Sacramento Kings and host Orlando Magic is in similar positions on the way into Saturday’s matchup, with both jockey for positioning in the late-season play-in race.
Orlando (35-39) could not get land on Atlanta for seventh place in the Eastern Conference when Magic’s winning line with three games ended on Thursday in a loss of 101-92 to Dallas.
Hawks maintained a half-game leadership over Orlando for the most favorable of the four play-in seeds in the east as a result, even though Atlanta lost at the sinking Miami, 122-112. The hawks are suspended until Sunday when they visit Milwaukee.
The magic lead NBA in score defense of 106 points permitted per match and exceeded that number on Thursday. But when the season’s lowest scored offensive team of 104.9 points per match, Orlando’s most consistent problems returned against Mavericks.
Magin got at least 108 points in its seven previous matches and went 5-2 over that stretch. They are 3-23 on the campaign when they score fewer than 100 points.
“We turned it on, (gave up) some simple shots, since you (high) it by not making baskets, it builds,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley.
When the magic turns the ball over 16 or more times this season, they are 9-14 including Thursday, when they coughed up the holding 17 times.
“We continue to grow from it and learn from it,” Mosley added. “There are not many left, so you have to understand exactly what you need to do in these moments.”
Another potentially decisive moment looms with Sacramento (36-37) that come in and play the first date in a critical, six-game road swing.
Kings snapped a four-game losing slide on Thursday with a 128-107 route in Portland. Sacramento shot a season best 64.9 percent from the field.
Zach Lavine scored 29 points on 13-of-18-shooting, Demar Derozan recorded a 21-point, 10-assist double double, and the sabonis referee recorded his 53rd double double of the season with 22 points and 19 returns.
Sacramento interim coach Doug Christie also introduced an assortment change to mix things on Thursday, and started Keon Ellis in the circumference and led Malik Monk from the bench.
“It seemed like we wanted this. That’s how we had to do it over the next two weeks,” Lavine said. “We did not perform well (over the previous distance) so it is good to go out on the road and feel better about ourselves.”
Sacramento has a half -game lead over Dallas for ninth place in the west and a lead with a game over Phoenix until Thursday. King’s tour through East Pits them against four teams that are currently being able to qualify for the season, including Orlando.
These teams met last February 5, which was Lavine’s King debut after being traded from Chicago. He only shot 4-AV-13 from the floor and got 13 points.
Lavine has since settled in the reunion with her former Bull’s Backcourt Mate Derozan, who joined Sacramento during the low season. Derozan’s 22 points per match leads Kings, with Lavine an average of 21.5 points in her 23 competitions with Sacramento.
The 130 Orlando made a 19-point victory over Kings marked Magic’s second highest points performance. Franz Wagner scored 31 points and Paolo Banchero added 23. Banchero leads the team with an average of 25.9 points per match and Wagner is second at 24.3.
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