Orlando vs Los Angeles Clippers Prediction: the Magic Won't Work on the Road

The Magic and Clippers are 29th and 30th in the NBA in scoring average, respectively, so there's reason to expect what may be the most boring game of the season. Will the return of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George make a difference?

The Magic went into a rebuild a year and a half ago and has yet to spread their wings. Orlando has a strong core of young players, but half of them get hurt from time to time. Mo Bamba, Jaylen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., Chuma Okeke, Gary Harris, and Jonathan Isaac all missed the last game against Milwaukee. It is still being determined if they will be back in action in time. Moritz Wagner is out because of this staffing situation. He's been hitting 12.3 points per game over the past week, and that's 2nd best on the team behind Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Despite the absence of his two primary centers, the coach benched Bol Bol in the game against the Bucks. The result was two blocked shots per game, compared to the Magic's season average of five. Orlando lost 102-109 to the Bucks, and four players combined for 84 of 102 points: Moritz Wagner (19 points), Markelle Fultz (20), Paolo Banchero (20), and Franz Wagner (25). The Magic had 15 rebounds and won the game in the paint, but what good is that when they can't finish off the scoring? Even though Cole Anthony failed every shot, he attempted nine times, and Banchero also missed a lot. The loss to Milwaukee was Orlando's 9th straight, so the team feels increasingly confident in last place in the Western Conference.

Ironically, the NBA's worst team has seven players averaging 10+ points on the season. Orlando has nine of those players at once, so we're in for a genuinely fantastic showdown. While Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were in the infirmary, the Clippers looked miserable. The players felt like the ball dropped out of their hands, and the game against Sacramento State (96-123) was especially telling in that regard.

The club's leaders finally returned to action, with Luke Kennard recovering from injury and Norman Powell being the most significant loss. With George and Leonard, the Clippers had trouble defeating a noticeably weakened Charlotte on the road, 119-117. Kawhi Leonard finally logged more than 25 minutes on the floor and looked better. Paul George, with 19 points, was the most productive player on the team, and Nicolas Batum was worth mentioning as well, hitting four three-pointers. Thanks to him, the team shot 40% from beyond the arc.

The Clippers' last game against Charlotte was quick-paced, and we can expect something similar now. There is no point in the Los Angeles defense overloading their leaders, as they just recovered from injury. In some stretches of the game against Sacramento, the Clippers broke down the defense quickly, but there were problems. Orlando had the Wagner brothers in great form and a capable playmakers. The Magic could have done a better job resisting Milwaukee had they made open three-pointers. Jamahl Mosley's team feels more confident at home, so we can expect a high-scoring performance. 

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