Monday, February 10, 2025
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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (24-24) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (18-29)

The Orlando Magic are experiencing unexpected hurdles as they strive for a turnaround, heading into Thursday night’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Orlando has lost six of its last seven games, even with key players Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner back in the lineup. Banchero, who suffered a torn oblique on October 30, returned on January 10, and Wagner, who had the same injury, came back 13 days later. However, the return of their stars hasn’t yet resulted in winning basketball, with Wagner citing recent lineup changes as a factor.

Despite the struggles, Wagner has seen glimpses of the Magic’s potential, notably in a 125-119 double-overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. Wagner scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds in that game, while Banchero contributed 17 points on 7-of-21 shooting. Reserve Tristan da Silva also added 17 points for Orlando.

The Magic are eagerly awaiting the full return of Jalen Suggs, who missed 10 games due to a back injury and returned for a win against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. However, Suggs is now dealing with a quad contusion that kept him out of the loss to the Heat and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.

One of Orlando’s recent setbacks came against Portland, a 101-79 loss last Thursday. The Trail Blazers have been on a hot streak, winning five of their last six games. They most recently defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 125-112 on Tuesday, spoiling Damian Lillard’s second game back in Portland since joining Milwaukee. Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 30 points and nine rebounds, while Deandre Ayton recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Anfernee Simons added 25 points.

Avdija believes Portland is hitting its stride as the team moves toward February. The Blazers, with an 18-29 record, are just 6.5 games out of a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.

Both the Magic and Trail Blazers have reasons to look forward to All-Star Weekend in a couple of weeks. Orlando’s Tristan da Silva and Portland’s Scoot Henderson have been selected to participate in the Castrol Rising Stars showcase. Da Silva, a rookie, is averaging 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists this season, while Henderson, a second-year player, is averaging 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

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