Pregame Report from AdventHealth Coaching Heart
ORLANDO – During the last decade, no workforce within the league has received extra video games than the Golden State Warriors.
Over that timeframe, they’ve not solely racked up six Western Convention titles, but in addition an astounding 4 NBA championships.
So, for a younger and upcoming workforce that at the moment lacks postseason expertise, there’s arguably no higher check to arrange for the postseason than getting the prospect to go head-to-head with the battle-tested Warriors.
Orlando (42-29) will get that chance on Wednesday when it faces off with Golden State (37-34) at Kia Heart at 7 p.m. ET.
“They’ve been champs,” mentioned Magic middle Wendell Carter Jr. “They know what it takes to get there. They know what it takes to win a championship. They know what sort of sport they need to have (towards us on Wednesday).”
The Magic will likely be going up towards a Warriors squad that’s hungry for victories. Golden State at the moment sits on the 10th spot within the West and will definitely be seeking to climb up the postseason ladder.
“They’re tremendous harmful,” mentioned Magic guard Markelle Fultz. “Any time you’ve Klay Thompson, Steph (Curry), Draymond (Inexperienced) and people guys on the workforce, they’re at all times going to be a menace. (Now we have to) go in there locked into the sport plan and do what we have to do. So long as we try this, I believe we’ve a fantastic probability … to get a win.”
Orlando, in the meantime, will likely be seeking to bounce again from a troublesome defeat towards the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Magic had various possibilities down the stretch, however on account of premature fouls and some missed possibilities across the rim, they got here up simply quick.
Orlando has used its three days in between video games to get better, reset, and evaluation its errors, because it makes an attempt to return out and ship its finest effort towards Golden State.
“We’ve been actually locked in on this subsequent sport towards Golden State (and) our sport plan going into that,” mentioned Fultz. “We’ve been mentally getting ready ourselves, in addition to bodily.”
The Magic are on the level within the season the place each sport issues, particularly within the postseason standings. Orlando at the moment holds the fifth seed within the East, is simply one-and-a-half video games out of the third spot and simply two video games forward of sixth.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Our space of focus (in shootaround) was sport planning. Understanding Steph and Klay and what they’re able to doing at any given time all through the sport. Realizing you’re not going to cease guys like that, however you simply need to make their jobs troublesome. It’s a workforce effort. You’re not going to have one man guarding them. And likewise, (being prepared) for the opposite play making that these different guys make all through the sport. They’ve three or 4 guys taking part in actually good basketball proper now.”
IN AND OUT: Caleb Houstan (left ankle; sprain) is questionable, whereas Gary Harris (proper plantar fascia; pressure), Kevon Harris (G League – Two-Manner), Jett Howard (G League – On Task), and Trevelin Queen (G League – Two-Manner) are out for Orlando.
Golden State’s harm report just isn’t but submitted.
KEY STATS: Since Jan. 28, the Magic are a powerful 19-7 (.731). That’s the third-best profitable share within the NBA over that span, trailing solely the Boston Celtics (22-4) and Denver Nuggets (19-6).