Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Things to Watch
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic eyes its third win of the season and the team is favored against the Houston Rockets, who have just one victory in their first 10 tries.
The Magic and Rockets represent two of the league's rebuilding teams, which makes for an evenly-matched contest.
Here's a look at three things to watch for in Monday's game ...
Small Ball vs. Tall Ball
The Rockets usually operate a starting lineup with three guards ... Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Eric Gordon. And that's the exact opposite of what the Magic do.
The Magic will have a height advantage in Monday's matchup, but it will be up to Orlando to utilize that edge and exploit it. Because there is also an advantage the Rockets have with a team filled with quick guards that can run up and down the floor.
Jabari Smith's Chip
Up until Paolo Banchero's name was called as the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Jabari Smith had reason to believe his name was the one coming out of Adam Silver's mouth.
However, it wasn't. Banchero ended up in Orlando, while Smith landed in Houston.
After the draft, Smith admitted that he was disappointed the Magic didn't take him. Monday is his first chance to sock it to the team that passed him up.
Keep The Foot on The Gas
The Magic could easily be winners of three straight games coming into this contest. However, Orlando surrendered double-digit leads in losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings.
The Magic is playing better basketball than its record suggests. The same could be said for the Rockets, albeit on a smaller scale.
The Magic is losing games not because of macro-philosophy reasons, but rather because the team isn't executing the micro-details inside each game. If Orlando can clean that up, expect a happy crowd heading home Monday night.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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