Magic at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers will be aiming to bounce back from a severe beating when they host the Orlando Magic on Friday. The Lakers were annihilated by the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, trailing by as many as 43 before losing 114-89 and embarrassing coach Byron Scott. “They are a very good team but I don’t consider them a physical basketball team,” Scott told reporters. “But they came out and punched us and we were soft. Period.”
The Lakers have lost nine of 12 games and Orlando is having its own problems with four consecutive defeats. The Magic have scored 90 or fewer points in three of the defeats and have lost 11 of their last 15 games. Orlando could get its offense untracked against a Los Angeles squad that has allowed 100 or more points in 10 of its last 12 games.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), TWC SportsNet (Lakers)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (13-25): Second-year guard Victor Oladipo is growing tired of the continual losing as a young team looks to build and improve. “We’ve got to start getting wins,” Oladipo told reporters after the loss to Denver. “At the end of the day, moral victories are kind of getting old with this group. We have to carry (the effort) over with this group and find a way to get wins.” Oladipo has been playing well with an average of 18.6 points over the last five games, with two 20-point efforts.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-25): Guard Kobe Bryant is scheduled to play after having a horrific showing against the Clippers, scoring four points on 2-of-12 shooting and committing six turnovers. Small forward Nick Young is questionable after undergoing X-rays on his right knee Thursday while point guard Ronnie Price (broken nose) is expected to play after missing one game and small forward Wesley Johnson (hip flexor) is questionable after missing the previous two games. “I don’t know how effective he’ll be,” Scott told reporters about Young. "Hopefully the swelling goes down a little bit and (Friday) he’s a little bit more mobile.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Lakers are 19-5 at home against the Magic.
2. Orlando F Channing Frye (elbow) is questionable to play against the Lakers after going scoreless in back-to-back games.
3. Los Angeles PF Jordan Hill has 13 double-doubles, two shy of his career high set last season.