The 32-14 Phoenix Suns host the 29-25 Orlando Magic tonight.
Phoenix will be missing its franchise cornerstone in Devin Booker that along with newcomers Cole Anthony and Haywood Highsmith not yet being available.
Orlando will look to keep the hot hand lit after setting a team record in 3pt shooting behind franchise cornerstone Paolo Banchero and newcomer backup point guard Jevon Carter, with Orlando now living with the new reality of missing its costar Franz Wagner for at least three weeks.
How will the Magic capitalize on the momentum from their last win and depth advantage without losing sight at the task at hand?
Suns injury report vs. Magic:
OUT: Devin Booker (right hip strain), Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury), Cole Anthony (not with team).
QUESTIONABLE: Grayson Allen (right ankle sprain) #Suns pic.twitter.com/esDvkl7Wb6
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 21, 2026
3 Keys to a Magic Win
1.Contain Dillon Brooks as a shooter and scorer, force him to pass
Dillon Brooks drives
Feb 11, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard/forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half of the game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Dillon Brooks has flat out improved this season.
From defensive ace to a bucket-getting scoring option, Brooks is hitting 34% of his 7 threes per game on the way to scoring 21 points per game.
While Brooks has taken a leap as a scorer, he'll be asked to do a lot for the Suns offense with Booker out; forcing the ball out of his hands is best.
Make Brooks beat you with the pass, where he turns the ball over just as much as he creates assists.
Run him off the 3pt line, force him into tough shots, throw different defenses at him to confuse him and even double him if Phoenix doesn't have enough play-finishers and shooters on the floor to make you pay.
2.Draw fouls, don't turn the ball over, win the rebounding battle
Suggs celebrates
Feb 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) gestures after scoring a three point basket against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Phoenix walks in with the 12th-best point differential to Orlando's 17th-rated PD.
The Magic's 19th-ranked offense has a huge edge in drawing fouls and on the offensive glass, with a potential threat to watch out for in the Suns' ability to force turnovers; this rag-tag group in Phoenix plays hard defensively, rating 11th overall and 3rd in the league at forcing turnovers.
Orlando's 14th-rated defense is fairly even with Phoenix's 13th-rated offense; while Phoenix has the edge in scoring efficiency, both teams rate pretty evenly across the board on that end otherwise.
The Magic hitting hard on their advantages in drawing fouls, winning the rebounding battle, and playing safe with the ball on offense to help win the margins in turnovers and points off turnovers will help secure the victory.
3.See if Jevon Carter's hot hand stays hot
Jevon Carter defense
Feb 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) controls the ball against Orlando Magic guard Jevon Carter (2) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Keep playing Jevon Carter with the second unit and with the play-finishers in the starting lineup as a steady hand who a) guards his yard, b) finds the open man, and c) confidently takes and makes open shots.
Against Sacramento, Carter scored 14 points on 83% TS% with 4 assists and 1 steal off the bench.
The Magic's offense just hummed a little smoother with him out there, not as some fix-everything savior, but as the 4th option in the depth chart fitting into the team's identity as yet another defense-first, pass-first, open shot-hitting guard behind Suggs, Bane and Black.
Jase Richardson will still have opportunities as an electrifying rookie with pristine shooting touch, point guard savvy, and sound two-way instincts, but Orlando has been searching for a proven rotation-level win-now point guard to keep the offense moving, set everyone up as play-finishers, who holds their own defensively.
The Magic have needed a point guard who can pass, shoot, and defend, maybe even score a little, while just not being a negative on either end and making life easier for the rest of the lineup; Jevon Carter looks like that answer at backup point guard that Orlando's been searching for.
See if his hot play continues against the Suns' second unit with Phoenix already lacking depth; could we see the Carters develop chemistry in P&R on top of Jevon's ready-made role as an off-ball D&3 team-first connector?