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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| MAGIC | 25 | 21 | 34 | 23 | 103 |
| JAZZ | 26 | 30 | 12 | 26 | 94 |
Preview:
After a tough loss Friday night in Phoenix, the Magic look to rebound tonight when they take on the Utah Jazz at 9 p.m. in Salt Lake City. Utah stands at 15-9 and continue to chase down the division-leading Trail Blazers.
While the Magic took on a team that loses nearly every statistical category on Monday (Los Angeles Clippers), the Jazz are the exact opposite. The only category they are not defeating their opponents in is blocked shots, as they average 4.5 per game compared to 5.3 for their opponents. Jerry Sloan is one of the top coaches in the history of the game and has his team performing extremely well as a unit on the court.
The Jazz are another team that shoots the ball very well and currently rank second in the NBA in shooting percentage with an average of 48.1 percent. They have a whopping seven players averaging double figures, led by Carlos Boozer’s 20.5 ppg. He is also averaging a team-leading 11.7 boards a night. Since his return from injury, Deron Williams’ shooting has struggled but he continues to dish out 10-plus assists per night – 10.3 to be exact. That number is a main reason why Utah is the top assist team in the league with 24.87 per game, far ahead of the second-ranked Toronto Raptors (23.31 apg.).
Orlando’s defense will be tested for a second consecutive night by an efficient offensive team. The Magic will need to continue their defensive prowess to win this game and put some points on the board in the meantime.
The Jazz have shown that they can be susceptible on the defensive end, so Orlando may be able to score more than 100 points. That would be a great sign for Stan Van Gundy’s team, as they have lost only once when hitting triple digits.
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Keys to the game:
Dwight Howard playing: Howard played sparingly in last night's loss to the Suns and he is listed as day-to-day with a sore left knee. He is, however, listed as the probable starter at the center position. It was easy to see that the Orlando defense is just not the same without him roaming the paint. Having Howard play, and play effective, is extremely important to the Magic defense. That is a critical factor in a game against a strong offensive team like the Jazz.
3-point shooting: The Magic have taken nearly double the amount of 3-pointers than the Jazz have this season and shoot it at a higher clip as well. Getting a few extra points from beyond the arc should play an important role in this game. The Magic usually live or die by the three, and in a game in which they hold the advantage from downtown, they will need to use it to their advantage.
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Game Notes:
Dec. 13 @ Utah: Orlando is 16-23 vs. Utah (10-10 at home, 6-13 at Utah) during regular season action, including 0-2 last season...Orlando has won eight of the last 13 regular season meetings overall...Orlando has won six of the last nine matchups at home and split the last six in Salt Lake City.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. JAZZ: 43 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Orlando, 2-18-04)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 40 pts., Karl Malone (@ Orlando, 3-12-03)
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