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The Orlando Magic have the chance to break even on their six-game road trip with a victory tonight over the 9-13 Miami Heat.
More importantly, a victory buys the Magic a bit more breathing room in their race with the Wizards and Heat for the final spot in the eastern conference playoffs.
With a fearful slate of contests on the current road trip in the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, the Magic faithful have to be thrilled with the opportunity to come away unblemished from the .500 mark they held just two weeks ago at 9-9.
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra’s unit will not make things easy, and will look to avenge their opening night loss to these Magic 104-101, albeit without their primary signal-caller in Goran Dragic. But don’t feel sorry for the free-falling Miami Heat who were losers of five of six until one week ago. They’ve since responded with impressive victories over the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, and return Rodney McGruder and Tyler Johnson to this scrappy lineup.
Game Info
When: Tuesday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
TV: Fox Sports Florida
Win Probability: According the FiveThirtyEight the Heat have an 64% chance to win.
Probable Starters
Orlando: D.J. Augustine, Evan Fournier, Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
Miami: Josh Richardson, Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, James Johnson, Hassan Whiteside
Injury Report
Magic: Timofey Mozgov (Out)
Heat: Dion Waiters (Out/ankle), Tyler Johnson (Probable/hamstring), Goran Dragic (Out/knee), Derrick Jones Jr.(Probable), Rodney McGruder (Questionable/ankle)
Miami | Orlando |
---|---|
Pace: 100.5 (10th) | Pace: 98.5 (23rd) |
ORtg: 107.2 (25th) | ORtg: 107.5(24th) |
DRtg: 108.6 (12th) | DRtg: 109.8 (15th) |
Projected Starters: | |
Miami | Orlando |
PG - Rodney McGruder | PG - D.J. Augustin |
SG - Josh Richardson | SG - Evan Fournier |
SF - Wayne Ellington | F - Jonathan Simmons |
F - James Johnson | PF - Aaron Gordon |
C - Hassan Whiteside | C - Nikola Vucevic |
Check out our site’s preview of tonight’s Magic/Suns match-up provided by Mike here.
For perspective from the other side, make sure to check out the work from our friends over at Hot Hot Hoops.
Leave your pregame and in-game comments below. Feel free to follow us on Twitter at @OPPMagicBlog. And as always - enjoy!
TONIGHT’S STARTERS
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) December 4, 2018
DEC. 4 AT MIAMI
1️⃣7️⃣F: @ThaRealJsimms
0️⃣0️⃣F: @Double0AG
9️⃣C: @NikolaVucevic
G: @EvanFourmizz
1️⃣4️⃣G: D.J. Augustin
⌚️7:30 p.m.
@FOXSportsFL
(7 p.m. pregame show)
@FOXSports App
@969thegame/@Salsa981orlando#PureMagic