p.m. EDT. These clubs crossed paths in early January, with Minnesota winning 113-92. Will Orlando get revenge, or are the Timberwolves too much for them to handle?
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Orlando has hit a bit of a rough patch, one that has them eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. Fortunately, their latest game was a 10-point win in San Antonio. The Magic held the Spurs to 98 points, leaning on their defensive rating that's ranked fifth per NBA.com. Orlando is fifth in defensive rebounding percentage and forces the second-most turnovers per game. They also allow the fourth-fewest three-point attempts per game and the 10th-lowest three-point percentage. The Magic are solid at defending the rim. Outside of giving up the 24th-most free throw attempts per game, Orlando is tough to score on. No wonder they surrender the fifth-fewest points per contest.
one thing ab Franz,, he's gonna boogie @L3HarrisTech pic.twitter.com/9Q8MbGLNN2
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) February 1, 2024
Offensively, Orlando is not as potent, even with Paolo Banchero playing fantastic basketball. As a team, the Magic are 24th in offensive rating and 25th in points per game. Their strengths are getting to the free throw line (third-most attempts per contest) and the seventh-highest offensive rebounding percentage. The Magic attempt 40.0% of their field goals at the rim, the highest distribution in the NBA. However, Orlando is 27th in free throw percentage, 30th in three-point percentage, and 30th in midrange shooting percentage, so they're 23rd in true shooting percentage. Ranking 25th in turnover percentage is another issue. Orlando's defense is playoff-ready, but the offense needs reinforcements.