A road trip to Detroit for Orlando awaits on Game Day 7. The Magic will take on the Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back as both teams seek better early season results.
The tip time is shown on the Orlando Magic website as being 12:00 midnight here in the UK (7:00pm Eastern for our friends in Orlando).
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The Matchup For Game Day 7
Last night saw Orlando fall in a fight against the Toronto Raptors by 109-110. The young Magic team rolled with every punch the Raptors threw and came back each time fighting. Injuries and inexperience are still impacting on the squad but they continued to show growth.
Mo Bamba attained his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 18 rebounds. His contribution also saw him dish out 5 assists and make 3 blocks. Wendell Carter Jr again in partnership with Bamba took his third double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Cole Anthony led all scorers with 24 points and carried the Magic offence all night. He nearly made a half court heave in the final second that would have given Orlando the win. Franz Wagner continues to score at least 10 points or more in every NBA game he has played in. Again his basketball intelligence showed on the defensive end. Jalen Suggs showed some good plays and made 21 points.
Detroit played last on Thursday night, losing on the road 102-110 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Team scoring was left by Saddiq Bey with 19 points. Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk both tallied 14 points on a night when the Pistons struggled to convert opportunities. Detroit had more shots, three point attempts, steals and offensive rebounds than Philly but could not recover from a 12 point deficit entering the final quarter.
Orlando now have a 1-5 losing record to start the season and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit are 15th in the East with a 0-4 losing record.
Statistics show both teams are both struggling. Orlando are scoring an average of 102.2 points per game, Detroit a poor 93.6. The Magic are conceding an average of 114.2 points per game. The Pistons have kept teams to a much lower total of 105, playing some excellent defence. Detroit have the NBA’s poorest success with the three and rate badly for conceding points from it. Turnovers have blighted both teams results.
Head-To-Head – The Detroit Pistons
Last season saw the three game series taken 2-1 by the Magic. The previous season was tied 1-1.
Over recent years each team have often taken the home court game as a win. The Magic have won 7 of the last 9 games in the Amway Center. The Pistons have won 5 of the last 7 matchups in Detroit.
The all time regular season head to head of 115 games sees the Pistons leading 50-65.
Of the 19 games in the playoffs the record is again in the Pistons favour by 7-12. The Pistons took 3 of the 4 series played.
Our Opponents – The Detroit Pistons
After pulling Cade Cunningham with the first pick of the 2021 Draft he is yet to make his debut, tonight could be the night.
At the time of writing ESPN show Cade Cunningham as out (ankle), however he is not on the official Pistons injury report. Jerami Grant is day-to-day but probable to play following bruising to the right oblique. Isaiah Livers and Chris Smith are both out.
Last time out Head Coach Dwayne Casey started Killian Hayes (PG), Saddiq Bey (SG), Jerami Grant (PF), Josh Jackson (SF) and Isaiah Stewart (C). This is another young starting unit with three second year players.
The bench has some impact with Kelly Olynyk , Cory Joseph and Trey Lyles.
The Orlando Magic Injury Report
At the time of writing ESPN show Orlando as still having significant absences.
Chuma Okeke has been upgraded from out to probable. Chuma could make a welcome season debut tonight.
E’Twaun Moore remains out, diagnosed with a left sprained knee.
Michael Carter-Williams is out after undergoing surgery to remove a bone fragment and repair his left ankle ligament.
Jonathan Isaac continues to be out as he rehabilitates from a left knee ACL injury that saw him miss all of last season.
Markelle Fultz is still out after last season’s left knee ACL tear and subsequent surgery. Video now shows him moving freely in non-contact practice on the court.
Guard Mychal Mulder is not yet available to play with the team.
The Orlando Lineup
Coach Mosely rolled out the same starting 5, a constant unit for all 6 opening games. Jalen Suggs (PG), Cole Anthony (SG), Franz Wagner (SF), Wendell Carter Jr (PF) and Mo Bamba (C) is the youngest starting unit to open a season in the NBA for over 50 years. It features a pair of rookies, a second year player and two entering their fourth NBA season.
From the bench there is Terrence Ross, Robin Lopez, Ignas Brazdeikis, Moe Wagner, RJ Hampton and Gary Harris.
Check Out Other Orlando Magic U.K. Content
On each game day make sure to check Twitter and Facebook to play along with our Magic Moments competition. Simply comment with your prediction for each of five questions we will ask on that night’s game. At the end of the season we will send out a prize to whoever tops the league with the most correct predictions.
Be sure to subscribe to Orlando Magic U.K. YouTube channel for episodes of our podcast Penny For Your Thoughts.
Final Thoughts About A Road Trip To Detroit For Orlando
Orlando has been somewhat frustrating to watch on offence. The Magic are certainly still searching for rhythm and a clear style of play, particularly on offence. There have been good examples of passing and movement. There has been a lot of giving up a good shot for a better one. However at times the Magic attack has a feeling of throw the three and see what happens. This game could be an opportunity to work out some of those kinks against a team who are also in a rebuilding cycle.
To take a win Orlando must agin control the turnovers. There has to be better cohesion once the bench unit begin to filter into the rotation. The starting unit for Orlando is producing but once they are broken up the offensive play begins to suffer.
Let’s Go Magic!
