3 things to watch, odds and prediction
The Orlando Magic close their season against the rival Miami Heat as they seem set to rest injured starters and prepare for the offseason.
Orlando Magic (21-60) vs. Miami Heat (53-28)
Time/TV: 7 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
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Line via WynnBet: Heat by 9.5
Tickets: $70-$1,309 on StubHub
2022 Season Series: Heat 107, Magic 90 in Miami on Oct. 25; Heat 115, Magic 105 in Orlando on Dec. 17; Heat 93, Magic 83 in Miami on Dec. 26; Tonight in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 96.5 | 113.0 | 108.2 | 54.7 | 27.9 | 15.0 | 25.3 |
| Orlando | 99.7 | 103.7 | 112.1 | 50.1 | 25.0 | 14.5 | 22.4 |
OMD Prediction
The Orlando Magic will close their season out with something of a whimper. The team will sit out Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter and Cole Anthony. Mo Bamba is still listed as questionable for the game. The Magic’s whole opening night starting lineup is essentially out.
Those are the team’s best players. And the Magic have struggled with their lack of depth behind them. It is going to be a rough night if the Miami Heat want it to be. The Heat made the Magic’s life difficult defensively even with the full complement of players available.
Miami has clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. For now, Jimmy Butler is the only player listed as out for the game. But it is not likely the Heat will play their main starters very long. Good luck, everyone.
Prediction
Miami Heat
110
Orlando Magic
98
3 Keys To Watch
Devin Cannady’s return continues
The Orlando Magic announced Sunday morning they had signed Devin Cannady to a contract for the rest of the season now that his 10-day contract had expired. That may have larger implications for him in the offseason, possibly foreshadowing he will get another contract or training camp look next season.
Cannady’s story is amazing after the horrific leg injury that cut his NBA opportunity short last year (almost a year ago today). He has earned his way back into the NBA with his shooting in the G-League and has continued to play well in the NBA.
In four games, he is averaging 8.8 points per game and shooting 39.3-percent from beyond the arc. It has not been perfect by any means. Cannady has not been afraid to shoot. And that is how he should be attacking this opportunity.
The Heat await
The Miami Heat have wrapped up the top record in the Eastern Conference. It has been a surprising season in that respect. Nobody pegged the Heat as the East’s top team at the beginning of the season. But nobody wants to deal with the Heat. They understand their culture better than anyone else and they get contributions throughout the roster.
The test will come in the playoffs of course. This team is battle-tested for it after their run to the NBA Finals in the bubble in 2020. So maybe nobody should be sleeping on them.
Miami though will have to wait for the Play-In Tournament for the team’s opponent. And the specter of the Brooklyn Nets is hanging over the top two seeds. That is probably why it is important for the Heat to have wrapped up the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The race at the bottom
The Miami Heat might have the top spot in the Eastern Conference locked up, but there is still some intrigue at the bottom of the standings too.
The Orlando Magic have guaranteed themselves no worse than the sixth pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and will have one of the two worst records in the league. But there is still a small chance the Magic could end with the worst record in the league. Or at least tied for it.
The Houston Rockets have 20 wins and the Orlando Magic have 21. So an Orlando Magic loss and a Houston Rockets win over the Atlanta Hawks would leave them in a tie for the worst record. There would be a random draw to determine who gets the first set of Lottery combinations and the tiebreaker should both teams fall out of the Lottery.
That might still be an outside chance. Regardless, the Magic will have the top odds to win the Lottery with 140 number combinations in the Draft Lottery and a 52.1-percent chance of landing in the top four.
