April 3, 2025 • 20 mins
Jake and Ben preview tonight's matchup between the Magic and the Wizards. They also discuss Orlando's offensive numbers since the All-Star break. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Magic Insiders with Dante Marcatelli and Jake Chapman.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Step back over Durant, shot it up, Carrol drills it
and the foul.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Chance for a three point play Big time bag.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Carrol torn headed back.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The lay a steal by Franz Fonkner to run out
the font and got life to its Fronz Fogner and
the fourth quarter not like of.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
This is your daily destination for all the latest on
the Orlando match.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Heat over to win down. Now back to Kailin.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
He's gonna try another three pack, got another.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
One forty seconds Big Carol Jumper.
Speaker 5 (00:35):
Whoo.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Magic Insiders is presented by International Diamond Center, your local
diamond experts since nineteen eighty one. And now here's your host, Jake.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Chafman, and Welcome into Magic Insiders. We're presented by International
Diamond Center. Jake Chapman and Benjamin Spector are Graduate associate
for the season.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Joining me today the Magic and walking in DC getting
set for the final matchup of the season with the
Washington Wizards.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's been all good so far.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
The Magic of three zero season series lead over Washington.
The Wizards played last night. They did get a win
kind of shockingly, but if you watch Sacramento on Saturday night,
maybe not so shockingly. I don't know what the Kings
are doing right now, but the Wizards able to knock
Sacramento off last night. One sixteen to one eleven was
the final score. It's the seventeenth win of the season
(01:26):
for the Washington Wizards. They are the worst team in
the league as far as record.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
To excuse excuse me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
That put them past Utah Utah sitting at sixteen and
sixty one on the year. So one of the dregs
of the league, the Washington Wizards. They've lost eight of
ten and it's a game where if you go take
care of business, then you come home and you've got
all sorts of rest before we get set for the
final week of the season, the final four games of
the season, and the final back to back at the
(01:52):
Kia Center.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That'll be next week. We'll talk about that coming up here.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
In the second segment, I talked about the Kings and
the Wizards result from last night, ben but the biggest
result as far as the Orlando Magic go, how about
those Dallas Mavericks.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Always been a big Anthony Davis fan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Loved the trade. I thought it was thought it was
a great move for Nico Harrison. Look, they got healthy
last night. Derek Lively is on the men, Daniel Gafford back,
and Anthony Davis plays last night, plays well, thirty four points,
fifteen rebounds, had five block shots, and the Dallas Mavericks
beat the Atlanta Hawks, Hawks second loss in as many nights.
(02:28):
One twenty one to eighteen was the final score. It
took an ad bucket late, It took an AD defensive stop.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
On Trey Young to force a bad three late.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And now here we are as we come down the stretch,
the Magic in the seventh seed with a commanding half
game lead over the Atlanta Hawks. But you can make
that a full game if you go out tonight and
take care of business against the Washington Wizards. Ben, I
know it's not your thing, but I will definitely be
asking Brandon Kravitz on the pregame show tonight to drop
(02:58):
one of his very patented win games against the Washington
Wizards tonight. This is the one you absolutely have to have.
Washington does not necessarily want to win games. They've got
guys on the injury report. We'll get to that as
well coming up. But a game tonight where the Magic,
if they go out and take care of business, can
be feeling really good about themselves with a couple of
days of rest and practice, looking ahead until next Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah, it's a gimme game, that's what I like to
call it, where I don't know if you're gonna get
Brandon to say must win. I don't know if that's
gonna happen, but you can try. I look forward to
the attempt.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, you weren't there on Saturday. He sort of talked
himself into it before a pre game. He didn't he
didn't have that prepared. But as we were talking about
coming off the Dallas loss and the Kings sort of being.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Where they are in the season, by the end.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Of that segment, ben I had bek convinced and he
laid down the must win stamp.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So it's still there. It's he's keeping it fresh.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, it's a gimme game where fans are kind of
right or penciling it so that it could be a
race already, I feel like because the Wizards are are
not doing that well this season. But on the flip,
it could be a trap game because you know this
is a Wizards team that has a lot of guys
that are fighting for jobs right now, fighting for a
(04:10):
spot on that roster next year.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
This is a team that's in.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
The Capture of the Flag Capture Cooper Flag hunt, and
they're at this point in the season where you have
the teams that are quote unquote tanking, that are just
filled with a bunch of young guys trying to make
roles for themselves and get noticed. Then you have the
teams like the Magic are in right now. They're in
this group, the teams fighting for playoff positioning, and then
you have the teams that already clinched a spot in
(04:35):
the playoffs that just want to get their healthy and
no problems. So it's an interesting matchup, divisional matchup, one
that the Magic certainly must get. And I think a
big key tonight, like it always is, is just finding
consistent three point shooting.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
That will be very very important tonight.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I was looking at some numbers the other day after
they beat the Spurs on the road. The Magic hit
eighteen three against the Spurs. I heard you and Dante
talk about it yesterday on Magic Insiders. They're thirteen and
two when hitting fifteen threes or more. And I mean
you can go through all these numbers since the All
Star Break, shooting forty three percent from three when they're
(05:12):
moving the ball around in transition, they're twenty one and
seven when shooting at least thirty four percent from three.
It used to be thirty five percent from three when
we do these numbers. So just finding that consistency is
so important. You look at the last seven games for
this Magic team, they're five and two. They've hit double
digit threes in five of those games. Five of those
(05:34):
were the wins. So three point shooting needs to get consistent.
And this is a good opportunity against the Wizards team
that is not the best defensively to sort of find
that consistency from three point land.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, and as I mentioned, we don't have our injury
report yet when you look through Washington, because they don't
have they didn't have Kishon George last night.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
He's got an ankle. I'm not sure if we'll see him.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Bob carry they knocked on a whole bunch of threes
last night, Bob Carrington was making and of course they
have Jordan Poole. But you're talking about young talent and
talking about the end of the season, and you know
a Jordan Poole who may not necessarily be engaged for
thirty plus minutes tonight. So for sure, I think you
need to go out and try to capitalize on the
(06:17):
rhythm that you've been building.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You mentioned last seven games. I was looking at the
last eleven games.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That takes us back to that New Orleans game out
on the road where you.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Made thirteen threes.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
The magic are eighth and net rating over the last
eleven games, and then obviously coincides with the offense trending upward,
still twenty second or something like that in offensive rating. Obviously,
you're still a top three defense over the last eleven games.
You have been all season, but you're seeing some really
good numbers. We talked about KCP obviously yesterday. We've talked
about Caleb Houston as well. Over that span those last
(06:48):
eleven games. Three point percentage Caleb fifty eight percent, called well,
Pope fifty two percent over the last eleven games is
a pretty big sample size. Man eleven games, nothing to sneeze.
I had to be sure. Corey Joseph's hitting thirty nine percent.
AB is at thirty seven percent even Windell Carter Junior
shooting thirty four point four percent from three point range
over the last eleven So the offense and you're seven
(07:10):
and four in that span.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
The offense is obviously trending upward.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You got to keep the defense as solid as as
it's been. Feels kind of like the Spurs game the
other night, right where maybe you come out and shoot
sixteen threes and sort of get sucked into what they
want to do. As long as you can, you can
try to be aggressive offensively. You just have to have
those stretches tonight, Like it didn't san Antonio. This is
the second half, so it made me a little nervous.
(07:35):
But you just gotta have those stretches tonight where you
do you rattle off a ten to two, a twelve
to four run, and you do so, you know, on
the heels of your defense, on the strength of your defense.
This Magic team always needs to manufacture offense and let
their defense help. And even against the Washington team that
is pretty depleted, I think that's the key is get
(07:56):
the offense going, but obviously rely.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
On that backbone, which has been your defense.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Five players since the All Star Break average thirty or
average shoot I should say thirty five percent or more
from three. Now that includes Cole who's played eleven games
since the All Star break and he's missed some time,
but he's back now. But at the beginning of the
season we were shouting from the rooftops to have at
least two three point shooters that got consistent minutes to.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Shoot thirty five percent for three.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Now they have five, and this is the perfect time
to have that though right going into the play in
at least they're guaranteed a play in spot. I mean,
a lot of things have to happen for that sixty.
That's a conversation for a separate day. But to have
that type of shooting now and sort of reach that
mark as you're entering postseason play, that is huge for
this Magic team and the five players Caleb and KCP.
(08:47):
Like you talked about Cole, Ab and Kojo. None of
that five includes your two stars in Palo and Franz.
Big reason why because, I mean we talk about this
a bunch. When they're moving that ball around and they
make that extra pass of the corner, that's how CACP
hit the dagger three against the Spurs.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
They're getting themselves.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Open looks because Polo and Franz have or garner so
much defensive attention that they find those open teammates, but
they still get theirs too. It's very rare that you
see two players go into a night expecting them to
combine for forty to fifty points, and that's what they do.
That's what they've been doing, and it leaves these guys open,
and when they're open, they can knock down threes.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
They're NBA players at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
So that's what's been happening, and it's really unique for
this magic offense.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Ben, Yeah, you're doing a fantastic job following along the rundown,
the show rundown that I did not send you, that
I did not send you. But that's a perfect transition
because over those eleven games, the Polo and Franz scoring
duo fifty three points per game. Paulo is obviously up
over thirty Frands at twenty two or yeah, twenty two
(09:54):
and change. Almost half our team average over the last
eleven games has come from Paula and Franz. That's probably
conversation for another day, but fifty three points per game
between two players, that's right up there, it's better than
Katie and Book for the season.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
It's a point blow.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Shay and Jadub and then Giannis and Lillard have been
the top scoring dual all season long. As we know,
Damian Lillard's season is is.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
More than likely over with that deep fin thrombosis.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But Giannis and Lillard fifty five point three points per
game you over the last eleven games, which is a
full what you know, eighth of the season, you're talking
about one of the best scoring duos in the league.
We're seeing it. The numbers are starting to bear that out.
And so if we can just keep those guys where
they are right now, and I'm expecting a big, like
a forty point explosion from Franz at some point as
all the attention from defenses start, you know, start sort
(10:42):
of finding its way over to Pollo.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I think Franz is gonna be able to pick his
spots at some point.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
But you've got that backbone right now offensively and night
in and night out to know that you're going to
get more than fifty points from two guys that as
you said, that's what opens things up, not just on
the floor spacing wise, but just as far as game
plans and the attention paid to those two guys.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
It can be pick or poison with those two. But
as soon as if, as soon as you feel like
you're doing a.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Good job on those guys than Caleb, Cole, Ab Wendell,
whoever it is, they're getting open looks KCP.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
It's just and it's been this way all season long.
It's just a matter of them knocking them down.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
And there's a confidence that comes with that with this
team when they enter a game and they know that
they're two stars, who by the way, are under twenty
four years old, which is remarkable.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
When they go.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Into a game and they know in the back of
their heads, okay, Palom and frant are going to combine
for forty to fifty points right now, over fifty points,
So we have that, right, we have that in our
back pocket. That makes me as me I'm talking as
if I'm an NBA player, but which I'm not.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I'm far from it, but you're close.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
But if you're on that team, if you're a Caleb,
you're a KCP, you're an AB.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
You have that in the back of your head.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
It makes you feel more comfortable when you're open to
take those shots because the defense is going to Palo.
Palo's taking these shots double teamed, and he just has
this mid range jumper that's deadly right now, and it
leaves ab open in the corner. It leaves KCP open
from three point land Kleb gets his spots, and just
to see shots go through that confidence develops and to
(12:16):
have that at this point in the season, it is
so important. I know that you want to see it
throughout the entirety of the season. I know that this
team had high expectations. Injuries happen. They happen to every team,
but for it to all sort of come together now
given what they have, because you know Jalen's not returning,
you know Moe is not returning. This is your group
(12:36):
and this is what you have to figure out, and
they're in that process right now.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
They can't have tonight's.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Game against the Wizards be a detriment to what they've
figured out in the past eleven games.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Your Magic look Ahead is powered by Ticketmaster. Five games
remaining Washington tonight. We're gonna be n FM one oh
four to five tonight, So six thirty pre game with
BK and then I'll have the call down on FM
one oh four point five, and course you can always
watch on FANDOL Sports as well.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Beginning at six.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Thirty it'll be Magic Live with Kendra and Jeff Turnam
so tonight and then as I mentioned, Friday off, Saturday off,
Sunday off, Monday off, practice time, rest and relaxation, all
of that good stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
And then the final week, the final pusch.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
You've got a home back to back Tuesday April eighth
with Atlanta, Wednesday April ninth with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Both of those should be playoff type games.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And then at Indiana on Friday, April eleventh, and then
at Atlanta, Game number eighty two will be a one
o'clock tip. That is a week from Sunday, April thirteenth
in Georgia.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Hey, Magic fans, it's time to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
You join us on April ninth as the Magic take
on the Boston Celtics during Fan Appreciation Night.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
It's presented by advent Health.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
We're celebrating fans with giveaways, team shop discounts, and a
whole lot of magic at your tickets today at Orlanto
magic dot com slash Fan Appreciation Night. More Magic Insiders
when we come back right here ninety six to nine
in the game.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
This is Cole Anthony and you're listening to Magic Insiders
with my guys Dante Marcatelli and Jake Kenton on the
Home of the Magic, ninety six nine the game.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Welcome backins Magic Insiders, Jake Chapman, and your favorite broadcasters,
favorite graduate associate Ben Spexter's my coast for tonight as
we get set for the Magic and the Washington Wizards.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
It'll be game number seventy eight.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
If you can believe it or not, the Magic's third
last home game away game of the season. It's at
Washington and then home for a couple of days, and
then we'll have a home back to back and that'll
conclude the home schedule of the season. That's next Tuesday
and Wednesday with the Hawks and the Celtics. But first
things first, take care of business tonight against the lowly
seventeen win Washington Wizards. The Magic have won seven straight
(14:42):
against Washington and the Wizards coming off a win last
night against the Sacramento Kings that was at home in Sacramento,
but in Washington. But the Wizards come in at seventeen
fifty nine on the season, and that leads me to
my call of the game. It's brought to you by
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Speaker 3 (15:03):
Moore Ben, I don't know if you if you took
a look at.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
All at the box score from last night, it was
a one sixteen, one to eleven win for Washington over Sacramento.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I don't know what's going on with the Kings.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I saw some really bad body language on Saturday night.
That's for them to worry about. I don't think Zach
Colvine wants to play any more basketball this season, frankly.
But Washington got twenty three points from Jordan Poole. You
would assume he'd be good in a game like that.
AJ Johnson got the start last night. He and Bob
Carrington combined for seven made threes. Bub had five of them.
He played really well. And then off the bench, you're
(15:35):
talking about Tristan Vukcevic. Can't wait to say that all night.
You're talking about JT thor Anthony Gill and then Rashaun
Holmes played two minutes. This is a Washington team that
made the move for the veterans. I think they've told
all the veterans, Chris Middleton, Brogden, whoever, I'm go ahead to,
you know, take the rest of the season off.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You guys are good. They're getting the looks at all
these guys.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's not much of a bench ben And so my
call of the game tonight is going to be Paul Anthony,
who I thought came back and gave you nineteen really
good minutes the other night against the San Antonio Spurs.
Between Cole and I think the bench is gonna play
well tonight. And I think between Cole and Goga, who
I've seen some very positive signs from as of late.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Seems like Goga's got.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Some hop back in his step, I think one of
those guys is gonna give you double digit scoring tonight.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
And if it's Goga, I'm talking double double.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
I'm talking one of those fourteen and ten type games
like we saw against Sacramento. If it's Cole, I'm thinking twelve,
fourteen points, maybe a couple of Maye threes, and then,
as we can always expect with Cole, Anthony five six rebounds,
and a couple assists as well. I'm thinking both those
guys play well tonight, But I think I'm leaning towards
a double double from Goga. But I'm expecting to see
(16:45):
Cole use this opportunity as a game to try to
get some rhythm back.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
He looked pretty good the other night.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But I think this is a good opportunity for Cole
to get some good burn, get some shots up, be aggressive,
and try to gain some confidence back.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Nothing gets the juice box going like Goga bita double.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I am gonna I'm gonna say go, go, gadget arms
so loud tonight.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Bet I'll say it under my breath.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I'll say it to myself so that it doesn't get hurt.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
I'll say that. But I think that's a good call.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I think if for Cole, he's still on a little
bit of a minute's restriction probably tonight. I mean he
only played nineteen minutes against San Antonio.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Yeah, this is a type.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Of game where if you're Coal and you're looking at
the Wizards, a team that the Magic are three and
zero against this year, I really have controlled them in
each of the three games. If you're Coal, you're looking
at tonight as okay, this is an opportunity to really
find my groove.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
You know. The Spurs game was an opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
For me to get back on the court right, and
now this is a game where Cole can kind of
relax a little bit, play his game, get aggressive, get downhill,
not turn the ball over as much, and maybe get
his own shots, find those open looks when he's on
the floor with Palo or Franz because those minutes are stacked.
So I think that's a good call, and I think
if Cole's on the floor, then Goku can find that
(17:57):
space on the block and he can be aggressive with
the like Alex Sarsar is very good, there's no denying that,
but he's a rookie and he's not the most prolific
rebounder there is. And on offense, he likes to stretch
the floor. He could shoot the ball well from three,
if you remember, in the most previous Magic versus Wizard's game,
he hit like two threes right out of the gate.
(18:18):
And that's just what Alex sar likes to do offensively.
So it prevents a presents, i should say, an opportunity
for Goga that type of aggressive rebounder, and he knows
his role. He said, that's my role. I'm a rebounder.
I get the ball to my teammates. Then this is
an opportunity for Goga to put up a double double effort,
(18:38):
quite honestly, at least ten points ten rebounds if he's
on the floor for an extended period of time. It's
also an opportunity for when Dell to have that type
of performance. You didn't mention him, but when Dell's gonna
be playing a lot of minutes tonight, and if he's
not in foul troubles, to sort of fix that issue
of the reach in fouls, but also at the same
time be aggressive in the paint and get the rebounds
(19:00):
as he does.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, Alex a seven foot two hundred and five pounds.
He's still nineteen years old. He'll turn twenty in twenty
three days here at the end of April.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
He's he's a very.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Talented young player, obviously second overall pick in the draft.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
That he's going to be really good.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
The threees, You're right, he's been shooting them with a
lot more regularity and been making them over.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
The course of the last couple of months.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
We should be able to push these guys around, frankly,
and so the rebounding. This should be one of those
games where you're able to reset some positive habits heading
into the last week.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
When del file trouble is a great example, like just
don't do it tonight, Like just don't file tonight.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
See if you can get through twenty five minutes with
two personal files or less.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Because even if you're giving up open buckets, I think.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
You have a chance to to get some work done
on that and to withstand some open buckets here and
there and still be all right as a team as
a whole.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So hopefully you.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Can get some good work done tonight. You don't want
to treat like a practice game. Obviously that's the way
you get bit as you mentioned, Ben, but I think
stick to the defensive game plan tonight. Try to limit
the threes, try to limit Jordan Poole, easy buckets, runouts,
all that good stuff, and you should be looking at
a second straight season series sweep of your division rival
to Washington Wizards. He's Ben Spector, I've Ben Jake Chaman.
(20:17):
This is Magic Insiders Orlando and Washington Tonight six thirty
pre game down on FM one, Oh four point five.
We'll have the game down there as well. You can
always stream us in the central Florida area on the
Orlando Magic app or on the iHeartRadio app. And we've
got the broadcast as well on FanDuel Sports beginning at
six thirty with Kendrick Douglas and our Jeff Turner and
(20:38):
then David Steele and Jeff.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
We'll have the call.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Magic Wiz coming up tonight and we will talk to
you guys tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I have a great night, everybody,
You're listening to Magic Insiders with Dante Marcatelli and Jake Chapman.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Step back over Durant, shot it up, Carrol drills it
and the foul.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Chance for a three point play Big time bag.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Carrol torn headed back.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The lay a steal by Franz Fonkner to run out
the font and got life to its Fronz Fogner and
the fourth quarter not like of.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
This is your daily destination for all the latest on
the Orlando match.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Heat over to win down. Now back to Kailin.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
He's gonna try another three pack, got another.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
One forty seconds Big Carol Jumper.
Speaker 5 (00:35):
Whoo.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Magic Insiders is presented by International Diamond Center, your local
diamond experts since nineteen eighty one. And now here's your host, Jake.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Chafman, and Welcome into Magic Insiders. We're presented by International
Diamond Center. Jake Chapman and Benjamin Spector are Graduate associate
for the season.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Joining me today the Magic and walking in DC getting
set for the final matchup of the season with the
Washington Wizards.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's been all good so far.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
The Magic of three zero season series lead over Washington.
The Wizards played last night. They did get a win
kind of shockingly, but if you watch Sacramento on Saturday night,
maybe not so shockingly. I don't know what the Kings
are doing right now, but the Wizards able to knock
Sacramento off last night. One sixteen to one eleven was
the final score. It's the seventeenth win of the season
(01:26):
for the Washington Wizards. They are the worst team in
the league as far as record.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
To excuse excuse me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
That put them past Utah Utah sitting at sixteen and
sixty one on the year. So one of the dregs
of the league, the Washington Wizards. They've lost eight of
ten and it's a game where if you go take
care of business, then you come home and you've got
all sorts of rest before we get set for the
final week of the season, the final four games of
the season, and the final back to back at the
(01:52):
Kia Center.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That'll be next week. We'll talk about that coming up here.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
In the second segment, I talked about the Kings and
the Wizards result from last night, ben but the biggest
result as far as the Orlando Magic go, how about
those Dallas Mavericks.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Always been a big Anthony Davis fan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Loved the trade. I thought it was thought it was
a great move for Nico Harrison. Look, they got healthy
last night. Derek Lively is on the men, Daniel Gafford back,
and Anthony Davis plays last night, plays well, thirty four points,
fifteen rebounds, had five block shots, and the Dallas Mavericks
beat the Atlanta Hawks, Hawks second loss in as many nights.
(02:28):
One twenty one to eighteen was the final score. It
took an ad bucket late, It took an AD defensive stop.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
On Trey Young to force a bad three late.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And now here we are as we come down the stretch,
the Magic in the seventh seed with a commanding half
game lead over the Atlanta Hawks. But you can make
that a full game if you go out tonight and
take care of business against the Washington Wizards. Ben, I
know it's not your thing, but I will definitely be
asking Brandon Kravitz on the pregame show tonight to drop
(02:58):
one of his very patented win games against the Washington
Wizards tonight. This is the one you absolutely have to have.
Washington does not necessarily want to win games. They've got
guys on the injury report. We'll get to that as
well coming up. But a game tonight where the Magic,
if they go out and take care of business, can
be feeling really good about themselves with a couple of
days of rest and practice, looking ahead until next Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah, it's a gimme game, that's what I like to
call it, where I don't know if you're gonna get
Brandon to say must win. I don't know if that's
gonna happen, but you can try. I look forward to
the attempt.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, you weren't there on Saturday. He sort of talked
himself into it before a pre game. He didn't he
didn't have that prepared. But as we were talking about
coming off the Dallas loss and the Kings sort of being.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Where they are in the season, by the end.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Of that segment, ben I had bek convinced and he
laid down the must win stamp.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So it's still there. It's he's keeping it fresh.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, it's a gimme game where fans are kind of
right or penciling it so that it could be a
race already, I feel like because the Wizards are are
not doing that well this season. But on the flip,
it could be a trap game because you know this
is a Wizards team that has a lot of guys
that are fighting for jobs right now, fighting for a
(04:10):
spot on that roster next year.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
This is a team that's in.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
The Capture of the Flag Capture Cooper Flag hunt, and
they're at this point in the season where you have
the teams that are quote unquote tanking, that are just
filled with a bunch of young guys trying to make
roles for themselves and get noticed. Then you have the
teams like the Magic are in right now. They're in
this group, the teams fighting for playoff positioning, and then
you have the teams that already clinched a spot in
(04:35):
the playoffs that just want to get their healthy and
no problems. So it's an interesting matchup, divisional matchup, one
that the Magic certainly must get. And I think a
big key tonight, like it always is, is just finding
consistent three point shooting.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
That will be very very important tonight.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I was looking at some numbers the other day after
they beat the Spurs on the road. The Magic hit
eighteen three against the Spurs. I heard you and Dante
talk about it yesterday on Magic Insiders. They're thirteen and
two when hitting fifteen threes or more. And I mean
you can go through all these numbers since the All
Star Break, shooting forty three percent from three when they're
(05:12):
moving the ball around in transition, they're twenty one and
seven when shooting at least thirty four percent from three.
It used to be thirty five percent from three when
we do these numbers. So just finding that consistency is
so important. You look at the last seven games for
this Magic team, they're five and two. They've hit double
digit threes in five of those games. Five of those
(05:34):
were the wins. So three point shooting needs to get consistent.
And this is a good opportunity against the Wizards team
that is not the best defensively to sort of find
that consistency from three point land.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, and as I mentioned, we don't have our injury
report yet when you look through Washington, because they don't
have they didn't have Kishon George last night.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
He's got an ankle. I'm not sure if we'll see him.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Bob carry they knocked on a whole bunch of threes
last night, Bob Carrington was making and of course they
have Jordan Poole. But you're talking about young talent and
talking about the end of the season, and you know
a Jordan Poole who may not necessarily be engaged for
thirty plus minutes tonight. So for sure, I think you
need to go out and try to capitalize on the
(06:17):
rhythm that you've been building.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You mentioned last seven games. I was looking at the
last eleven games.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
That takes us back to that New Orleans game out
on the road where you.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Made thirteen threes.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
The magic are eighth and net rating over the last
eleven games, and then obviously coincides with the offense trending upward,
still twenty second or something like that in offensive rating. Obviously,
you're still a top three defense over the last eleven games.
You have been all season, but you're seeing some really
good numbers. We talked about KCP obviously yesterday. We've talked
about Caleb Houston as well. Over that span those last
(06:48):
eleven games. Three point percentage Caleb fifty eight percent, called well,
Pope fifty two percent over the last eleven games is
a pretty big sample size. Man eleven games, nothing to sneeze.
I had to be sure. Corey Joseph's hitting thirty nine percent.
AB is at thirty seven percent even Windell Carter Junior
shooting thirty four point four percent from three point range
over the last eleven So the offense and you're seven
(07:10):
and four in that span.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
The offense is obviously trending upward.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You got to keep the defense as solid as as
it's been. Feels kind of like the Spurs game the
other night, right where maybe you come out and shoot
sixteen threes and sort of get sucked into what they
want to do. As long as you can, you can
try to be aggressive offensively. You just have to have
those stretches tonight, Like it didn't san Antonio. This is
the second half, so it made me a little nervous.
(07:35):
But you just gotta have those stretches tonight where you
do you rattle off a ten to two, a twelve
to four run, and you do so, you know, on
the heels of your defense, on the strength of your defense.
This Magic team always needs to manufacture offense and let
their defense help. And even against the Washington team that
is pretty depleted, I think that's the key is get
(07:56):
the offense going, but obviously rely.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
On that backbone, which has been your defense.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Five players since the All Star Break average thirty or
average shoot I should say thirty five percent or more
from three. Now that includes Cole who's played eleven games
since the All Star break and he's missed some time,
but he's back now. But at the beginning of the
season we were shouting from the rooftops to have at
least two three point shooters that got consistent minutes to.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Shoot thirty five percent for three.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Now they have five, and this is the perfect time
to have that though right going into the play in
at least they're guaranteed a play in spot. I mean,
a lot of things have to happen for that sixty.
That's a conversation for a separate day. But to have
that type of shooting now and sort of reach that
mark as you're entering postseason play, that is huge for
this Magic team and the five players Caleb and KCP.
(08:47):
Like you talked about Cole, Ab and Kojo. None of
that five includes your two stars in Palo and Franz.
Big reason why because, I mean we talk about this
a bunch. When they're moving that ball around and they
make that extra pass of the corner, that's how CACP
hit the dagger three against the Spurs.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
They're getting themselves.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Open looks because Polo and Franz have or garner so
much defensive attention that they find those open teammates, but
they still get theirs too. It's very rare that you
see two players go into a night expecting them to
combine for forty to fifty points, and that's what they do.
That's what they've been doing, and it leaves these guys open,
and when they're open, they can knock down threes.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
They're NBA players at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
So that's what's been happening, and it's really unique for
this magic offense.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Ben, Yeah, you're doing a fantastic job following along the rundown,
the show rundown that I did not send you, that
I did not send you. But that's a perfect transition
because over those eleven games, the Polo and Franz scoring
duo fifty three points per game. Paulo is obviously up
over thirty Frands at twenty two or yeah, twenty two
(09:54):
and change. Almost half our team average over the last
eleven games has come from Paula and Franz. That's probably
conversation for another day, but fifty three points per game
between two players, that's right up there, it's better than
Katie and Book for the season.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
It's a point blow.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Shay and Jadub and then Giannis and Lillard have been
the top scoring dual all season long. As we know,
Damian Lillard's season is is.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
More than likely over with that deep fin thrombosis.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But Giannis and Lillard fifty five point three points per
game you over the last eleven games, which is a
full what you know, eighth of the season, you're talking
about one of the best scoring duos in the league.
We're seeing it. The numbers are starting to bear that out.
And so if we can just keep those guys where
they are right now, and I'm expecting a big, like
a forty point explosion from Franz at some point as
all the attention from defenses start, you know, start sort
(10:42):
of finding its way over to Pollo.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I think Franz is gonna be able to pick his
spots at some point.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
But you've got that backbone right now offensively and night
in and night out to know that you're going to
get more than fifty points from two guys that as
you said, that's what opens things up, not just on
the floor spacing wise, but just as far as game
plans and the attention paid to those two guys.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
It can be pick or poison with those two. But
as soon as if, as soon as you feel like
you're doing a.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Good job on those guys than Caleb, Cole, Ab Wendell,
whoever it is, they're getting open looks KCP.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
It's just and it's been this way all season long.
It's just a matter of them knocking them down.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
And there's a confidence that comes with that with this
team when they enter a game and they know that
they're two stars, who by the way, are under twenty
four years old, which is remarkable.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
When they go.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Into a game and they know in the back of
their heads, okay, Palom and frant are going to combine
for forty to fifty points right now, over fifty points,
So we have that, right, we have that in our
back pocket. That makes me as me I'm talking as
if I'm an NBA player, but which I'm not.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I'm far from it, but you're close.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
But if you're on that team, if you're a Caleb,
you're a KCP, you're an AB.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
You have that in the back of your head.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
It makes you feel more comfortable when you're open to
take those shots because the defense is going to Palo.
Palo's taking these shots double teamed, and he just has
this mid range jumper that's deadly right now, and it
leaves ab open in the corner. It leaves KCP open
from three point land Kleb gets his spots, and just
to see shots go through that confidence develops and to
(12:16):
have that at this point in the season, it is
so important. I know that you want to see it
throughout the entirety of the season. I know that this
team had high expectations. Injuries happen. They happen to every team,
but for it to all sort of come together now
given what they have, because you know Jalen's not returning,
you know Moe is not returning. This is your group
(12:36):
and this is what you have to figure out, and
they're in that process right now.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
They can't have tonight's.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Game against the Wizards be a detriment to what they've
figured out in the past eleven games.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Your Magic look Ahead is powered by Ticketmaster. Five games
remaining Washington tonight. We're gonna be n FM one oh
four to five tonight, So six thirty pre game with
BK and then I'll have the call down on FM
one oh four point five, and course you can always
watch on FANDOL Sports as well.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Beginning at six.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Thirty it'll be Magic Live with Kendra and Jeff Turnam
so tonight and then as I mentioned, Friday off, Saturday off,
Sunday off, Monday off, practice time, rest and relaxation, all
of that good stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
And then the final week, the final pusch.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
You've got a home back to back Tuesday April eighth
with Atlanta, Wednesday April ninth with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Both of those should be playoff type games.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And then at Indiana on Friday, April eleventh, and then
at Atlanta, Game number eighty two will be a one
o'clock tip. That is a week from Sunday, April thirteenth
in Georgia.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Hey, Magic fans, it's time to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
You join us on April ninth as the Magic take
on the Boston Celtics during Fan Appreciation Night.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
It's presented by advent Health.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
We're celebrating fans with giveaways, team shop discounts, and a
whole lot of magic at your tickets today at Orlanto
magic dot com slash Fan Appreciation Night. More Magic Insiders
when we come back right here ninety six to nine
in the game.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
This is Cole Anthony and you're listening to Magic Insiders
with my guys Dante Marcatelli and Jake Kenton on the
Home of the Magic, ninety six nine the game.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Welcome backins Magic Insiders, Jake Chapman, and your favorite broadcasters,
favorite graduate associate Ben Spexter's my coast for tonight as
we get set for the Magic and the Washington Wizards.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
It'll be game number seventy eight.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
If you can believe it or not, the Magic's third
last home game away game of the season. It's at
Washington and then home for a couple of days, and
then we'll have a home back to back and that'll
conclude the home schedule of the season. That's next Tuesday
and Wednesday with the Hawks and the Celtics. But first
things first, take care of business tonight against the lowly
seventeen win Washington Wizards. The Magic have won seven straight
(14:42):
against Washington and the Wizards coming off a win last
night against the Sacramento Kings that was at home in Sacramento,
but in Washington. But the Wizards come in at seventeen
fifty nine on the season, and that leads me to
my call of the game. It's brought to you by
Glip from ring Central. Rethink the way you work for
secure meetings and messaging on any DIVI with Glit by
ring central head toglip dot com to learn.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Moore Ben, I don't know if you if you took
a look at.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
All at the box score from last night, it was
a one sixteen, one to eleven win for Washington over Sacramento.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I don't know what's going on with the Kings.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I saw some really bad body language on Saturday night.
That's for them to worry about. I don't think Zach
Colvine wants to play any more basketball this season, frankly.
But Washington got twenty three points from Jordan Poole. You
would assume he'd be good in a game like that.
AJ Johnson got the start last night. He and Bob
Carrington combined for seven made threes. Bub had five of them.
He played really well. And then off the bench, you're
(15:35):
talking about Tristan Vukcevic. Can't wait to say that all night.
You're talking about JT thor Anthony Gill and then Rashaun
Holmes played two minutes. This is a Washington team that
made the move for the veterans. I think they've told
all the veterans, Chris Middleton, Brogden, whoever, I'm go ahead to,
you know, take the rest of the season off.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You guys are good. They're getting the looks at all
these guys.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's not much of a bench ben And so my
call of the game tonight is going to be Paul Anthony,
who I thought came back and gave you nineteen really
good minutes the other night against the San Antonio Spurs.
Between Cole and I think the bench is gonna play
well tonight. And I think between Cole and Goga, who
I've seen some very positive signs from as of late.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Seems like Goga's got.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Some hop back in his step, I think one of
those guys is gonna give you double digit scoring tonight.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
And if it's Goga, I'm talking double double.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
I'm talking one of those fourteen and ten type games
like we saw against Sacramento. If it's Cole, I'm thinking twelve,
fourteen points, maybe a couple of Maye threes, and then,
as we can always expect with Cole, Anthony five six rebounds,
and a couple assists as well. I'm thinking both those
guys play well tonight, But I think I'm leaning towards
a double double from Goga. But I'm expecting to see
(16:45):
Cole use this opportunity as a game to try to
get some rhythm back.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
He looked pretty good the other night.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But I think this is a good opportunity for Cole
to get some good burn, get some shots up, be aggressive,
and try to gain some confidence back.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Nothing gets the juice box going like Goga bita double.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I am gonna I'm gonna say go, go, gadget arms
so loud tonight.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Bet I'll say it under my breath.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I'll say it to myself so that it doesn't get hurt.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
I'll say that. But I think that's a good call.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I think if for Cole, he's still on a little
bit of a minute's restriction probably tonight. I mean he
only played nineteen minutes against San Antonio.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
Yeah, this is a type.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Of game where if you're Coal and you're looking at
the Wizards, a team that the Magic are three and
zero against this year, I really have controlled them in
each of the three games. If you're Coal, you're looking
at tonight as okay, this is an opportunity to really
find my groove.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
You know. The Spurs game was an opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
For me to get back on the court right, and
now this is a game where Cole can kind of
relax a little bit, play his game, get aggressive, get downhill,
not turn the ball over as much, and maybe get
his own shots, find those open looks when he's on
the floor with Palo or Franz because those minutes are stacked.
So I think that's a good call, and I think
if Cole's on the floor, then Goku can find that
(17:57):
space on the block and he can be aggressive with
the like Alex Sarsar is very good, there's no denying that,
but he's a rookie and he's not the most prolific
rebounder there is. And on offense, he likes to stretch
the floor. He could shoot the ball well from three,
if you remember, in the most previous Magic versus Wizard's game,
he hit like two threes right out of the gate.
(18:18):
And that's just what Alex sar likes to do offensively.
So it prevents a presents, i should say, an opportunity
for Goga that type of aggressive rebounder, and he knows
his role. He said, that's my role. I'm a rebounder.
I get the ball to my teammates. Then this is
an opportunity for Goga to put up a double double effort,
(18:38):
quite honestly, at least ten points ten rebounds if he's
on the floor for an extended period of time. It's
also an opportunity for when Dell to have that type
of performance. You didn't mention him, but when Dell's gonna
be playing a lot of minutes tonight, and if he's
not in foul troubles, to sort of fix that issue
of the reach in fouls, but also at the same
time be aggressive in the paint and get the rebounds
(19:00):
as he does.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, Alex a seven foot two hundred and five pounds.
He's still nineteen years old. He'll turn twenty in twenty
three days here at the end of April.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
He's he's a very.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Talented young player, obviously second overall pick in the draft.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
That he's going to be really good.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
The threees, You're right, he's been shooting them with a
lot more regularity and been making them over.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
The course of the last couple of months.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
We should be able to push these guys around, frankly,
and so the rebounding. This should be one of those
games where you're able to reset some positive habits heading
into the last week.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
When del file trouble is a great example, like just
don't do it tonight, Like just don't file tonight.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
See if you can get through twenty five minutes with
two personal files or less.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Because even if you're giving up open buckets, I think.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
You have a chance to to get some work done
on that and to withstand some open buckets here and
there and still be all right as a team as
a whole.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So hopefully you.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Can get some good work done tonight. You don't want
to treat like a practice game. Obviously that's the way
you get bit as you mentioned, Ben, but I think
stick to the defensive game plan tonight. Try to limit
the threes, try to limit Jordan Poole, easy buckets, runouts,
all that good stuff, and you should be looking at
a second straight season series sweep of your division rival
to Washington Wizards. He's Ben Spector, I've Ben Jake Chaman.
(20:17):
This is Magic Insiders Orlando and Washington Tonight six thirty
pre game down on FM one, Oh four point five.
We'll have the game down there as well. You can
always stream us in the central Florida area on the
Orlando Magic app or on the iHeartRadio app. And we've
got the broadcast as well on FanDuel Sports beginning at
six thirty with Kendrick Douglas and our Jeff Turner and
(20:38):
then David Steele and Jeff.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
We'll have the call.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Magic Wiz coming up tonight and we will talk to
you guys tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I have a great night, everybody,
Hosts And Creators
Dante Marchitelli
Jake Chapman
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