Magic at Grizzlies
The Orlando Magic are fighting for their playoff lives and opened a stretch against sub-.500 teams with a win. They'll try to make it two straight in the favorable seven-game span when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
After dropping the finale of a three-game road trip at the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando bounced back to knock off the Dallas Mavericks 111-106 at home Friday night, although the Magic limped to the finish line in that one and nobody was in a celebratory mood after the game. "We just played sloppy, defensively, offensively, (not) taking care of the ball," forward Aaron Gordon told reporters after his team stayed within a game of eighth-place Miami for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "We just weren't locked in. (Coach Steve Clifford) expects more from us and we expect more from ourselves." The Grizzlies are far from playoff contention in the West but aren't playing like a team ready to throw in the towel, winning four of their last six and opening up their current homestand with victories over West contenders Portland and Utah. Mike Conley finished with 28 points and 11 assists in Friday's 114-104 win over the Jazz as Memphis evened its home record at 17-17.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), FS Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (31-36): Terrence Ross scored 22 points in 28 minutes off the bench in the win over the Mavericks, drilling 6-of-11 3-pointers to lead a solid perimeter attack that covered up issues elsewhere. "If they shoot the ball the way they normally do, we lose this game," Clifford told the media. "We got outplayed. They just didn't shoot the ball as well as we did." All-Star center Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds and is two double-doubles shy of reaching 50 in a season for the first time in his career.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (27-40): Conley made a career out of his solid play alongside longtime Memphis center Marc Gasol, and the veteran point guard has found a rhythm with big man Jonas Valanciunas, who was acquired from Toronto in the trade that sent Gasol away last month. "We're finding that chemistry," Valanciunas told the media after posting 27 points against the Jazz. "We're finding how we play together. How we share the ball. Each game, we're getting (those) small details. It comes with experience, and we're slowly getting that experience." Conley is averaging 34 points in two games since sitting out a loss to Oklahoma City last Sunday while Valanciunas averages 19.2 points on 61.5 percent shooting in nine games with the Grizzlies.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Orlando PG Isaiah Briscoe is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
2. Grizzlies PF Ivan Rabb is 14-for-19 from the floor over his last four games.
3. The Magic have won three straight meetings. The teams play again March 22 in Orlando.