After a very poor start to the season, winning just 2 of 8 games, the Orlando Magic have been in great form lately, beating strong teams like the San Antonio Spurs (112-97) and the Philadelphia 76ers (111-109) at home. Orlando has now won 5 consecutive games by more than 105 points, and it is clear that at this stage, all the players in the team are well aware of their respective roles and are contributing to their team's result.
Meanwhile, the situation of the Washington Wizards is slightly worse. In 10 games, the capital's players have celebrated only 3 wins, and the team's roster is not one of the strongest in the conference, but it can surprise from time to time. The Wizards will go into this game coming off a 21-point road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to end a 3-game losing streak.
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Bradley Beal
With Walla missing this season due to injury, Bradley Beal is the undisputed star and leader of this team, and has not had the start to the season that was expected of him. There have been speculations ranging from a lack of motivation to play in such a weak team to a desire to be traded, but it seems that the capital's star has woken up and has started to play to the best of his ability. 44 points against the Boston Celtics and the same against Minnesota in the last game.
If Bradley Beal can continue to maintain his form, the team can certainly expect better results and even claim 7-8 positions in the standings, especially since the Magic don't have a single standout leader, so in the crucial moments of the game and when Beal makes a shot, it's very likely that it would be the Wizards who would be able to win it at the end.
Can the Magic keep up the offensive performance they have shown over the last 5 games?
As we mentioned before, the Magic don't have a single standout player who can make the difference in a game, which sooner or later becomes a problem in the pursuit of top results. The line-up is average at best, so it's hard to expect the team to be able to maintain a similar offensive pace for most of the season. Yes, the Magic are one of the best defensive teams in the league, but in the modern NBA the key is to be able to maintain a high pace of play and to be able to attack at a steady percentage, which is what the Magic have been doing lately, but they have struggled early in the season.
Unlike the Magic, the Wizards don't know what defence is this season, and the whole game is based on "run and throw". Much of the success of either team will be determined by which team is able to impose its own rhythm on the game and how well the Magic manage to stop the Wizards' superstar Bradley Beal, who has finally come into his own.
Forecast
The Magic have celebrated victories in their last two games, scoring more than 110 points, but it is a big question mark whether they can do it in their third game in a row. Overall, the Magic are shooting a pretty poor percentage from the field this season and unlike the Wizards, the Magic don't have a player like Bradley Beal who can single-handedly determine the outcome of a game.
The Celtics, one of the best defensive teams in the league, had no antidote to Bradley Beal, who both attacked and created opportunities for his teammates, and contributed significantly to 133 total points. Of course, the Celts have one of the strongest teams in the league, so it's not surprising that they still managed to win the game against the Wizards, but if the Magic start the game, it might be difficult to come back.
Both teams are worthy of each other and will probably be direct rivals for a spot in the Eastern Conference's final 8, but as of today it seems that the Wizards have finally found their game and should be able to stay within a 7-point margin.
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