The Orlando Magic are gearing up for another trip across the border as they prepare to clash with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. This will be the second meeting between the two teams this month. Orlando triumphed in their first encounter on January 3rd with a 106-97 victory, despite losing guard Jalen Suggs to a back strain in the second quarter, who remains sidelined for the upcoming game.
In addition to Suggs, the Magic were missing key players Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol), Jett Howard (ankle sprain), Gary Harris (hamstring strain), and Moritz Wagner (torn left ACL) during their 113-100 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Bitadze will not be available on Tuesday, while Howard and Harris remain questionable.
The Magic’s injury woes extend further with Franz Wagner, who missed Sunday’s game and continues reconditioning from a torn oblique suffered on December 6th. Wagner is expected to return within the next week.
In Sunday’s loss, Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 16 points and 13 rebounds, stepping in for Bitadze, who had put up 11 points and 13 rebounds in the previous win over Toronto. Paolo Banchero, who has averaged 25.2 points per game but has played only 10 games due to a torn oblique, managed 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting against Denver.
The Raptors, on the other hand, have not played since their 130-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Toronto had previously won two consecutive games after enduring a five-game losing streak. However, injuries still plague the Raptors, with Immanuel Quickley (hip) missing his fourth straight game and Ochai Agbaji (hand) sitting out his second.
Trade rumors add another layer of complexity for the Raptors, with guard/forward Bruce Brown potentially on the block. Brown, who is regaining form post-knee surgery, scored 17 points off the bench on Friday. Kelly Olynyk, contributing 15 points as a reserve, may also be included in trade discussions.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 21 points and 10 assists against Milwaukee. He currently averages 22.4 points per game. Scottie Barnes, with a near triple-double performance of 10 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl, who added 12 points and 10 rebounds, will look to make significant contributions.
Orlando has enjoyed recent success against Toronto, winning the last four consecutive matchups between the two teams.
