Jazz at Magic
The road-weary Orlando Magic open a four-game homestand when they entertain the Utah Jazz on Friday. The home contest will be only the 10th all season for Orlando, which has played a league-high 19 road games. “Hopefully we can go home and focus on the task at hand,” Magic coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters. “We have to protect our home floor and at the same time we’ve got to get better in some areas that will give us a chance to do so.”
Utah won for only the second time in 14 games when it rolled to a 105-87 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The Jazz shot a season-best 56 percent from 3-point range and controlled the Heat from the outset. “We’re going to play hard and compete and give effort,” Utah coach Quin Snyder told reporters. “It’s nice when that gets rewarded.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (7-19): Small forward Gordon Hayward poured in 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 3-attempts, in the convincing win over Miami. Center Enes Kanter is also playing well and scored 18 points, bringing his average to 20.5 points over his past four games. Power forward Derrick Favors returned from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury to score 11 points and Favors had 21 points and 13 rebounds when the Jazz played the Magic earlier this month.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (10-18): Orlando has lost four of five games after suffering a 109-92 loss to the Boston Celtics and forward Channing Frye wasn’t pleased with the squad’s mental toughness. “Right now, this is just something that we’re going through and it’s frustrating,” Frye told reporters. “We have to play a certain way with a certain level of – I don’t want to say fear – but a certain level of urgency. We just don’t have that now.” Center Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 13 rebounds against Boston for his second double-double in three games since returning from a back injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Orlando snapped a seven-game losing streak against Utah when it posted a 98-93 victory on Dec. 5.
2. The Jazz are 3-10 on the road after winning in Miami.
3. Magic F Tobias Harris scored 22 points against Utah earlier this month as one of his 10 20-point outings this season.