ORLANDO, Fla. - Just five days removed from one of the Orlando Magic's greatest comebacks in franchise history against the Miami Heat, the two teams meet again in a day-after-Christmas matchup Thursday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET from the Kia Center.
What a difference five days makes. Before these teams met last weekend, Orlando came in with a three-game losing streak tagged to them. Now, still shorthanded, the Magic ride two spirited victories into the third matchup this season with their fierce division and in-state rival.
Orlando is 19-12 this season and sits 1.5 games clear of Milwaukee for the East's fourth seed - tied with 12 losses but the Magic owning three more victories. Miami is 14-13 this season - 0.5 games up on Atlanta for the last guaranteed playoff spot at 6th in the East standings. But their season outlook could change depending on what happens with Jimmy Butler, who is reportedly preferring a trade out of South Beach ahead of the February 6th trade deadline.
Who: Orlando Magic (19-12) vs. Miami Heat (14-13)
What: NBA Regular Season Game
When: Thursday, December 26, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida, NBA League Pass
Radio: 96.9 The Game, Orlando Magic Audio Network, SiriusXM
Point Spread: Orlando -1.5
Last Meeting: Orlando 121, Miami 114 on 12/21/24
Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic: Mosley tipped off his fourth NBA season as a head coach this season, all of which having come with the Magic. He's 121-155 in the regular season all-time, and 3-4 in the playoffs. Before Mosley was named the head coach of the Magic, he was an assistant with Dallas, Cleveland, and Denver. He's a Colorado alum, and played four years of professional basketball in Mexico, Australia, Finland and South Korea.
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat: Spoelstra is a Heat-lifer, starting as a video coordinator in 1995 and working his way up the ladder to head coach ahead of the 2008-2009 season. Since then, he's been rightfully heralded as one of the best coaches in the NBA. He's lead the Heat to the Finals six times in his time on the Mimia sidelines, winning two titles in 2011-12 and 2012-13. In 2022, he was named as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history.