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The LA Clippers play host to the Orlando Magic on Saturday afternoon in an NBA showdown from Crypto.com Arena. The playoffs now appear out of reach for the Magic and with two losses in a row, they seem to be limping toward the finish. The Clippers have done the opposite of late, stringing together a four-game winning streak heading into this one. In the only other meeting this season, the Magic shocked the Clippers in overtime, so LA will certainly be looking to get revenge in this one.
The Magic started the season looking like they might surprise some and find their way into the Eastern Conference playoffs, though a recent lapse in playing has them searching for success. As mentioned earlier, they've lost two in a row heading into this one, while they only have three wins in their last ten overall. A 12-23 record on the road this season isn't likely to help confidence or momentum, especially against a team surging in the Western Conference. The road trip doesn't get much easier, with a game against the Lakers looming up next. With two games in a row on the road preceding this one, the difficulties of life on the road might be too much for them to overcome.
Orlando expects to be without a pair of players heading into this one. Jonathan Isaac's (groin) dreadful injury history continues to be a problem, as he expects to miss the rest of the season. In addition, Jalen Suggs (concussion) will miss this one too.
Markelle Fultz appreciation tweet pic.twitter.com/L4tLad67Z0
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 17, 2023
The Magic have struggled on both sides of the ball this season, especially of late, which is likely to be a problem on the road in this one. They rank 27th in the league in scoring and are in the bottom half of the NBA in nearly every offensive category, which is likely to only be magnified against LA's elite defense. The Magic do rank sixth in defensive rebounding, which has helped them this season, but without Isaac, they do miss some length, especially on the perimeter. Paelo Banchero (20.1 ppg) remains the best offensive threat but Markelle Fultz (13.8 ppg, 5.6 apg) remains the x-factor, especially as the most experienced player to get valuable minutes.
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