Magic's Star Forward Continued To Be Sidelined vs. Sixers

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to take on the Orlando Magic, looking to build on their three-game win streak, with the most recent chapter coming against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

The main storyline surrounding the match was the faceoff between the two most recent MVPs, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.

The duel wouldn't disappoint with both players putting up impressive stat lines, yet it would be the Cameroonian superstar's 41-point performance that would help Philadelphia come out on top, 126-121.

Their next opponents are the Magic, who have started to taper off from the last time the two sides met in late December, going 3-7 in their last ten games.

In their previous meeting, the Sixers cruised to a 112-92 victory off of backs of Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and De'Anthony Melton, who had to make up for the absence of Embiid, combining for 67 points.

For the Magic, Franz Wagner proved to be an important piece against Philadelphia, erupting for a game-high 24 points on an efficient 50 percent from the field.

Wagner's performance would help make up for a lackluster shooting display from former Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, who scored 19 points on 28 percent accuracy.

It would appear that Jamhal Mosley will have to take on the Sixers without the German superstar as he has been downgraded to out due to a right ankle sprain.

This shouldn't come as a surprise given that Wagner has been sidelined due to the ankle injury for the previous two weeks, after suffering it in a match against the Sacramento Kings in early January.

With Wagner out, Mosley has opted to use Chuma Okeke as a replacement, with the former Auburn forward averaging seven points and six rebounds throughout his stint in the starting lineup.

The Sixers and Magic will face off on Friday night, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.