The Toronto Raptors will enter this game on the back of 5 consecutive wins, including 4 at home and 1 on the road. In their last game, the Raptors defeated a tragic-looking Knicks team 126-98, ending the home-and-home series with a cakewalk. The Orlando Magic will enter this game on the back of a 116-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, also one of the weakest teams in the Eastern Conference. The Orlando Magic do not have a winning record against the Raptors and have lost their last 3 games in a row, including a 97-113 loss in Toronto this season.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is currently in 2nd place in the standings and has just one more loss than the conference leaders, the Boston Celtics. Last year's champions are still without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, but Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell, who shone last season, look much improved and ready to take on bigger roles this season. Although the Raptors lost the first game against the Knicks in their last game, they finished the second with a 37-17 win and continued to build their lead. The Raptors are showing great team performance and are playing basketball that is beautiful to the eye, while at the same time maintaining the game plan.
Toronto currently ranks 10th in the league in points scored (113.6), 11th in rebounds (46.3) and 9th in assists (25.5) per game. Perhaps the Raptors' biggest discovery last season was Pascal Siakam, who has been even better this season, averaging 26 points and adding 8.4 rebounds per game. Fred VanVleet, who shone in the playoffs, is scoring 18.3 points and 7.5 assists per game this season, a perfect replacement for the injured Kyle Lowry.
Another fact that shows the great execution of the plan prepared by the coaching staff is that the Raptors are 9th in the league in shooting from the field, averaging 46.5% and hitting the most three-pointers in the entire league, with 14.5 per game, which is 40.1% of three-pointers.
Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Patrick McCaw and Stanley Johnson are still out for this game.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic will enter this game with their first road win of the season. The Magic had previously lost 7 consecutive road games, but last night they managed to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers, finally ending their road losing streak. Orlando is currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference and has a good chance to challenge for a playoff spot, although potentially not among the strongest teams in the league.
The Orlando Magic are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, averaging just 102.1 points per game, 29th in the league. The team is also 24th in assists with 22.4 per game. Although the team is not brilliant on offense, it is comforting to know that the Magic look good on defense, averaging 103 points per game.
Nikola Vucevic of Montenegro is the team's leading scorer for the second consecutive season, averaging 17.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Frenchman Evan Fournier is playing an increasingly important role, scoring 18.4 points per game. Interestingly, Markelle Fultz, who was considered one of the most promising players in the league and who had shooting problems for a while, seems to have found a team where he can make his presence felt, as he is getting more than 20 minutes per game and averaging 11.4 points per game for the Magic, without really ruining the game.
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Probably the biggest disappointment in the Magic is Aaron Gordon, who, although he was considered the nominal leader of the team going into this season, is scoring just 13 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. With the Western Conference being really weak and the lack of bright stars on the team, Gordon has had plenty of opportunities to shine and earn his star status.
Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon are still out for this game.
Forecast
Although Orlando finally got a win on the road and should go into this game in high spirits, the Raptors can't be compared to their former opponents. Last year's champions show great team play and have a clear leader in Pascal Siakam, who will have absolutely no one to stop in the Magic's ranks with Gordon out. The Magic are just 28th in the league in scoring, so if the Raptors are in the crosshairs, they will likely break the game open and run away with the game. The Raptors have been playing steady and without any memorable holes this season, so they will be the clear favourites in this game and should be able to handle an Orlando team that's been on a roll.
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