/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60658417/usa-today-9849433.0.0.0.jpg)
The Orlando Magic begin a four game road trip tonight in Minneapolis against the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves. The Magic enter Wednesday night's game the losers of five games in a row. This could be the beginning of a season defining stretch for Orlando, who will play four games in six nights before returning to Orlando next week.
"Nobody's happy with the way we're playing right now," coach Frank Vogel said after Orlando's home loss to the Indiana Pacers last Monday night. "We know we have to dig ourselves out of a rut here."
Minnesota is entering Monday's contest losers of two in a row themselves. The Wolves have been impressive at times this season, but have also suffered back-to-back losses on three separate occasions. The Wolves last played Monday night in Charlotte, dropping their contest against the Hornets 118-102.
Minnesota boasts a balanced scoring attack which includes six rotation players averaging 9.5 points per game or higher. The marquee match-up in this contest will be between Nikola Vucevic and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Vucevic will have his hands full with one of the true emerging stars in the NBA. Towns, the former first overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, is averaging 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game this season.
The Wolves made one of the splashier moves of this past offseason, acquiring All-Star wing Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls. Of course, Butler previously played for Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau during their time in Chicago.
Leave your pre-game and in-game comments below! Follow us at @OPPMagicBlog
And Happy Thanksgiving!
Orlando Magic (8-9, lost 5 in a row) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (10-8, lost 2 in a row) |
November 22nd, 2017 |
Target Center |
8:00 PM EST |
TV: Fox Sports Florida |
Elfrid Payton | PG | Jeff Teague |
Terrence Ross | SG | Jimmy Butler |
Evan Fournier | SF | Andrew Wiggins |
Aaron Gordon | PF | Taj Gibson |
Nikola Vucevic | C | Karl-Anthony Towns |
ORLANDO |
| MINNESOTA |
100.8 (6th of 30) | PACE | 97.7 (16th of 30) |
105.8 (19th of 30) | O-RTG | 109.0 (9th of 30) |
107.3 (16th of 30) | D-RTG | 109.5 (27th of 30) |