The game against the Hawks will be the first of four meetings between the Southeast Division rivals. Atlanta has one of the league's worst offenses (26th in points per possession through Sunday) and one of the league's best defenses (third in points allowed per possession through Sunday).
Orlando is 50-54 all-time vs. Atlanta (33-20 at home, 17-34 on the road) during the regular season, including 2-2 last season. Orlando is 10-5 vs. Atlanta during the playoffs (4-1, 1996 East Semis; 4-0 2010 East Semis; 2-4 2011 First Round). Orlando has lost 17 of the last 22 meetings against the Hawks, including 11 straight from Dec. 6, 2010-Nov. 9, 2013. The Magic have lost eight of the last 15 regular season meetings at home, and ten of the last 12 on the road. Jodie Meeks attended Norcross High School in Norcross, GA.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. HAWKS: 40 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Atlanta, 12-8-01)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 40 pts., Joe Johnson (@ Atlanta, 3-19-06)
INJURY REPORT:
Bismack Biyombo – strained left shoulder, QUESTIONABLE
Nikola Vučević – sore low back, QUESTIONABLE
Josh Robbins
Nikola Vucevic (back) and Bismack Biyombo (shoulder) did not practice today. Frank Vogel said Vucevic did some non-contact work.
Kent Bazemore: Questionable
Tiago Splitter: Out
Hawks guard Kent Bazemore went through about half of practice Monday. Status for Tuesday will be determined on how he came out of workout. Bazemore missed the last three games because of a sore knee, with Tim Hardaway Jr. taking his place in the starting lineup. Atlanta's other recent lineup change is defensive-minded Thabo Sefolosha starting a small forward and Kyle Korver coming in to add offense when needed.
Josh Robbins
Jeff Green said 99% of the Magic's practice today was focused on defense. Today was Orlando's first practice since Nov. 28.
"That's the biggest thing the last four games: We just let our guard down for whatever reason on the defensive end," coach Frank Vogel said. "We've got to return to form, and it's got to happen a lot mentally more than coming in and having three hard days of practice."
"I know Dwight Howard's numbers are different than they were [a few years ago], but I watch him play and he's still every bit the force that I remember him being," Vogel said. "He knocks you around in the paint. You throw it to him in the post. He's got the lob game. And he blocks shots on the other end. "
THIS DATE IN MAGIC HISTORY
December 13, 2014 – Tobias Harris notched his second buzzer-beater of the season, hitting the game-winning jumper as time
expired to give Orlando a 100-99 victory over Atlanta at the Amway Center. Harris led the Magic with 20 points.
UNDEFEATED ON TUESDAYS WITH JODIE MEEKS
(3-0 overall on Tuesdays)
