Magic at Heat
Both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat will be trying to rebound from losses to the Los Angeles Clippers when the two Florida-based teams meet Monday in Miami. The Heat were the first to lose to the Western Conference power by dropping a 122-117 decision Friday night, falling to 20-2 at home.
Guards Kendrick Nunn (Achilles) and Goran Dragic (calf) both missed the contest, while Dion Waiters scored 14 points in his season debut after serving three suspensions. "We need everybody and inevitably during a long NBA season you need everybody to contribute," coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "It's not always necessarily going to be on your terms." The Magic, playing hours after the NBA world was rocked by the news of Kobe Bryant's sudden death, offered much less resistance to the Clippers in Sunday's 112-97 setback. Michael Carter-Williams scored 15 points to lead Orlando, which capped an 0-3 homestand with the loss.
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Florida, FSN Sun, NBA TV Canada
ABOUT THE MAGIC (21-26): Orlando is 2-5 since veteran point guard D.J. Augustin went down with a knee injury. Carter-Williams is trying to fill some of the gaps and chipped in eight assists along with seven rebounds while committing zero turnovers in 23 minutes during Sunday's loss. Fellow reserve Terrence Ross, who scored 25 points in a 20-point win against Miami at home earlier this month, was held to eight against the Clippers while shooting 3-of-15 - 0-of-6 from 3-point range.
ABOUT THE HEAT (31-14): Waiters and Duncan Robinson combined to hit 9-of-17 from 3-point range against Los Angeles, but their teammates were 4-of-27. That, combined with a triple-double for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, was enough to give Miami its first home loss since Dec. 13. "We've built a place where it's hard to win here and if you're going to win here you've got to do some extravagant things," Center Bam Adebayo told reporters. "And they've got a player over there (in Leonard) that actually did that tonight."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Heat SF Jimmy Butler, who had 20 points in Friday's loss, is questionable for this one due to an ankle injury.
2. Magic C Nikola Vucevic is 11-of-32 from the floor over the last two games.
3. Miami hit 7-of-37 from behind the 3-point arc in the 105-85 loss at Orlando on Jan. 3.