Orlando go against Sacramento tonight on Magic Game Day 26. The Kings are showing some strong form whilst the Magic look for improvements in all areas of their play.
The tip time is shown on the Orlando Magic website as being 3:00am here in the UK (10pm Eastern for our friends in Orlando).
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Game Day 26 And Orlando Go Against Sacramento
Last Game
Monday 6th December – Orlando Magic 95-126 Golden State Warriors
Magic Top Performers – Franz Wagner had 15 points, with 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. He has now scored in double figures in 20 of his first 25 career games. Gary Harris led Orlando in scoring with 17 points. R.J. Hampton contributed 16 points. Wendell Carter Jr turned in another double-double performance with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Saturday 4th December – L.A. Clippers 99-104 Sacramento Kings
Kings Top Performers – Terence Davis had 28 points, Tyrese Haliburton 18 points and De’Aaron Fox finished with 17.
Season Records
Sacramento have a 10-14 losing record and sit 11th in the Western Conference. Of the last 10 games played the Kings have won 4, including their last two played. Home form has not been great, winning only 4 of 12 played. They score an average 109.8 points per game, whilst conceding 112.8. The Kings are ranked 25th in defence and 18th in offence.
Orlando’s record is now 5 wins and 20 losses. The Magic remain 14th in the Eastern Conference, above Detroit. The Magic have won 1 of the last 10 played, being on a 2 game losing streak. The home record reads 2 wins of 10 games played, whilst on the road it is 3 wins in 15 played. In points per game the Magic score 100.4 whilst conceding 111.1. Offensive and defensive rankings have Orlando at 28th and 27th respectively.
Head-To-Head – The Sacramento Kings
The all time head-to-head record in the 64 regular season games played sees the Magic losing by 30-34.
Last season (2020-21) saw the series split 1-1 with both teams winning on home court.
In season 2019-20 the Magic took an overdue pair of wins, to take the series 2-0, with the Kings having won the previous 5 encounters.
These two teams have never met in the playoffs.
Our Opponents – The Sacramento Kings
The Kings replaced former Head Coach Luke Walton with Alvin Gentry recently. Since making that change Sacramento has won 4 of their last 7 games.
Of the Sacramento squad only former Magic man Maurice Harkless and Harrison Barnes are shown on ESPN as being a doubt.
Projected Starting Lineup – De’Aaron Fox (PG), Tyrese Haliburton (SG), Terence Davis (SF), Chimeze Metu (PF), Richaun Holmes (C)
Talent also comes from the bench in the form of Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson, Marvin Bagley III and Alex Len amongst others.
The Orlando Magic Injury Report
ESPN is again showing no changes to the Magic injury status.
Jalen Suggs is out with a fractured right thumb. The team statement says he will be out for “an extended period of time” but that surgery is not required. He is to be reevaluated after two weeks time to assess healing.
E’Twaun Moore remains out with a sprained left knee.
Michael Carter-Williams is out after 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. He is said to be making great and steady progress, but is not yet cleared for contact.
Markelle Fultz is still out after last season’s left knee ACL tear and subsequent surgery. He is taking part in more training activities, including contact work.
The Magic Lineup On Game Day 26 As Orlando Go Against Sacramento
Coach Mosely will almost certainly utilise the unit the opened against Golden State, barring any game day issues.
Starting lineup – Cole Anthony (PG), Gary Harris (SG), Franz Wagner (SF), Wendell Carter Jr (PF), Mo Bamba (C)
Available From The Bench – Chuma Okeke, Moe Wagner, RJ Hampton, Ignas Brazdeikis, Mychal Mulder and Robin Lopez
Check Out Other Orlando Magic U.K. Content
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Final Thoughts On Game Day 26 As Orlando Go Against Sacramento
Orlando’s mistakes went towards the loss in San Francisco.
The Magic’s 22 turnovers equated to 38 points conceded. The team have to find a way to be better consistently in this area, which has hurt results all season.
Orlando also have to find an improvement in their shooting efficiency. Against the Warriors a field goal percentage of 43% and just 29% with the long ball will always result in a struggle to get a win.
There will be opportunities to score for Orlando. Few teams are more susceptible to scoring from inside the arc than the Kings. That weakness is not assisted by their poor record at preventing offensive rebounds. Second chance points will be available, therefore Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr have the potential to be a major influence on the outcome.
On defence Orlando need to take care of the paint. Sacramento are not elite when shooting from deep scoring, the vast majority of their points inside the arc. They also get to the free throw line regularly, the second most in the NBA.
Let’s Go Magic!
