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Wizards vs. Magic preview: Washington faces Orlando looking to move up in standings

NBA: Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Game Info

When: Friday, January 25 at 7 pm Eastern Time
Where: Amway Center in Orlando, Florida
TV: NBC Sports Washington

Injury Report

Wizards: John Wall (Out, Heel), Dwight Howard (Out, Back), Markieff Morris (Out, Neck)

Magic: Isaiah Briscoe (Questionable, Ankle), Timofey Mozgov (Out, Knee)

What to Watch for

Something has to give

The Wizards and Magic have different payrolls and reputations, but on paper, they’re not all that different. They both have 20 wins going into this game and similar point differentials.

On the other hand, these teams couldn’t be more different. The Magic have a talented frontline with Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, but they’ve stumbled in 2019, going 4-8 in January. The Wizards stumbled out of the gates, but their talented perimeter players have helped them get back on track in recent weeks.

Both teams face big decisions in the next few weeks before the trade deadline on February 8. The Magic and Wizards desperately want to make the playoffs, but they have nine other teams to contend with besides themselves. A loss here for either side to a team on the outside of the playoff picture could be the final straw that pushes a team to be a seller instead of a buyer at the deadline.

A random moment in Wizards - Magic history: Caron Butler hits the winning shot in Orlando