Who: Phoenix Suns (12-10) @ Orlando Magic (16-9)
When: 4:30pm Arizona Time
Where: Kia Center — Orlando, Florida
Watch: AZFamily, Suns Live
Listen: KMVP 98.7
No rest for the weary, although after this game against the third-best team in the Eastern Conference, won’t play again until next Saturday.
After losing to the Heat on Saturday night, the Suns now face a Magic team that has been without its star, Paolo Banchero, since October 30. Despite his absence, Orlando has thrived, boasting a 13-7 record behind Franz Wagner’s 24.4 points per game and a tenacious, physical defense. The Magic lead the league in opponent points per game (103.0) and rank third in defensive rating (106.1).
But now the Magic have been dealt another blow, as Wagner, too, is out with an oblique tear and has no timetable for return.
Just in: Orlando Magic star forward Franz Wagner has suffered a torn right oblique and is out indefinitely, sources tell ESPN. Wagner sustained the injury Friday night and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. pic.twitter.com/PNYmB0VnyS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2024
The Suns and Magic have already met once this season, with Phoenix falling 109-99 on November 18. In that game, the Suns endured their second-worst three-point shooting performance of the year, connecting on just 29.3% from beyond the arc, and posted their second-lowest point total. Orlando controlled the pace through relentless defensive pressure, and the Suns, missing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, failed to counter.
This reflects a recurring issue for the Suns this season. And in years past. No matter how much talent a team has, if it cannot impose its style of play on the opposition and instead allows the other team to dictate terms, that talent becomes inconsequential.
Orlando is dealing with injuries right now, which should, in theory, make them an easy target for the Suns. But this is precisely where concern creeps in. The Suns have a tendency to let their guard down when facing a team at a disadvantage as if the path to victory will simply unfold on its own. They lose their mental edge, approaching the game with complacency, and the result is all too predictable: another frustrating loss followed by postgame remarks like, “We should’ve been more focused.”
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
Kevin Durant — OUT (Ankle)
Jusuf Nurkic — OUT (Thigh Contusion)
Ryan Dunn — QUESTIONABLE (Ankle)
Collin Gillespie — OUT (Right Ankle Sprain)
Magic
Paolo Bacnhero — OUT (Torn Right Oblique)
Franz Wagner — OUT (Torn Right Oblique)
Garry Harris — OUT (Left Hamstring Strain)
Jonathan Issac — QUESTIONABLE (Sore Right Hamstring)
Uniform Matchup
Those City Edition uniforms for the Magic are...something. Magical?
What to Watch For
Can the Suns withstand the physicality?
Orlando is one of those teams that annoy. Pester. Frustrate. They bump you off your spots, disrupt your rhythm, and force you into uncomfortable shot-making situations. That’s what the great defensive teams do. Conversely, they are the least fouled team in the NBA while shooting the third-most free throws per game. Prepare for the annoyance as well.
The Suns are not physical. At all. Who is our most physical player? Grayson Allen? You would define them as finesse, and unfortunately, physical beats finesse with regularity.
Think back to last night. The Phinesse Suns shot 46% from deep in the first half. But when the second half began, the Miami Heat made the correct adjustment: play physical. Bump. Poke. Prod. They knew the officials weren’t going to call them all. The result? Miami outscored the Suns 68-53 in the second half while holding Phoenix to 29% from deep.
The recipe to beat the Suns is not hard. And Orlando is designed to do it.
Key to a Suns Win
Finesse. The only way Phoenix can overcome the physicality of the Magic, knowing that if they attempt to fight physical with physical they will not be rewarded with a whistle, is with their finesse shooting.
In their last matchup with Orlando, the Suns struggled mightily from beyond the arc, hitting just 12-of-41 three-pointers. Of those attempts, 25 (61%) were wide open, yet they converted only 32% (8-of-25). If Phoenix hopes to come out on top this time, capitalizing on open looks from deep will be crucial.
Lean into who you are.
Prediction
The Magic, along with their fanbase, is hurting. No Paolo, no Franz. Their young talent has been taken from hem, both suffering the same abnormal injury. They should be downtrodden and disengaged. But we all know the recipe for feeling good about your basketball team is playing a KD-less Suns team.
Magic 105, Suns 98