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The Orlando Magic put the finishing touches on their 2014/15 season Wednesday when they visit the Brooklyn Nets, who have their playoff hopes on the line: a Nets loss eliminates them from postseason contention, but a victory keeps them alive, pending results from other games on the season's final night.
Tipoff between Orlando and Brooklyn is set for 8:00 PM Eastern. Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM will offer live coverage in the Orlando market.
Orlando's last time out: The Magic got bullied in South Beach on Monday night, dropping to the Miami Heat by a 100-93 final. Tobias Harris did his level best to spark his club, scoring 26 with 12 rebounds, but Orlando otherwise struggled to score: Harris' teammates in the starting five shot a combined 17-of-53 (32.1 percent) from the floor. Miami center Hassan Whiteside thoroughly outplayed Nik Vučević, going for 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks to Vučević's three, four, and zero, respectively.
Brooklyn's last time out: The Nets were outscored in every quarter--at home, even--in their 113-86 drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Five Bulls scored in double-figures, with Nikola Mirotic pouring in 26 off the bench to lead the way. On the losing side, Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with an efficient 17 points off the bench. Brooklyn shot a woeful 36.8 percent from the floor.
The last meeting: The Nets squeaked past the Magic, 100-98, on January 2nd in a game they should have put away much sooner: the visitors held a 24-point lead with 8:16 to play, only to watch as Orlando ripped off 16 straight points to make a game of it. The Magic would get to within four points off back-to-back triples from Channing Frye and Evan Fournier, but with so little time remaining, they had to play the foul game, and Brooklyn iced it at the line. Victor Oladipo paced the Magic with 17 points, while Elfrid Payton came just one rebound shy of a triple-double.
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