Magic vs. Pacers Preview
Indianapolis, IN (AP) – Dwight Howard wasn’t happy after the Orlando Magic’s latest loss, criticizing his team’s defense and looking frustrated by his own lack of looks near the basket.
Facing the Indiana Pacers’ suddenly struggling front line might solve both problems.
Howard and the Magic look to bounce back from a rare loss to a sub-.500 opponent with Wednesday night’s visit to Conseco Fieldhouse, where they’ll try to extend the Pacers’ season-high losing streak to six.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Magic 5-point spread favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Pacers. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 305 bets for this game have been placed on the Magic -5.
Orlando (29-16) had won three straight coming into Monday’s home game against Detroit, and Howard had been the key to his team’s two latest easy victories. He had 31 points and 19 rebounds in a 112-72 victory over Toronto on Friday, then had 22 points and 14 boards the next night in a 118-104 win at Houston.
The victory over the Rockets lifted the Magic to 21-3 against teams currently sporting a losing record, but the also-ran Pistons surprised Orlando. Detroit, averaging a league-worst 89.0 points on the road coming in, led by 10 at halftime and never trailed from there, dealing the Magic a 103-96 loss.
“Guys got to guard on the perimeter,” Howard said. “Got to do a better job, it just can’t be one dribble to the basket.
“Guys just have to want to play, that’s it. Either we get it together or we’re just going to be a playoff team that doesn’t win a championship. We’ve just got to play. Everybody knows what to do. We’re professional athletes. We know what to do, so it’s on us.”
Howard had just four of his 20 points in the final 15 minutes – two baskets on putbacks – and the Magic were held to 36 points in the paint, largely abandoning their inside game while trying to rally.
Orlando averages 38.4 points in the lane, and the team that leads the league in 3-point attempts is typically better when it’s thriving inside. The Magic are 16-13 when they score 42 points or fewer in the paint and 13-3 when scoring 44 or more.
Indiana (16-25) allows 36.0 points per game inside – second-fewest in the league – but it’s struggled in that category of late. The Pacers have surrendered an average of 43.6 points in the paint during their losing streak, which hit five with a 121-107 defeat Sunday night in Denver.
The Nuggets outscored Indiana 44-22 in the lane.
In addition to struggling to defend the paint, the Pacers aren’t getting much offensive production inside – a problem that begins with Roy Hibbert. After averaging 13.6 points through the end of December, Hibbert has averaged 8.2 and shot 35.9 percent in January.
Hibbert had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting with Orlando, a 90-86 home loss Nov. 20. Howard had game highs of 25 points and 12 boards as the Magic won despite only scoring 24 points in the paint.
The Pacers were missing Darren Collison in that contest, but the bigger problem was an off night from Danny Granger, who had 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting.
Granger will come into this matchup looking to bounce back from being held to eight points in a 2-for-10 performance at Denver. Indiana is 0-11 when its leading scorer has 16 points or fewer.
Collison averaged 21.5 points and 8.0 assists in two starts versus Orlando as a rookie with New Orleans last season.
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