New Jersey Nets vs Orlando Magic
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Orlando Magic will look to make it three in a row when they host the New Jersey Nets Monday night. Orlando ended the Boston Celtics 14-game winning streak with a 86-78 win on Christmas Day. The win came just two days after the Magic put an end to the San Antonio Spurs 12-game winning streak. New Jersey lost 105-91 at New Orleans last Wednesday, but have won three of their last five and two straight at home. Taking a look at the spreads for tonight’s games, oddsmakers have listed the Magic as 6-point favorites over the Nets.
Orlando got a big game from Brandon Bass against the Celtics on Saturday. Bass had a team-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu shot 4-8 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points. The most impressive thing about the Magic’s win was they did it without much from Dwight Howard, who got into foul trouble. Howard finished with just six points, but still managed to grab 11 rebounds.
Devin Harris and Brook Lopez continue to play well for the Nets, but haven’t exactly got a whole lot of help lately. Harris had 21 points and eight assists against the Hornets, and Lopez added 16 points, but no other starter was able to score in double-figures. Sasha Vujacic did have 12 points off the bench, and has really played well since coming over from the Lakers.
This is the third meeting between the Nets and Magic this season. Orlando has won both games, but struggled in their last game at New Jersey, barely escaping with a 91-90 win, as Jameer Nelson scored the go-ahead basket with just 4.1 seconds to go.
Harris and Lopez and Travis Outlaw each scored at least 20 points, and combined for 69 of the Nets 90 points. Howard led the Magic with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The thing to remember is that this is a completely different Orlando team than the one that faced the Nets earlier this season.
While the new-look Magic are coming off two big wins, it is their defense that is getting the job done. After holding the Spurs to just 42% shooting, Orlando really put the clamps on Boston, as they shot just 34.6%. New Jersey has averaged just under 89 points in their last 10 games against the Magic, and have managed just one win during that stretch.
I think your money has to be on the Magic at -6 in this one. Orlando will be playing with a lot of confidence, and go up against a Nets team that just doesn’t have the talent to keep pace with the Magic if they come to play.
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