Two struggling and shorthanded teams will face off on Friday night as the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Orlando Magic.
The Pelicans have lost three games in a row, while the Magic are on a five-game losing streak, with injuries affecting both teams.
New Orleans is missing key players like Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III. However, they did get Zion Williamson (29 points) and Jordan Hawkins (seven points) back on Wednesday night.
The Pelicans used their seventh different starting lineup in nine games and kept the game close against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, eventually losing 131-122.
“I loved the fight and competitiveness of our group,” said Pelicans head coach Willie Green. “Those guys, they step on the floor and give everything they’ve got. We just came up short. It will turn, but we’re going through a little bit of a storm early in the season. We’ve just got to continue to stay together. It’s a long year.”
The Pelicans led for much of the first half, which ended tied at 59-59. However, the Cavaliers outscored them 40-29 in the third quarter. New Orleans fought back in the fourth and closed the gap to six points.
“I liked the energy we had (in the fourth quarter),” Williamson said. “But for us to win these tough games we can’t have any slippage in any quarter like we had in the third quarter. I can’t have four turnovers like that. I have to get my turnovers down.”
The Magic’s five-game losing streak all came during a road trip that ended with a 118-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Orlando trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half but battled back before falling short.
“I thought we played good defense,” said Franz Wagner, who led the Magic with 28 points. “We switched it up a little bit with the zone. I think that got them out of their rhythm a little bit. From there, we played fast basketball — the way we want to play.
“(It was) a way better game than the last couple of games, but obviously we still have a lot to improve on.”
Orlando also lost to Dallas 108-85 on Sunday and to Oklahoma City 102-86 on Monday. The game against the Pelicans will mark the start of a five-game homestand for the Magic.
All-Star forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) is expected to be out for a few more weeks, and center Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) missed the Indiana game and is considered day-to-day.
Goga Bitadze has started the last two games in place of Carter and had 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Pacers. Anthony Black came off the bench to score a season-high 12 points.
“(Black) was aggressive getting downhill, attacking the basket, finding the open man, and then defending the right way,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “That’s what we are asking of Anthony Black.”
The Magic have been struggling with slow starts, getting outscored by an average of 12.8 points in the first quarters of their last four losses.
