Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat: 3 Big Things to Watch
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic look to make it three straight on Friday night against the Miami Heat.
Following back-to-back wins over the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, the team has an opportunity to post a 3-0 weeks down in South Florida.
Here are three things to watch in this Eastern Conference matchup…
Strong Defenses of Late
Over the past week, both teams have proven their prowess on the defensive end of the floor.
In three of its last four games, Miami has limited its opponents to under 100 points, with two of those wins decided by four points or less.
And while Orlando did just allow 120 points on Wednesday night, it limited the NBA’s fourth-best scoring offense Celtics to just 98 points on Monday.
Gary Harris Coming Alive?
The 28-year-old guard came alive in Orlando’s win over the Pacers on Wednesday, scoring a season-high 22 points on a perfect 6 of 6 from three-point range.
This has been a constant trend for the Magic’s starting shooting guard over the past week, where he’s knocked down 14 of his 20 attempts from beyond the arc, while averaging 12.7 points per game.
After missing 27 of the first 33 games to begin the year, Harris wasted no time getting back into a rhythm, starting ten consecutive games for Orlando.
The eight-year veteran is averaging 9.3 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting it at an exceptional 47.3 percent from three.
Limiting Adebayo Down Low
With Jimmy Butler out of the lineup in Tuesday’s win, Heat center Bam Adebayo put the team on his back, pouring in a team-high 30 points to go along with 15 rebounds.
And while Butler is expected to suit up tonight, Miami’s big man has been playing the best basketball of his career this season, posting career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (10.2) and minutes (35).
At the forefront of the NBA’s fifth-best defensive team entering Thursday, Adebayo’s versatility on both ends has been a big reason for the success of late – as victors of 15 of their past 22 games.
Expect Wendell Carter Jr. to be tasked with defending Adebayo.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.
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