MEMPHIS – The Orlando Magic know all about being a shorthanded squad and what it takes to win when you’re undermanned.
Several of Orlando’s biggest wins of the season have come when it’s been plagued with injuries, including a thrilling road victory over the defending-champion Denver Nuggets.
With that in mind, the Magic (23-21) will be ready for a hungry, but shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies squad (17-27) when the two teams go head-to-head at FedExForum on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
“It’s exactly why you have to be mindful every single night that you play,” said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. “You have to focus on the opponent in front of you and not look ahead at what the schedule looks like. You take it one game at a time and make sure that you’re following the game plan.”
The Grizzlies are 7-5 in the month of January, despite rolling out 11 different starting lineups in those 12 games. Regardless of who’s been in and out of its rotation, Memphis has made its presence felt on the defensive end of the floor.
“They have guys who are taking advantage of the opportunities that they’ve been given,” Mosley explained. “They have guys who are out, they have injuries, and they have guys who have stepped up when they’re called into the game. (Grizzlies head coach Taylor) Jenkins is giving guys opportunities.”
The grit and grind Grizzlies have the league’s fifth best defensive rating (111.3) this month, and are generating the third-most steals (8.3) and seventh-most blocks (5.8) per game over that span.
Offensively, Memphis is doing its damage from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies have knocked down the second-most total 3-pointers in January, drilling 185 of them.
“They play extremely hard, they turn teams over, and they get out and score off of that,” said Magic point guard Markelle Fultz. “Also, they’re shooting the ball extremely well from three right now. So, they’re getting up a lot of threes. For us, it’s about sticking to our principles.”
The Magic, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss on the second night of a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Orlando had a rest day, followed by two practice days to recover and focus on areas of improvement. The Magic will look to put those areas on display in Memphis.
“We had a great start, but we’ve had a little bit of a rocky stretch right here,” said Magic guard Cole Anthony. “For us, we want to get back to playing our best basketball. I believe, so far, we haven’t played our best basketball this season. To put that in perspective, if we can go forward and play our best basketball, that will give us a great chance in that playoff picture.”
IN AND OUT: Gary Harris (right calf; strain), Kevon Harris (G League – Two-Way), and Jett Howard (G League – On Assignment) are out.
For Memphis, Santi Aldama (right knee; soreness) is questionable, while Steven Adams (right knee; PCL surgery), Desmond Bane (left ankle; sprain), Brandon Clarke (left Achilles; tendon repair), Jake LaRavia (left ankle; sprain), Ja Morant (right shoulder; labral repair), Derrick Rose (left hamstring; strain), and Marcus Smart (right ring finger; central slip tear) are out.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “For our team, we’re going to have to stop turning that ball over so much. For me, I’m going to have to start playing a whole lot better. I think the most important thing we can do is keep dudes on the floor. If we can do that, I think that will give us the best chance to play our best type of basketball.” – Anthony
KEY STATS: The Magic play 22 of their final 38 games against opponents with losing records. Orlando is 13-6 against teams with current losing records this season, including an 8-0 mark against them at Kia Center. Read more about the Magic’s remaining schedule here.