Magic at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors just swept a five-game road trip for the first time since 1978 and are off to the best start in franchise history. The Warriors will try to make it 10 straight wins overall when they return home to host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. The Magic were one of the teams victimized by Golden State on the road trip, when Stephen Curry went off for 28 points and eight assists in a 111-96 triumph last on Wednesday.
Orlando snapped a four-game slide with a 93-90 win at the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and is looking to maintain that effort on the defensive end as their six-game road trip gets tougher with the next two stops at the Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. “Overall we accepted the challenge of being physical (against the Suns),” Magic coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters. “… A really good defensive effort against a team that can really score.” Golden State can really score as well and ranks second in the Western Conference with an average of 107.1 points.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (7-12): Orlando is looking for signs of progress from its young team and rookie point guard Elfrid Payton continues to impress off the bench. Payton leads the team in assists (4.9) despite averaging only 23.9 minutes and filled up the boxscore with seven points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in Sunday’s win. “He’s continuing to understand how to play in this league,” Vaughn told reporters of Payton. “It’s still a process for him. It’s still early in his career. We’re not going to rush things. He accepts the challenge and he’s growing on a nightly basis.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (14-2): The Warriors jumped out early and coasted to a 104-93 win in Detroit on Sunday to complete the road trip and won by an average of 10.6 points on the trip – right in line with their NBA-best plus-10.6 point differential on the season. Curry collected 16 points and 10 assists against the Pistons but left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. X-rays came back negative and Curry, who averaged 25 points on 52.6-percent shooting on the road trip, is expected to play Tuesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Orlando’s win in Phoenix was its fifth on the road, eclipsing the total from last season (4-37).
2. Golden State’s 13 wins in November ties for the most in any month since the team moved to the West Coast in 1962-63.
3. Warriors F Harrison Barnes scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the win over the Magic last week.