The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Orlando Magic in an Eastern Conference battle on Friday night. The 76ers were dealt a road loss by the Hornets on Wednesday. The Magic lost to the Pacers in their previous action. The 76ers went 4-0 against Orlando last season.

76ers Fall to Hornets, Injuries Play a Factor
The Philadelphia 76ers enter this one as a loser of two out of their last three games. They are in the middle game of a three-game road trek. They beat the Nets earlier this week and began the road swing with a 107-101 loss against the Hornets in a bout that had Philly labeled four-point dogs. The 76ers are dealing with several injuries and are playing reasonably well. They have covered in one out of their last three road games.

Joel Embiid has missed the last two games with a foot injury and is questionable for this one. The 28-year-old center is having a dominating season, recording an average of 32.3 PPG along with 10.1 RPG. Tobias Harris is being relied on heavily due to the injuries. The 30-year-old power forward scored 19 points in Wednesday’s defeat in Charlotte, going just 1 for 9 from beyond the arc. Harris has logged 15.6 PPG accompanied by 6.1 RPG. Georges Niang is also benefiting from more playing time. The 29-year-old small forward has scored at least 15 points in three out of his last four games and is posting an average of 9.7 PPG. James Harden and Tyrese Maxey are dealing with injuries and will not play until next month.

The 76ers recently won three road games in a row but have since dropped their last two road bouts against the Hawks, followed by Wednesday’s defeat in Charlotte. Philly isn’t scoring many points recently and is now averaging 108.6 points on the year, landing them 28th. They are playing solid defense and are limiting opponents to 106.6 points, good for second in the NBA.

Magic Return Home, Banchero Questionable
The Orlando Magic return home after a three-game road trek. They won the first game in Chicago but were pelted with two defeats against the Pacers, losing 114-113 in the first one, and were eight-point dogs in a rough 123-102 defeat in Monday’s rematch. There haven’t been many wins recently, losing four out of their last five games. Injuries continue to play a factor as they have several key players either out of commission or questionable. The Magic have covered the spread in one of their last three home games.

Paolo Banchero has missed the last few weeks due to an ankle injury. The 20-year-old rookie has been outstanding in his first NBA action. Banchero has scored 30 points in back-to-back games and has recorded an average of 23.5 PPG and 8.3 RPG. He was at practice and is questionable.

Franz Wagner has been outstanding, especially since Banchero’s injury. The 21-year-old small forward has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games and has amassed an average of 19.3 PPG. Wendell Carter Jr. has also missed the last few games and is listed as day-to-day. The 23-year-old center has three double-doubles this month and has filed an average of 16.6 PPG accompanied by 9.1 RPG. Cole Anthony remains out of action.

The Magic are 2-3 in their last five home games which include two surprising victories against the Mavericks and Suns. Orlando doesn’t score many points, averaging only 109.5 points on the season, ranking them 22nd. They are a strong defensive squad and are limiting opponents to 113.5 points, placing them 15th in the NBA.