Don't let Harden cook in Wagner's kitchen, keys to how Magic beat Clippers

With Kawhi out for the game and Beal out for season, can Orlando contain Harden to diffuse the Clippers?

Nov 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on during an NBA Cup game between the Mavericks and the Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Surviving the firepower of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, the 8-7 Orlando Magic are starting to find their groove, with a record of 5-2 in the last two weeks with the 7th-best defense in that span.

The 4-10 Clippers are 1-6 in their last 7 games, having lost Brad Beal for the season; Kawhi has also been ruled out for tonight's contest in Orlando.

How do the Magic reenact their recent success against James Harden's Clippers?

1. Stop chef Harden from cooking

Mar 31, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

In his last 8 games, James Harden is averaging 29 PTS - 7 REB - 8 AST / 4 TO with absurd efficiency at the line and from three on high volume in both, hitting 9 FTA at 93% FT% and 11 3PA at 39% 3P%, scoring at a 61.4% TS% rate and assisting 39% of his team's shots when he was on the floor.

Harden averages 9 ISOs on 0.98 PPP and 7 P&Rs on 1.02 PPP per game.

With James Harden being the penultimate halfcourt scoring creator as both a pick-and-roll maestro and isolation assassin, containing the heliocentric Harden offense should be priority number one for this Magic defense.

Force Harden to take tough twos, the further from the rim the better. While he has the floater and lob, forcing stars to beat you with tough shots is better than giving up efficient ones at the line and from deep.

Teams can't send too much help at Harden or he'll quickly beat you with the pass.

Switching everything may be the simplest option again, leaving Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Anthony Black, and spurts of Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac on an island to stop Chef Harden before he starts cooking.

Run Harden off his stepback three, don't foul on drives, and force him into floaters and midrange pull-ups.

2. Force turnovers, attack the rack, and crash the glass

Mar 31, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) shoots against LA Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

After the Magic beat Curry's older Warriors roster with pace off forced turnovers, can they do it again against the Clippers, the only older team in the NBA?

The Los Angeles Clippers rate poorly in many areas, ranking 7th-worst in point differential.

L.A.'s offense rates 27th in TOV% and 21% in ORB%, while their defense rates 22nd in eFG%, 21st in TOV%, 25th in DRB%, and 15th in FT Rate.

While the Clippers' defense is actually average at not fouling, Orlando still needs to force the issue in the paint and challenge them anyway with downhill attacks in transition and the halfcourt.

The Magic rank #1 in drawing fouls, so continuing to attack the rack and penetrate the paint will be key to create efficient shots.

With Banchero out, the team will likely rely on handoffs, picks, rolls, pops, slips in the form of endless drive-and-kicks from its perimeter creators.

Orlando ranks 12th in OREB% and 9th in DREB% on the season; cashing in on that advantage by winning the rebound battle will be a key to victory.

The Magic's defense returning to its turnover-forcing ways against a Clipper offense that gets sloppy at times is another swing factor to keep an eye on.

Orlando's margins off effort plays (points off turnovers, second chance points, points in the paint) will always be a big swing factor for the Magic.

3. Welcome to Chef Wagner's kitchen

Mar 31, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives against LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Rookie Franz "Chef" Wagner would welcome new opponents to his kitchen every game, slicing and dicing up defenses on a nightly basis.

Back then, Wagner's role looked a lot more like da Silva's role now: defend your position, force turnovers, catch and fire, attack closeouts.

@Polarfall on Twitter and I broke down Franz Wagner's impressive downhill movements, off-ball cuts, and closeout attacks, revealing rare footwork that attacks the middle of the floor before diverging towards the rim.

Wagner has since expanded from off-ball extraordinaire to on-ball scoring creator, a walking one-man offense anytime he has the rock and a screen to operate.

Tristan da Silva aims to follow similar development, as he told me in the press conference after the Nets game on Friday night.

Franz Wagner is averaging 25 PTS – 7 REB – 4 ST / 1.5 TOV – 1.3 STL while drawing 9 FTA and hitting 80% FT% as Orlando's defacto #1 option over his last four games since Banchero went down to injury,

Tristan da Silva's team ranks:

1st in C&S 3pt Volume (3.9 3PA/gm)
3rd in C&S 3pt Efficiency (41% 3P%)
T-2nd in scoring efficiency on off-ball Cuts PPP

Tristan da Silva's scalable scoring versatility makes him prime for a leap, for @MagicOnSIhttps://t.co/Mp7BW6WydW

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) November 16, 2025

Anthony Black credits dynamic downhill footwork to something surprising:

Running Wide Receiver football drills and playing a range of sports growing up

for @MagicOnSI:https://t.co/1DXSL1e96k

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) November 19, 2025

Swarming Steph Curry key to Magic defeating Warriors, for @MagicOnSI:https://t.co/M1FN7do88n

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) November 18, 2025