orlando magic 102 vs indiana pacers 123

The Magic had 2 impressive wins over the Mavs and the Suns and then a bit surprisingly, lost at home to the Hornets. Number 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero has been out 3 games straight but the Magic have actually picked up wins against the Mavs and Suns. The sooner he can get back though, the sooner the Magic can try and be competitive on a consistent basis. He leads all rookies in scoring with 23.5 ppg, and he’s also pulling down 8.3 rebounds and playing almost 35 minutes per game.

The Pacers have won 5 of their last 7 games and are definitely one of the surprise teams this season, even with a .500 record. Rookie Benedict Mathurin is the real deal. He’s averaging just under 20 points per game and shooting 45% from three. Mathurin, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Myles Turner are all averaging 18 points or more, and the Pacers have made the 2nd most three pointers in the league. They’re coming off a big win against the Raptors where they made 19 threes total.

Before they play each other on Saturday night, the Magic are at home against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, on the road against the Bulls on Friday night, and the Pacers have two road games against the Hornets and Rockets, also on Wednesday and Friday night.