Magic at Clippers
The Orlando Magic dropped a heartbreaker at Golden State on Tuesday and will try to bounce back when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Magic had a win in their sights before Stephen Curry buried a game-winning 3-pointer, giving them their fifth loss in six games. The Clippers are winners of five straight and are dominating the competition with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points during the streak.
Los Angeles returned from a 6-1 road trip and crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-101 on Monday behind 23 points apiece from J.J. Redick and Blake Griffin. “Our defense is sort of starting to find itself,” Clippers point guard Chris Paul told reporters. “I think the last three or four games of that road trip, we really started to build that trust. That’s when we’re at our best, getting out in transition and moving the ball.” Orlando leading scorer and rebounder Nikola Vucevic is day-to-day after getting scratched late on Tuesday with back spasms.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (7-13): Orlando got a season-high 27 points from Victor Oladipo and season highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds from Kyle O’Quinn on Tuesday but could not fend off a 14-4 run finishing off the game for the Warriors in a 98-97 setback. The Magic were looking for back-to-back wins on their six-game trip but instead fell to 1-2 after dropping the opener at Indiana and pulling out a tight win at Phoenix on Sunday. Orlando has not reached 100 points in any of its last six contests.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (12-5): Los Angeles stopped by Orlando on its last road trip and eased to a 114-90 win behind 20 points from Griffin and 22 from Jamal Crawford. “We’re going to keep getting better,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “I just think our offense is so much better. … Once you start making open shots, then the defense has to react to that and it allows other things to happen.” Los Angeles is tied for fifth in the league in scoring average (105.1) and is putting up 111.2 points during its five-game winning streak.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have taken four of the last six in the series, including the last two by an average of 22 points.
2. Oladipo is 21-of-32 from the floor in the last three games.
3. Los Angeles C DeAndre Jordan is 9-of-9 from the field in the last two games.