Magic at Thunder
THE STORY: Expectations are high in Oklahoma City as the Thunder enter the season as one of the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. That quest begins in earnest Sunday night as the Thunder entertain the Orlando Magic in the season opener for both teams. Oklahoma City rode one of the youngest rosters in the league to a berth in the Western Conference finals a season ago - and with the core of the team still intact, a conference title may not be out of the question. "Chemistry is a big part of winning," says Thunder superstar Kevin Durant. "We continue to grow as a group. We didn't make any really big changes. We stayed together." The same can be said to some degree for the Magic, though that may not remain the case for long. Rumors continue to swirl around the possible future destination of franchise center Dwight Howard, who has waffled over whether he's interested in signing long-term with Orlando or heading elsewhere. That uncertainty may torpedo the team's chances of competing for the East title, though Howard's talent alone will win them more than a handful of games throughout the season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, TSN2
ABOUT THE MAGIC (2010-11: 52-30): Howard's concerns about the quality of the roster being built around him haven't been addressed - at least, not to his satisfaction. The team opted to amnesty guard Gilbert Arenas, then dealt Brandon Bass to Boston for fellow big man Glen Davis. The rest of the core cast remains the same, with Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson manning the backcourt and Howard joined up front by Hedo Turkoglu and either Davis or Ryan Anderson.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (2010-11: 55-27): Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks doesn't want to mess with a good thing. As a result, fans should expect to see the exact same starting five the Thunder trotted out at the end of last season. Durant is joined by versatile point guard Russell Westbrook, forming a sensational 1-2 scoring punch. Add in shot-blocking specialist Serge Ibaka and top-flight sixth man James Harden, and the Thunder should challenge for the West crown.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The teams split a pair of meetings last season, with the home team prevailing each time.
2. Durant has averaged just 21 points in seven career games against the Magic, his lowest total against any NBA team.
3. Howard averaged 39.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and four blocks in two games against the Thunder a season ago.