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Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic
Date & Time: Wednesday, August 5th, 8 PM ET (Thursday, 5:30 AM IST)
Venue: Visa Athletic Center, Orlando, FL
The Toronto Raptors have somehow remained as legitimate contenders despite losing Kawhi Leonard in the offseason and have reiterated that fact in the NBA bubble by beating the likes of LA Lakers and Miami Heat. The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, had their winning run in Disney World halted by the Indiana Pacers.
Toronto Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors are more or less guaranteed to finish as the second seed in the East. With four players averaging a career-high in points and Kyle Lowry managing almost 20 a game, Nick Nurse side hasn't found it difficult to outscore opponents, especially given their second-best defensive rating in the NBA.
More importantly, the onus of production gets distributed out with multiple players capable of scoring over 20 on any given night. It was Lowry and OG Anunoby against the Lakers with Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet going off against the Heat. Expect scoring bursts from several players against the Orlando Magic too.
Key Player - Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet has improved his production massively this season and is averaging 17.9 points while shooting almost 40% from downtown. He's managed 20 points or more in two out of three games against the Orlando Magic. He'll enter this tie on the back of a 36-point performance and will be high on confidence.
Raptors Predicted Lineup
Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol
Orlando Magic Preview
The Orlando Magic have slipped to the eighth seed once again following a loss to the Indiana Pacers, which halted a five-game winning streak, two of them coming inside the NBA bubble.
The likes of Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and Terrence Ross have all had 20-point outings in their last two games. This suggests that offense hasn't been an issue for the Orlando Magic but they've struggled on the other end of the court, allowing at least 116 points in each of their three seeding games so far.
Key Player - Evan Fournier
Evan Fournier has fizzled out in the last two games after dropping 24 points against the Brooklyn Nets but he'll have a favorable size matchup in the game against Toronto Raptors.
Fournier (6'7) will be going up against VanVleet (6'1) and although the latter is a pesky defender, the former shouldn't have trouble getting his shots up. He's also managed a combined 58 points in three outings against Toronto this season.
Magic Predicted Lineup
Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, James Ennis III, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
Raptors vs Magic Match Prediction
This is another one-sided affair on paper with the Toronto Raptors on the verge of sweeping the Orlando Magic this season. While the Magic have shown some heart in their performances of late, the Raptors are true championship contenders and too good for their Eastern Conference counterparts. Expect Nick Nurse's men to come up trumps against the Orlando Magic in this ball game.
Where to watch Raptors vs Magic?
Local broadcast of the game can be seen on TSN and FOX Sports Florida. You can also live stream this matchup via the NBA League Pass.
Also read: OKC Thunder vs LA Lakers Prediction & Match Preview - August 5th, 2020
