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Although there will certainly be a solid amount of Heat fans, there should be a solid home court for the Magic. The team says “most” credit cards will be accepted wherever the tickets are sold. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call GAMBLER.
It was an odd series last year due to how strong the Wizards looked last season. Orlando caught Washington early while Washington was struggling and picked up a few wins before mid-December. There is a chance the Magic have their number now and can hopefully take two games again from a sure-fire playoff team.
Jan. 31: vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Ibaka and Vogel will be making homecomings of sorts in November. Ibaka, who spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career in Oklahoma City, will face the Thunder in OKC on Nov. 13. The next night, Vogel returns to Indiana, the city where he guided the Pacers to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. Vogel, who coached 5 ½ seasons previously with the Indiana Pacers, was hired in late May.
Last season, the Hornets handled the Magic with ease, sweeping the season series. None of the games were particularly close and Charlotte is trying to win the team’s eighth straight against Orlando when the teams meet for the first time. Orlando will only have three nationally televised games. That should not come as a surprise as the Magic have not been prime-time worthy in the past five seasons. Their televised games will be on NBATV against the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.
Team
Fultz showed off the Magic’s jersey which will once again feature a Disney patch this season. Fultz has been in the NBA since 2017, the same year Walt Disney World Resort became the jersey sponsor for the Magic. In a league full of established powers, the Magic were one of the true feel-good stories at that time, even making it to the Finals in 1995 where they lost to Houston. Hopefully, the Magic can close out January on a high note and win this ball game.
The sting has eroded from the “Dwightmare” about half a decade ago, but Dwight Howard games always mean something. Howard is now with the divisional foe Charlotte Hornets and will be coming back to Orlando twice this season. As the countdown to the NBA season begins, schedule release day is an obvious landmark. With only a few months left until tip-off, fans will now get a sense of what is in store for the 2018 season. Both Miami and Orlando made a handful of quiet moves that should improve both teams.
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But it is still great to see the best player on the planet. Charlotte took a big step back last season and are going to be looking to return to the postseason. All-Star guard Kemba Walker is still in town and the Hornets also drafted Florida State Seminolesguard Dwayne Bacon to bring another needed offensive boost. They are playing at home and the Amway Center should be packed.
As good as Nikola Vucevic was on the offensive end, even putting in some big games against Howard, the Magic never had anyone who could impact the game defensively like him. Howard has moved on to his third team in five seasons since leaving Orlando as he will play for the Atlanta Hawks this year. His struggles to find his rhythm and regain his stellar play from his Orlando days in Houston flamed out almost completely as the Rockets nearly missed the Playoffs last year.
From Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac, this game will feature plenty of highlight plays. If the Magic are anywhere near the playoff picture, a win here would give them legitimacy in the race. Hopefully, the Magic can overachieve and get a sneaky victory in the middle of the season.
He will twice face his former Raptors teammates in Orlando (Dec. 18 and Feb. 3) and he will play in Toronto two other times (Jan. 29 and March 27). The defending NBA champion Cavaliers and superstar forward LeBron James will play in Orlando on March 11, while the Magic will play twice in Cleveland (Oct. 29 and April 4). A Golden State team powered by former MVPs Steph Curry and Kevin Durant will play at the Amway Center on Sunday, Jan. 22 in a 12 p.m. Dec. 6 in Washington and Dec. 7 in Orlando against Boston – will the Magic play a road/home back-to-back set of games.
Last year, the Orlando Magic played an early-season home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves where Evan Fournier hit a big 3-pointer to secure an overtime win. Even at that time, it was clear the Wolves had a special player in Karl-Anthony Towns. Orlando and Detroit have been frequent trade partners in recent years with Tobias Harris going to the Pistons in February and Meeks coming to the Magic in late June. The two teams close the regular season against one another on April 12 at the Amway Center. Orlando’s first three regular-season opponents – vs. Miami (Oct. 26), at Detroit (Oct. 28) and at Cleveland (Oct. 29) – made the playoffs last season.
But this will be the game where the debate gets settled. A good time to take stock of whether the Magic made the right decision. The Cavaliers are the measuring stick for the entire Eastern Conference. They are a show when they roll into town, as any NBA champion would be, and will get everyone’s best shot every time.
The moment when everyone around the nation began taking notice of what this team was doing and taking them seriously. In each of the past two seasons, the Magic have lost at home to the 76ers. Both of those games were back-breaking and disheartening. These were signs the team was still stuck in their inconsistent malaise and not ready to take that big step forward they would need.
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