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The Orlando Magic will square off against the Houston Rockets in a Las Vegas Summer League game on Sunday.
The Rockets are coming off a 92-76 loss to the Toronto Raptors, while the Orlando Magic also lost their last Summer League game, going down 84-94 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Match Details
Fixture - Orlando Magic vs Houston Rockets | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Sunday, August 15th, 8:00 PM ET (Monday, August 16th, 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic looked sluggish in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, trailing by as many as 17 points at one stage. Both their shooting from the floor and the deep were close to abysmal, as the Orlando Magic shot a dismal 39% from the field and 35% from downtown.
Free-throw shooting is another area of concern for the Orlando Magic. The Eastern Conference team could only convert 64.7% of their attempts from the charity stripe against the Cavs. So they will have to show better free-throw accuracy in the future, starting from this game.
Key Player - Jalen Suggs
Gonzaga Bulldogs alumni Jalen Suggs was the talk of the town during the NCAA March Madness tournament, and has been touted to become an All-Star in the NBA in the next few years. Suggs is carrying a massive weight of expectations. Even if a small sample size of his Summer League outings is to be considered, he has been able to live up to the hype thus far.
Suggs' strong suit is shooting, but he is expected to blossom into an overall player who can run the offense. His basketball IQ and athleticism make him an intriguing player, and he will be one to watch out for when the Magic lock horns against the Rocket.
Orlando Magic Predicted Lineup
G - Cole Anthony, G - Jalen Suggs, F - RJ Hampton, F - Franz Wagner, C - Jon Teske.
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets' chances of winning the Summer League took a huge hit when Jalen Green was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a sore hamstring. Green suffered the injury in the game against the Raptors, so the next time the Houston Rockets fans will see him will be in the NBA.
Even in Green's absence, the Houston Rockets have a stacked Summer League roster. The trio of KJ Martin, Josh Christopher and Khyri Thomas are expected to deliver in the game against the Orlando Magic.
Key Player - Josh Christopher
Originally a shooting guard by trade, Josh Christopher has shown with his length and athleticism that he can slot into the small forward position as well. Christopher had an impressive outing against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists.
With Jalen Green out, Christopher is in line for a big game against the Orlando Magic.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
G - Alperen Sengun l G - Josh Christopher l F - KJ Martin l F - Marcus Foster l C - Anthony Lamb.
Magic vs Rockets Prediction
The Orlando Magic hold the advantage going into the game because Jalen Green is out for the Houston Rockets. Orlando's hopes of winning this encounter will largely rest on Jalen Suggs' shoulders, and he is expected to do well against an undermanned Houston side.
The Magic should prevail in this encounter by a narrow margin, barring a superhuman effort from the Houston Rockets.
Where to watch Magic vs Rockets?
The match between the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic will be televised on NBA TV. Fans can also stream the game online via an NBA League Pass.
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