The Philadelphia 76ers will look to bounce back against the Orlando Magic after falling short in their Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat.
Thus far, the Orlando Magic have been one of the better stories across the league. They’ve amassed a solid 17-11 record, backed by a top-five defense with plenty of length and athleticism.
Former first overall pick, Paolo Banchero, has put together an impressive sophomore year thus far, and has a serious argument for an All-Star appearance. He’s made an efficiency jump in multiple categories, most notably from the field (going from 42.7 percent to 47 percent) and from three (going from 29.8 percent to 38.3 percent).
His co-star, Franz Wagner, has had a down year shooting the basketball, but is still capable of getting 20/5/5 on any given night. Surrounding the pair is lots of length and capable defenders, with guys such as Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac.
On the flip side, Tyrese Maxey will look to rebound from what most likely was the worst game of his young career. The Miami Heat did an excellent job trapping him, and he won’t get cut any breaks against this Orlando defense or in their next game against the Houston Rockets.
Tobias Harris, a former Orlando Magic, has always had past success against his former team and will look to continue his productive stretch. The same can be said against Kelly Oubre Jr, who had his best game yet since his absence.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Sixers have listed Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain) and Nicholas Batum (right hamstring strain) as out. Outside of G League assignments, they are the only Sixers currently listed. The Magic are on the second half of a back-to-back, so any updates from their injury report will be released at some point today. All of Joe Ingles, Markelle Fultz and Isaac were out for yesterday’s game.
The Magic have been one of the better teams in the East, and a strong win could boost the Sixers through their four-game road trip. Let’s hope they can get it done.