Magic Starting 5: Lakers Win In Orlando

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 28, 2022

Magic Starting 5: Lakers Win In Orlando /

1. MAGIC HUMBLED IN LOSS VS. LAKERS

"The Magic simply failed to get in a rhythm and could not capitalize on the team's size advantage at any point during the game.

"LeBron James and Russell Westbrook led the way and their experience made a difference against the young Magic squad. James led all scorers with 28, while Westbrook recorded his signature triple-double off the bench."

2. MAGIC POWER RANKINGS

"The longer the Magic continue to keep winning, the more it seems like this recent stretch of winning isn't a fluke. The team held the worst record in the league at the start of the six-game win streak, but the Magic is making up for the hole it dug earlier in the season."

3. SHOULD ROCKETS WANT JAMES HARDEN BACK?

"Does Harden have "ties to Houston''? Wonderful. But he's proven those "ties'' are easy to unknot. We're not skeptical of the idea of James Harden contemplating a summer free-agency return to the Rockets. What we're skeptical of is ... James Harden."

4. WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

5. NEXT MAGIC GAME

The Magic will return to the court tonight against the Detroit Pistons at 7:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Florida or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.

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Published Dec 28, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.