Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic: Raptors back on home court to host injury-depleted Magic
Toronto welcomes the struggling Orlando Magic into town tonight for an Eastern Conference matchup.
We almost had a three game win streak!
After coach Rajakovic’s pizza party promise for a three-game winning streak last season, a trio of wins has been nearly impossible to come by for this Raptors team. After achieving the feat last season, Toronto has yet to win three in a row in 2024-25.
Picking up wins against Golden State and Boston last week, the Raptors were like David beating Goliath. Yet, that third straight win still eludes them, falling to the Bucks in Milwaukee on Friday.
The Raptors now return home, where they will host the struggling Orlando Magic. Sitting at 23-21, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference, the Magic only have one win in their last five outings. Plagued with an onslaught of injuries, the playoff-hopeful Magic have had their season turned on its head. Winning only three of their last 10 games, Orlando is in a get-right spot taking on the second-to-last placed Raptors.
However, a win won’t come easy against this scrappy Raptors squad. Toronto has been in nearly every game this season until the fourth quarter, even against some of the league’s top teams. And don’t forget, they just knocked off one of the league’s best teams in the Celtics and one of the best players in Steph Curry (sorry, not sorry, rest of the Warriors’ roster).
Despite being listed as the underdog in terms of betting odds, the Raptors match up quite favourably against the injury-depleted Magic. Without Jalen Suggs, both Franz and Mo Wagner as well as Jonathan Isaac, Orlando is down three of their top four scorers and probably their two most important defenders. It’s not all doom and gloom for the Magic, however, as their All-Star forward Paolo Banchero has been back in the lineup for the last five outings after missing nearly the entire season before that. The 2023 Rookie of the Year has put up 25 points per game in his minimal action this season. He’ll certainly have the ball in his hands lots tonights with all the scoring output that his team is currently without.
For the good guys, the game plan is quite simple. Defend home court, feed off that hopeful fan energy, and shut down Banchero! With absolutely no disrespect to the rest of Orlando’s roster, Banchero will need a big night to get his team back in the win column. Aside from their lone All-Star, the Magic are missing all of their double-digit point-per-game scorers.
While the Raptors don’t have the greatest high-end scoring talent, probably the best aspect of their lineup is their depth. Darko tends to run a fairly deep rotation, some games even utilizing the whole bench. Keeping the freshest players out on the court tonight will be crucial as Orlando’s depth will be tested. There will be lots of scoring to go around on Toronto’s side tonight, but I would keep an eye out for RJ Barrett to potentially have a big night.
Missing one of the league’s best on-ball defenders in Jalen Suggs, Barrett’s got a favourable matchup against Orlando’s weak wing depth. The Mississauga native led Toronto in scoring in their past two games, but is without a 30-point night since before the turn of the calendar. Watch for the Raptors to try and get Barrett hot tonight to lead the team to victory.
Where to Watch:
TSN, 7:30 PM EST
Lineups:
Toronto: Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Orlando: Anthony Black, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tristan Da Silva, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Injuries:
Toronto: Immanuel Quickley — hip (OUT), Ochai Agbaji — hand (OUT), Chris Boucher — illness (QUESTIONABLE)
Orlando: Mo Wagner — ACL (OUT), Franz Wagner — oblique (OUT), Jalen Suggs — back (OUT), Goga Bitadze — concussion (OUT), Gary Harris — hamstring (OUT), Jett Howard — ankle (OUT), Cole Anthony — illness (QUESTIONABLE), Jonathan Isaac — illness (QUESTIONABLE)