The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic meet Sunday for the last of two matchups in Germany
Game time: Noon, OD Arena, London, England
TV: Amazon Prime
Betting line: Magic -4.5
LAST GAME:
Paolo Banchero tallied 26 points, 13 rebounds and four steals,
as Orlando overcame a 20-point deficit and defeated Memphis, 118-111, at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. It was the first regular season game played in Berlin in NBA history. Anthony Black had 21 points and seven assists for the Magic, while Franz Wagner netted 18 points in his first game since suffering a high ankle sprain on Dec. 7, including 13 during the fourth quarter. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies and all scorers with 30 points. Memphis made nine three-pointers during the first quarter, led 39-23 after the opening frame and 52-32 with 8:05 remaining in the first half. Orlando dominated the third quarter, outscoring Memphis, 26-12, and led 84-79 heading into the final stanza. With the score tied at 105, Black threw down a dunk on four Memphis defenders with 2:27 left, giving the Magic the lead for good. Orlando closed the game with a 13-4 run.
PROJECTED STARTERS
MAGIC
G Anthony Black
G Desmond Bane
C Wendell Carter Jr
F Franz Wagner
F Paolo Banchero
GRIZZLIES
F Jaylen Wells
F Jaren Jackson
C Jock Landale
G Cedrick Coward
G Cam Spencer
INJUY REPORT
MAGIC
Colin Castelton: Out ( G League)
Jalen Suggs: Out (knee)
Jett Howard: Questionable (N/A)
GRIZZLIES
Santi Aldama: Questionable (Calf)
Brandon Clarke: Out (Calf)
Zach Edey: Out (Ankle)
Ty Jerome: Out (Calf)
Ja Morant: Probable (Calf)
Scotty Pippen: Out (Toe)
QUOTABLE
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley on the atmosphere for Wednesday's game in Germany:
“I mean, the nerves were there. You see why; you're getting great looks; missed a couple at the rim trying to find the energy through it. I think that adrenaline was very heavy for those guys tonight, you know, and then they settled into the game. You saw what they were capable of doing once they got themselves going.”
Paolo Banchero's postgame comments in an interview with Udonis Haslem about the Magic defense: "I think, you know, the years prior, we've been a top five defense and you know, it slipped a little bit this year. I think partially because of injuries, guys being in and out. But I think like you said, you know, some games, the effort hasn't been there on that side of the ball and so, like you said, our defense does ignite our offense and so, it's frustrating for everybody, not just me. And I think as you see us get healthy later in the year, I think you'll see our defense really rise.”
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of MagicRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com