Magic vs. Joel Embiid & 76ers: 3 Big Things to Watch
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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers begin a mini two-game series tonight at Wells Fargo Arena.
Orlando will look to get back on track following back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.
While the 76ers, who hold a tie for second place in the East, have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past few weeks, winning seven straight and nine of its last ten games.
Here are three things to watch in this Eastern Conference matchup ...
All-Star Vengeance
Despite ranking second in the NBA's most recent MVP ladder, 76ers center Joel Embiid was not selected as an All-Star Game starter this past Thursday.
And in Philadelphia's game on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, he was sure to let vote-getters regret that decision - finishing with 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
The Magic will need to be locked-in on both ends of the floor if they want any chance of slowing down the five-time All Star on his homecourt.
Can Banchero Get Back on Track?
Orlando rookie Paolo Banchero will certainly look to bounce back after a cold past few weeks.
On Saturday, the star rookie shot just 3 of 14 from the field, managing just nine points against the Bulls ... his worst shooting performance with over 10 attempts.
Over his past six outings, Banchero has managed to shoot over 50 percent from the field just once - including three outings with 15 points or less.
The No. 1 pick has eclipsed the 20-point threshold 26 times in his first 43 career games.
Another Big Bench Performance?
One of the few bright spots in its 19-point loss on Saturday was the bench contribution from center Moe Wagner.
Contributing a team-high 27 points, Wagner was apart of a unit that made the game competitive down the stretch before eventually running out of gas.
Playing as a spark plug over the past month, the fourth-year center has averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15 games in the reserve role.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.
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