Timberwolves at Magic
The Orlando Magic's winning streak ended with a disappointing performance, and they will try to get back on track with seven of their next 10 games at home, starting with a visit from the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Magic won three straight before shooting 38.8 percent and getting outrebounded 62-44 in a 112-80 loss at Chicago on Monday.
“It was bad,” Orlando leading scorer Evan Fournier told reporters. “There’s nothing else to say.” The Magic started the season strong in 2015-16 before a brutal run around the holidays took them out of the playoff chase, and they'll try to avoid a repeat with a better defensive effort under first-year coach Frank Vogel, but they are allowing 102 points per game early on. The Timberwolves have lost all four of their games on the road, including Tuesday’s 119-110 setback at Brooklyn in which they allowed 55.3 percent shooting. Andrew Wiggins, who scored a career-high 36 on Tuesday, and Karl-Anthony Towns both are averaging more than 20 points for Minnesota.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (1-5): Wiggins, Towns and guard Zach LaVine have been consistent forces, and Tuesday was no different as the trio combined for 74 of the team’s 110 points. Point guard Ricky Rubio (elbow) is out, taking away another offensive weapon, and rookie guard Kris Dunn has struggled over the last three games while missing 12-of-15 shots from the floor. Power forward Gorgui Dieng got off to a strong start as he averaged 14.3 points and 11 rebounds over the first three games, but he has dropped to six and 4.7 in his last three contests.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (3-4): Forward Serge Ibaka, Orlando’s biggest acquisition in the offseason, is second on the team with an average of 13.3 points over the first seven games of the campaign. Fournier leads the way at 17.4 points per contest and center Nikola Vucevic is averaging a double-double (12.3 points, 10.7 rebounds) while Aaron Gordon (11.6 points) also is producing in the early going. Point guard Elfrid Payton has cooled off substantially over the last three games, going 7-of-24 from the field after averaging 14.8 points over his first four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Magic have won five straight meetings with the Timberwolves but took both last season by a total of six points.
2. Wiggins drained a career-best six 3-pointers on Tuesday and is 12-of-18 from beyond the arc overall this season.
3. Orlando ranked in the bottom five of the league in 3-point shooting at 30.4 percent entering Tuesday’s games.