Lakers at Magic
The Orlando Magic will have a new coach at the helm Friday when they host the Los Angeles Lakers after Jacque Vaughn was fired on Thursday. Assistant James Borrego takes over on an interim basis as the Magic tries to snap a season-high, 10-game losing streak that led to the end of Vaughn’s 2 ½-year tenure, which included a 15-37 start to each of the last two seasons and a 58-158 overall mark. The injury-plagued Lakers are in a similar funk while winning once in their last 12 games.
The Magic showed some promise with a young roster earlier this season at times, but have dropped 16 of their last 18 games and allowed at least 100 points in 14 straight contests. Los Angeles beat Orlando 101-84 on Jan. 9 at home and must deal with 7-0 center Nikola Vucevic, who is second in the league in double-doubles (30). Carlos Boozer is coming off a season-high 28 points in the Lakers’ 113-105 overtime loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (13-36): Boozer is averaging 21 points over the last three games and Wayne Ellington has come up big as well, scoring 19.3 per contest in the past four with leading scorer Kobe Bryant (shoulder) out for the season. Nick Young is the team’s top active scorer (14.2) while coming off the bench in all of his 36 outings and Boozer is second (12.6). Jordan Hill, who averages 12.3 points and a team-high eight rebounds, is out with a hip injury and is not expected to return for at least two weeks.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (15-37): The firing of Vaughn comes after one of Orlando’s better efforts during the losing streak, but defending NBA champion San Antonio executed better down the stretch in a 110-103 victory Wednesday. Vucevic (19.6 points, 11.3 rebounds) continues to produce along with Tobias Harris (17.1 points) and Victor Oladipo (16.7). The next coach gets the job of developing point guard Elfrid Payton (team-high 5.8 assists), who was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January.
BUZZER-BEATERS
1. The Lakers have dropped eight straight games on the road and the Magic lost nine of their last 10 at home.
2. Orlando F Aaron Gordon, who missed two months with a fractured left foot earlier in the season, sat out Wednesday’s game with soreness in the same foot.
3. Los Angeles G Jeremy Lin scored 18 points in the first meeting with Orlando this season and has not had more than 14 in 12 games since.