New York has beaten Orlando in their previous three head-to-head games. Can the Magic break this bad streak? Chances are good, as the Knicks will have a back-to-back after a tough matchup with Miami.
Orlando Magic
The Magic were a serious contender for the playoffs at one point in the season but dropped their momentum in the second half. Currently, the team is only 13th in the East, and that’s about where they’ll end up. Orlando won’t play in the playoffs, but the Magic’s progress in this championship game is still evident.
In the last game, Orlando handled Washington with confidence. The 122:112 win was the second time for the Magic in the previous three games. Before that, the young team beat the Los Angeles Clippers on the road, 113:108.
New York Knicks
The game in Miami was a meeting between the Knicks and one of their closest rivals. The team is currently fifth in the NL East, while the Heat is seventh in the NL East and not making the playoffs. So, Miami’s win in this game isn’t surprising. The Knicks lost 120:127, but we don’t think they were too disappointed. The team from New York is in control of the situation in the standings and can lose a couple more times before falling out of the top-6. In addition, the Knicks are making progress on offense, which is essential given their previous playoff experience, when the New York defense lacked a quality offense in their series with Atlanta.
Tips Of The Game
The opponents did not play each other very effectively in this and the previous championships, but now it looks like they will have a head-to-head game. Knicks and Magic have noticeably improved their offensive game and are increasingly likely to play effectively. Besides the total, we’ll take the Knicks’ win here. Tom Thibodeau’s team has lost two straight games and needs a win far more than Orlando, given that the Magic are no longer solving tournament problems in this league.
