Magic at Suns
The Orlando Magic had all sorts of trouble Tuesday despite facing a Golden State Warriors team missing two of its key players. The Magic could be in for an even tougher night Wednesday as they face a completely healthy and rested Phoenix Suns team in Arizona. Orlando struggled in the middle quarters of a 103-89 loss to Golden State, which was without starting small forward Andre Iguodala (knee tendinitis) and center Andrew Bogut (left ankle inflammation).
The Suns return home following an East Coast road swing that started well but ended with a thud. Phoenix fell behind by double digits early and couldn't recover on the way to a 108-95 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, prompting an irate response from head coach Jeff Hornacek. "We can't have these semi-efforts on nights," he told reporters. "We had terrible effort. This team has a bunch of All-Stars on it. This should have been a big game to get hyped up."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSFL (Orlando), FSAZ (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (19-49): The Milwaukee Bucks have the inside track on finishing with the worst record in the NBA, while the Philadelphia 76ers have lost 21 consecutive games and will likely give the Bucks a spirited run for the league's lowest win total. But when it comes to road futility, neither team measures up to the Magic, who are an NBA-worst 4-31 away from Orlando. They have been particularly terrible in Western Conference cities, going 0-12 with just three chances left to break the goose-egg — Wednesday in Phoenix, Saturday in Utah and Sunday against the host Lakers.
ABOUT THE SUNS (38-29): The Suns have played solid basketball at home this season, but they know they'll need to be even better there if they hope to reach the postseason. Phoenix enters Wednesday's action with a record of 22-13 at US Airways Center, but is eager to atone for the subpar performance it gave in its previous home game — a 110-101 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The stay in Arizona is a short one; Phoenix hosts Orlando and Detroit before visiting Minnesota and making a return trip to the East with games against Atlanta and Washington.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix upended Orlando 104-96 on Nov. 24 to end the Magic's five-game winning streak in the series.
2. The Suns will play nine of their final 15 games away from Phoenix.
3. Orlando PF Nikola Vucevic saw his string of double-digit rebounding games end at nine, hauling in just five boards versus Golden State.