Magic at 76ers
Two teams looking to snap long losing streaks meet when the road-weary Orlando Magic visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. The Magic dropped its 16th straight away from home 115-106 against Washington on Tuesday, and Philadelphia has lost 11 consecutive contests overall while allowing an average of 117.4 points. The game will be a showcase for two of the league’s top rookie of the year candidates – Orlando’s Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams of the 76ers.
The Magic play their third game in four nights and are in search of their first win away from home since Dec. 16, trying to improve on a league-worst 3-27 road record. Orlando is expected to be without leading scorer Arron Afflalo for the third straight game due to an ankle injury. Philadelphia, which beat the Magic 126-125 in double overtime at home Dec. 3, has won only three of its 24 games since Jan. 4.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE MAGIC (17-42): Afflalo scored season-high 43 in the last meeting with the 76ers and has been replaced in the starting lineup by Maurice Harkless, who matched a season high with 22 points Tuesday. Oladipo is averaging 22.3 points over his last three outings and has scored 14 points per game overall. Center Nikola Vucevic has recorded double-doubles in nine of the last 13 games since returning from a concussion, and Tobias Harris is averaging 19.2 points in his last five contests, including 28 at Toronto on Sunday.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (15-42): Philadelphia has put up 222 points combined the last two games and have four players putting up solid numbers on the offensive end lately. Thaddeus Young leads the team in scoring (17.5) and has tallied 28 and 30 in the last two games while Carter-Williams recorded 20.6 points per game the last five and averages 17.3 overall. Tony Wroten has totaled 40 points in the last two contests — averaging 13 on the season — and James Anderson has put up 11.8 per game in the last four.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Philadelphia F Danny Granger, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, has yet to play for his new team and is reportedly in buyout talks with the 76ers.
2. Orlando signed C Dewayne Dedmon and G Adonis Thomas to 10-day contracts Tuesday and neither played in their first game.
3. The Magic are 6-2 in the last eight meetings with Philadelphia — splitting a pair this season — and the teams play in Orlando on Sunday.