The Warriors continue the back-to-back in Florida, play the Magic on Thursday.
Warriors at MagicThursday, February 284:00 p.m.Amway CenterOrlando, FL
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BRING THE MAGIC
The Warriors will have little time to prepare for the next game as they swing into action Thursday night on the back end of a back-to-back in Florida. Next up: the Orlando Magic. This will be the second game of the two-game series between the two squads, and the Dubs took the first one 116-110 in comeback fashion. Kevin Durant keyed the comeback effort with 49 points and Klay Thompson added 29 in the win, while Nikola Vucevic put up 30 points for Orlando. Neither Stephen Curry or DeMarcus Cousins played in that November matchup, but both are expected to take the floor on Thursday.
LAST TIME OUTThe Warriors overcame a 24-point deficit and took the lead in the fourth quarter, but Dwyane Wade banked home a three-pointer at the buzzer to hand the Warriors a stunning 126-125 defeat. In addition to spoiling what would have been the Dubs’ largest comeback victory of the season, it also left a bitter taste on a brilliant night from Klay Thompson, who paced the team with 36 points on 14-for-23 shooting. » Full Game Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney
ORL: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, Jonathan Isaac and D.J. Augustin
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Kevin Durant (rest), Andre Iguodala (illness), and Damian Jones (left pectoral surgery) are out. Team Notes
ORL: Isaiah Briscoe (concussion) is TBD. Tomofey Mozgov (knee), Mo Bamba (tibia stess fracture), and Markelle Fultz (shoulder) are out. Team Notes
DURANT TO GET SOME REST
Kevin Durant had what was then a season-high 49 points when the Warriors last played the Magic, but that won’t happen again on Thursday. While the Magic do have a solid defense – more on that later – Orlando’s defensive schemes will not factor in limiting KD’s production. Rather, it’ll be a case of load management. Durant will sit out Thursday’s game due to rest, marking the first game he has missed all season. Andre Iguodala will also sit out with an illness, leaving the Dubs shorthanded on the back end of this back-to-back, which also presents an opportunity for the likes of Alfonzo McKinnie and Shaun Livingston. What they and other Warriors do with that opportunity will surely impact how this inter-conference matchup goes down.
TEAM LEADERS
ORLANDO SCOUTING REPORT
Orlando is sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and like the Dubs’ first two opponents on this road trip, they figure to be in a battle for one of the final spots in the Eastern Conference. The Magic have won eight of their last 11 games and leading the way is first time All-Star Nikola Vucevic, who paces the squad in scoring (20.6 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg). San Jose native Aaron Gordon (15.8 ppg), Evan Fournier (15.0 ppg) and Terrence Ross (14.7 ppg) offer further scoring depth, but he Magic’s greatest strength is their defense. They are third in the league in defensive rating in wins, allowing 100.0 points per 100 possessions in their victories this season.