Pick of the week: The Suns will scorch the Magic
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer
For this week’s pick, we’re headed to Arizona for an NBA matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns.
The two teams will play at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Monday, Nov. 18 at 9 p.m.
Last time these teams faced off the Magic won 113-98, but Phoenix holds a 41-28 all-time winning record against Orlando, according to Land of Basketball.
The Suns are going to win at home and continue fighting for the No. 1 ranking in the Western Conference.
The Suns are off to an explosive start to their season, with an 8-2 record, and winning seven straight, before their most recent loss. The Magic dropped five straight to start the season 4-6 before winning two back to back according to ESPN.
Phoenix outperforms Orlando on offense, averaging 6.8 more points per game and shooting 2.8% better from the field, according to ESPN.
On the other hand, both teams have nearly identical numbers on defense, with the Suns out rebounding the Magic by 1.5 per game, according to ESPN.
Phoenix also brings star power to the matchup with power forward Kevin Durant and shooting guard Devin Booker.
Durant and Booker played for Team USA in both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. Durant was top three in scoring on the team in both 2020 and 2024, scoring 83 points in 2024. Booker came fifth in scoring in 2024, scoring 70 points and second in assists with 20, according to Basketball-Reference.
Durant impacts the game on offense and defense. He is ranked No. 10 in the NBA in points per game with 27.6, and No. 12 in blocks per game with 1.4, according to ESPN.
Orlando is heavily affected by the loss of their star forward Paolo Banchero.
Banchero averaged 29 points a night and shot 49.5% from the floor before he tore his right oblique against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 30, according to ESPN.
The Magic are now being led offensively by small forward Franz Wagner who averages 19.9 points per game, according to ESPN.
While the game will be competitive, the Magic are too banged up to pose a threat to the Suns.
